ON   WHITE  GUNPOWDER. 
511 
to  be:  2KCy+3KCH-FeC2+N+6CO+6CO,+14HO  :  or  100 
parts  by  weight  of  the  powder  is  resolved  into 
47-44  gaseous  bodies. 
52-56  solid  residue. 
100.00 
The  volumes  of  the  gaseous  bodies  he  estimates  as  follows  : 
Nitrogen       .       .       ,      .         192T-0  C.  C. 
Carbonic  oxide       .       .      .         8942-9  " 
Carbonic  acid        .       .      .         8942-9  ^ 
Steam  ....  20867-6 
40680-4  C.  C. 
Compared  with  ordinary  gunpowder,  considered  as  unity,  the 
results  are  said  to  be  : 
Ordinary  powder.   White  powder. 
Volume  of  gas  set  free  .  .  1  2-107 
Temperature  of  flame    ...       1  0-641 
Residue  1  0-77 
It  should  seem,  then,  that  the  new  powder  has  over  the  old 
the  advantage  of  greater  power,  igniting  at  a  lower  temperature, 
and  leaving  less  residue.  The  author  points  out  several  other 
advantages  :  the  ease  with  which  the  white  powder  is  manufac- 
tured, there  being  no  necessity  for  granulating  and  glazing,  and 
the  less  danger  of  accidents.  The  higher  price  of  the  materials 
he  considers  is  more  than  compensated  for  by  the  smaller  qu-'in. 
tity  required. 
A  political  and  literary  contemporary  who  dabbles  a  little 
in  science,  and  who  describes  the  above  composition  as  being 
equally  white  and  cleanly  with  common  ^unpotvder,  dismally 
prophesies  innumerable  accidents  if  white  powder  should  ever 
come  into  use,  in  consequence  of  the  explosive  nature  of  chlorate 
of  potash — a  danger  to  which  he,  with  wonderful  prescience, 
says,  the  author  has  never  alluded.  As  it  happens.  Dr.  Pohl  is 
at  pains  to  show  that  fears  like  those  of  our  contemporary  are 
groundless.  Only,  he  states,  the  heaviest  stroke  of  iron  upon 
iron  is  sufficient  to  produce  an  explosion,  and  that  it  is  impossible 
to  ignite  the  powder  by  rubbing  it  between  wood  and  metal,  or 
between  stones. — London  Ghem,  News^  July  6,  1861. 
