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The Question of the Powders
"Gentlemen,"saidthisdistinguishedchemist,"Ibeginwithsomefigureswhichwillserveasthebasisofourcalculation.Theold24-poundershotrequiredforitsdischargesixteenpoundsofpowder."
"Youarecertainofthisamount?"brokeinBarbicane.
"Quitecertain,"repliedthemajor."TheArmstrongcannonemploysonlyseventy-fivepoundsofpowderforaprojectileofeighthundredpounds,andtheRodmanColumbiadusesonlyonehundredandsixtypoundsofpowdertosenditshalftonshotadistanceofsixmiles.Thesefactscannotbecalledinquestion,forImyselfraisedthepointduringthedepositionstakenbeforethecommitteeofartillery."
"Quitetrue,"saidthegeneral.
"Well,"repliedthemajor,"thesefiguresgotoprovethatthequantityofpowderisnotincreasedwiththeweightoftheshot;thatistosay,ifa24-poundershotrequiressixteenpoundsofpowder;—inotherwords,ifinordinarygunsweemployaquantityofpowderequaltotwo-thirdsoftheweightoftheprojectile,thisproportionisnotconstant.Calculate,andyouwillseethatinplaceofthreehundredandthirty-threepoundsofpowder,thequantityisreducedtonomorethanonehundredandsixtypounds."
"Whatareyouaimingat?"askedthepresident.
"Ifyoupushyourtheorytoextremes,mydearmajor,"saidJ.T.Maston,"youwillgettothis,thatassoonasyourshotbecomessufficientlyheavyyouwillnotrequireanypowderatall."
