Show THAT KILL lord en smokeless and colern gum ax f tia incent meeting of the share holders of sir W G armstrong mitchell co held at london lord made an address io the course of which he fhaid when I 1 last addressed you I 1 referred to the succeed which had attended the introduction of our quick firing guns of largo caliber and I 1 am happy to eay that continued trials with those guns and progressive improvements in their manufacture have firmly established their advantages those advantages will be still further enhanced by the employment of the new smokeless powder which it may be said is now certain to be brought into use with ordinary powder it would be impossible to fire those large guns at their maximum rate of some ten rounds per minute on account of the hanging smoke from the discharge which renders aim ing impossible with the so called powder in which nitrate of ammonia is used as a base the bame hindrance is not experienced the smoke produced by the discharge being very much less in volume and also dissipating very readily excellent results have been obtained with it velocities of about 2300 feet per second in the twelve centimeter guna inch being reached and in the fifteen centimeter gun 0 inch the extraordinary velocity of 2500 feet per has been realized in both instances with very permissible pressures bit even with these powders though much reduced in the ia still present as a partial hindrance and extended experiments are now being carried out to endeavor if possible to obtain powder with a total ab bence of smoke we have lately been expert with a new powder recommended by sir frederick abels committee known from its string like form as cordite with much success euc cess with a six inch gun velocities of 2300 fet have been obtained with cordite at pressures somewhat over twelve tons As yet it would be premature to say up to what size of gun this powder might bo used and its adaptability far the service has of course still to be proved by climatic and other tests but at present the results are very promising it is impervious to damp and above all it ia absolutely smokeless and should the results mentioned above be main tain edits employment will in all probability work a revolution in modern armaments and reader the use of quick firing gum not only an advantage but a necessity so much for guns and powder when last addressing you I 1 referred to our continued success in the production of war ships and especially of protected cruisers and alluded particularly to a vessel of this claw we were building to our own designs for the italian govern anent this vessel the piemonte afta then just launched but she has since then passed through both her speed and her gunnery trials and has I 1 am happy to eay more than realized the predictions which I 1 then ventured to make both as to her speed and power of armament I 1 said last year that she was expected to obtain a speed of 21 knot in reality she has 22 3 to twenty t is miles an hour which is the highest speed ever attained bj any seagoing sea going ship she carries on either broa daule four six inah guns and five six excluding and with the broadside fired at the maximum rate she could discharge some pounds weight of projectiles in a minute I 1 have long contended that vessels of this class would prove more serviceable in relation to their cost than armored battle ships especially in the case of a navy like oura which h a very widespread commerce of incalculable value to protect |