THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
83 
matters stood there could scarcely be a doubt about their decision. The 
great improvements in the cotton had been admiringly acknowledged, the 
probability of greater improvements had been admitted, and the advantages 
attending its use for certain purposes had been fully set forth ; but at the 
same time it was indisputable that gun-cotton was still far short of that 
condition which would qualify it to supersede powder or to be generally used 
for warlike purposes. 
If this opinion had been formally pronounced it would have been a final 
blow for gun-cotton; there had been so many disappointments that men 
were weary of trusting to the prospects of further improvement. But before 
delivering their report the attention of the Committee had happened to 
fall on a fresh point, and to be diverted in a direction highly favourable for 
the substance generally, though not for Lenk's preparation of it. 
The question arose whether the method hitherto followed in cleaning the 
cotton and in the other steps of the process was the best.* * The answers 
were generally to the prejudice of Lenk's cotton, but it appeared also that 
authorities were not agreed as to its actual qualities or the essential properties 
which it ought to possess. 
A new preparation was however laid before the Committee. It was the 
production of many years' study and experiments, the author of which, one 
of the best known gunmakers (einer der bertihmesten Waffentechniker), 
advancing by a different course and on different principles, had arrived at 
a far more satisfactory result. The little which has at present transpired 
about it shows that it is an incomparably more perfect preparation; and 
especially the inventor seems to have succeeded in obtaining uniformity in 
its rate of combustion,—in controlling the amount of force which it 
exerts,—and in mastering the tendency to too easy ignition. 
There is scarcely a doubt that gun-cotton will now come into use. Its 
introduction for Artillery will be slow on account of the opposition it must 
encounter from the advocates of powder, and the expense of manufacturing 
ordnance best fitted to it. But in small arms it will have no such obstacles 
to overcome, and the experimental practice by the inventor, although 
unnoticed at the time, guarantees the best results. The necessary alterations 
to the muskets will be slight, and the cost trifling, whilst the advantages 
will be comparatively much greater than for ordnance. Amongst them 
may be mentioned that the loading will be more quickly and easily per¬ 
formed ; the ramrod will be dispensed with, the weight of the ammunition 
pouch will be lessened, and the range of the bullet increased. Add to 
these the absence of smoke, the slightness of recoil, and the safety in 
manufacture w’hich this preparation possesses in common with other gun¬ 
cotton, and there can be no doubt that its adoption will immediately attract 
attention from the Artilleries of Foreign States. 
of gun-cotton, appears very unwilling to allow Baron yon Lenk any credit for the practical success 
of the invention. 
* Es wurden die Fragen aufgeworfen ob der bisherige Voi’gang bei der Ausbildung des Schiess- 
wollwesens der richtige gewesen, ob die Schiesswolle zu der Zeit, als man sie zur Grundlage eines 
neuen Artillerie-Systems gemacht habe, schon die hierzu nothige Vollkommenheit besessen, und 
ob nicht vielmehr ihre Zusammensetzung, oder der Vorgang bei ihrer Bereitung, sowie die Method® 
ihrer weiteren Bearbeitung einer wesentlichen Verbesserung bediirftig gewesen sei. 
