The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-07-28
Correspondence Boston ueraid.]


north ADAMS. July 2i.-About one hun.
drcd y9rds beyond the west shaft of tho
HoOsac tunnel is to be seen board fence
surrounding about ten acres Of ground
with the announcement NitrO.9lycerinC
works Dangerous; no visitors admitted
A drive leading between two rows of build.
ings brings the "visilOr" 10 the acid
house, q weIl-ventilated building. $50 feet
long. Here are eleven stills, each seven feet
long and two feet i'm diameter. Under
these ieht, slow fire burns. which /,
carefully attended to, for The temperature
must he kept moderate. In each Of these
stills is placed charge of nitrate OF soda
apd OF suDhuric acid. a stOnewarc pipe
conducts the gases at a temperature OF
about $50 degrees Fahrenhei; from each still
into stone receiver or condenser, or rather
a series of four cOndenSers connected by
stoneware pipes, ranged on platform three
feet above the ground. Into three Of these
sulphuric acid is poured, and the fourth is
empty. The nitrous yap0r passes from a
sill 10 the first condenser, where a por.
tiOn Of it, forming, is it condenSeS,
nitric acid, Is taken up by the SuphurC
acid: the remainder passes on 10 the
second, third, and fourth condcnsers,
though very small portion j. left to pass
into the last, which only requires TO be
emptied once month. II takes about
tweniy-four hours for the still 10 complete
the conversion OF its contents into nitl iC
acid. at The end Of which time the re.
Suitant mixture. about coo rounds, is run
off into carboys, l. Of these being filled
from three stills. About 100 curbOys are
generally kept in stock. a, the acld does
not spoil when kept closed. These carbOys
are then emp'ied into soapstOne tank
having capacity OF IS carbOyS, and an
iron pipe, connected with the main lead
ing from the blowers in the engine
house, Is
INSERTED INTO THE ACID,
cauSn. 4 current Of air to agitate it, so as
to remove the nitrous fumes. mix it thor
ougbly. and bring it all TO uniform strength.
Formerly this was effected by removing the
acid into glass vessel containing about 40
gallons. and 1t required boiling for hours ;
the mode now practlced occupies only five
minutes, and the risk OF fracture OF glass
vessel in sand-bath is avoided. The acid
is tben carried into a c)nyerting-roOm
about 100 feet long, and well lighted,
where ii is divided among 1l6 stone pitch
ers, arranged in nine wooden trOuGhs
placed i'm the centre aud at the end OF the
room, and these tr0ugls are now filled
with ice-cold water, or ice and salt, 50 as to
rise within four inches Of The top OF the jar.
On shelves above the trOughs are arranged
GLASS Jars, one to each stone pitcher. Into
each OF these glass Jars chemically pure
glvcerine is poured, and this, by means OF q
syphou, with a rubber tube attached about
two feet long, falls drop 10y drop into the
corresponding pitcher Of mixed suphuriC
and nitric acids. Immediately below the
shelf on which the glyceTine jar stands is a
tWo-and- pipe, which brings
current of cold air from the receivers
connected with the two blowers above
mentioned. This current OF air is distri.
buted to each jar, while the acid and
glycerine are mixed by a rubber pipe, to
which is attached glass tube sixteen inches
long. and with q one.fouTth-inch bore.
During the hour and half or two hours
that the glycerne takes TO run off into the
pitchers the greatest care and closest atten-
ton is requisite. The three men whose
duty it is 10 attend TO the mixing process
have each a row of pitcher, TO watch, walk
ing the whole time up and down beside
them, with thermometer in band, and, as
the nitrous fumes rise from the forming
nitro Glyccrine, they stir the mixture with
the glass tube before mentioned in pitcher
that may be giving out too violent fumes.
Sometimes this is caused by the glycerint
running little freely, which fires the mix
ture, wastes the gycerine, forming oXali(
acid, and