From the Earth to the Moon

with interest its final decision. The size of the projectile, the length of the cann

ght to be ranked among the legends of the middle ages. Gunpowder was not invented by any one; it was the lineal successor of the Greek fire, which, like itself, was composed of sulfur and saltpeter. Few

ccupies a space of 4,000 litres: consequently the volume of powder is to the volume of gas produced by its combustion as 1 to 4,000. One may judge, therefore, of the tremendous pre

or Elphinstone, who had been the director

igures which will serve as the basis of our calculation. The old 2

of this amount?”

pounds, and the Rodman Columbiad uses only one hundred and sixty pounds of powder to send its half ton shot a distance of six miles.

e,” said t

s sixteen pounds of powder;— in other words, if in ordinary guns we employ a quantity of powder equal to two-thirds of the weight of the projectile, this proportion is not

iming at?” aske

. Maston, “you will get to this, that as soon as your shot beco

to propose gunpowder enough to satisfy his artillerist’s propensities. I only keep to statistical facts when I say that, during the war, a

deciding the quantity of powder necessary to g

powder,” continued the major; “its combus

“but it is very destructive, and ends

to our Columbiad. We shall run no danger of an explosion; and it is necessary that our pow

al touch-holes, so as to fire it at

In his Columbiad charges Rodman employed a powder as large as chestnuts, made of willow charcoal, simply dried in cast- iron pans. This powder was hard and glittering, left

others to speak while he himself listened; he had evidently got an idea. He

bers looked a

sand pounds.” at

thousand,” a

thousand,” sc

his triple proposal; it was at

tructed under the given conditions, is unlimited. I shall surprise our friend Maston, then, by

d pounds?” shouted Masto

st

e of about 20,000 cubic feet; and since the contents of your cannon do not exceed 54,000 cubic feet, it would be half

powder. Now, 1,600,000 pounds of powder will create 6,000,000,

done then?” s

e this enormous quantity of powder, whil

ut by wh

ll you,” replied

Now cotton, combined with cold nitric acid, become transformed into a substance eminently insoluble, combustible, and explosive. It was first discovered in 1832, by Braconnot, a French chemist, who called it xyloidine. In 1838 another Frenchman, Pelouze, investigated its different properties, and finally, in 1

be more simpl

al days to charge the cannon. It ignites at 170 degrees in place of 240, and its combustion is so rapid t

exclaimed

is more e

r?” cried J

gunpowder. I will even add, that if we mix it with one-eighth of its own weigh

necessary?” as

ut danger, compress 500 pounds of cotton into twenty-seven cubic feet, the whole quantity will not occupy a height of more than 180 feet within the bore of the Colu

himself into the arms of his friend with the violence of a projectile,

ated the third meeti

succeeding in solving the complex problems of projectile, cannon, and powd

etail, a bagatelle,