Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-01-19
A Nitro GlYcerine Fact ory.

NodI Uilo Village vi L W6cu, OubdI III, d uu
at the waters edge Of Stoco Lake. is a
fair sized. unpretentious. isolated, wooden
building, the appearance of which would
cause a stranger to inquire why such a
good building was erected in such an iso-
lated locality, and why it was so closely
guarded. as a solitary watchman, day and
night the year round, checks the steps and
inquiries the business of the curious as
they stray near. AS the eye passing up
ward reads ''NItro-glycerin factory, very
dangerous!'' in big LETT ers above the door.
the use for which the building is intended
and the necessity for watchful care over
it is apparent. At the door are seen ly
ing iron casks sheeted inside with lead
and jn these casks are imported the pure
glycerine and mixed acids used in the fac
tory.
A cask of mixed acid is hoisted by ma
chinery to the upper story and dumped
into mixing tub, in which the mixing
blades are moved by crank turned BY q
man who is st 4tioned in tight box and
has in front of him thermometer. AS
the glycerine runs into the acid, a vapor
is engendered in which life is scarcely
supportable, hence the man turning the
crank is stationed in a close box. The
acid and glycerne in their admixture rap
idly heat, and the compound has to be
toned down by cold wafer or ice. hence
the greatest watchfulness IS necessary at
this pc mt; IS the heat ia allowed to run
up to 800, and as nitfo-elycerinee xplodes at
,, 900, there remains but 100 of heat between
the known and eternity, or, as the mana
ger remarked. If the heat was allowed to
run to 900 they would not have time to
pucker their mouth to say good bye.
It is needless to say that, while the work
is going on, strangers are never allowed
to enter the building. as it is necessary
that every man should have his individual
attention at such times upon his work.
| sStrict rules govern our men," remarked
the manager. ''as the least venture at ex-
perimenting would leave no one to tell
how the accident happpned' The nitro
gycerine thus manufactured has AL ex-
plosive force ten times greater than that
of blasting powder, and is used on very
heavy work, remarked the manager. as it
is run down tunnel to the room below,
| where it is manufactured into dynamite,
dualin, or vigorite, all of which have nitro
gycerine as their basis, but are known by
different names to designate the degree of
power. AS rapidly as possible the nitro
glycerine is mixed with charcoal, wood
| pulp, or other mixtures. and reduced into
commodity more readily handled: for
although dynamite is understood to be
! extremely dangerous to handle, it is
rammed into the cartridges with stick.
with as little apparent fear Of the result
as would be the case were the substance
so much dirt.
| The cartridges are made to hold from
a pound to two pounds each, and are care
fully packed each day and taken to an
isolated magazine owned by the company.
The output of the factory is about 1000
shortly to increase the capacity to meet the
requirements of rapidly Increasing de-
mand, as this is the only factory of the
kind in Ontario. and the development of
the mines has rapidly increased the de-
mand, as blasting with powder has been
almost entire ely superseded by the use of
dynamite, which is not only more efica-
cious. but also safer to handle. The man.
ager remarked: II have tn pay my men
large salaries, although the work is G. M
paratively light, as very slight accident
would put them out of the way Of drawing
| their salaries. have worked at the bus
mess for the past seven years, and own a
Mill in Algpma as well as this one here,
but in this business life is the result of
vigilance. Manufacturers Gazette.