St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-27
HOW GUN-cOTTON is MADE.
A Visit to the Mandatory at the New
port TORPEDO Station.

VOIt OCuO OtatiVus
NEWPORT, r l., Dec. 24.-It is not gen
orally known that there is but one place in
the United States where gup-cotion l. manu-
factured, but such is the case. Tue navy, up
to six mouths ago, was obliged 70 depend
upon England for all the gun-eotton used. Il
was decided to erect mandatory at the
torpedo station in Newport bsrbor, and in
due season il was in successful operation,
and is now able to supply ell that is required
for sea-gOing men Of war and tOrpedoes. II
was erected under the superintendenee Of
Professor White. the chemist at the station,
and OF Mr.. Amgstrom, the civil engineer
connected with the station.
The enterprise IS mainly due to the wise
forethougnt OF CAPTAIN T. o. Sellr.dge, the
commanding officer Of the station for the
past four years. In the manufacture OF
gun-eottou the best cotton waste and the
strongest and purest nitric and sulphuric
acids are used for the explosive. There is
only one mauulactOry In this country that
can supply the sulpburic acid. The cotton
waste, after II has been hand-picked for the
purpose OF removing the dirt and the grit, Is
placed in boiling tanks, where it is allowed
10 remain for -four hours. II is afterward
subjected to thorough washing and is re-
boiled. This operation removes all oily mat
ter aud leaves the cotton harsh and stiff. II
Is then dried in rooms heated with the waste
air from a drying box. After undergoing
this treatment the cotton rolls up into snarls
and lunches, and in order that the acid may
have freer access to it 1t is passed through
a shredder and converted into
fluffy state. II is after
ward exposed in sn air-tight box for several
hours 10 4 temperature oil 200 degrees, hich
pr4c tically depriyes II Of all moisture. From
the air light box IL is removed 70 the dipping
room, where there arc iron troughs filed With
Que part uitric acid aud two parts suiphurie
acid. Into these troughs the cotton is placed,
one bundle al time, ana allowed 10 remain
about ten minutes, long enough for IL 10 be
thoroughly soaked. Tue acid is band pressed
from the cotton, which is then placed In COW
cred eArthen jars. where il remains twenty
four hours undergoing chemical translorm4-
ton.
10 view Of the fact that much heat is
evolved during the chemical reaction, IL is
found necessary 10 place the jars in pots aud
surround them with flowing water, which
Ditrated aud is practically gun cotton, but the
acid, still mechanically held, must be wholly
removed or il would be apt to quickly
deteriorate and become extremely dangerous.
The charges, therefore, are taken one by
one and placed in an acid wringer aud
plunged into large tub which is kept flied
with running water, in which a large wheel
is rapidly turned in order TO subject tue cot
ton 10 a thorough washing. Tnis latter
process is continued until no acid il percepi-
IDLE IA the taste. IL is then subjected 10 a
still further washing aud boiling in an aka
line mixture, this being necessary IN order
to remove every trace Of acid. The cotton is
now in long shrrds and balls, which eau be
used or stored without danger, the processes
Of conversion and cleansing being com
pleted, but for military use IL must be put
into a more compact form. For this purpose
the gun-cottOn in charges Of 300 pounds is
thrown into pulping tub, where, mixed
with water, 1t is ground by steel cutters into
fne pulp. The grinding aud breaking up
Of the cellular tissue Of the cotton has made
ii more or less dirty, and it is necessary,
therefore, TO expose Il 10 frequent washings
in the posching tubs, from which, after
treating IL with lime water TO make the
moisture slightly alkaline, It is drawn up
mods, which, under a moderate pressure,
pass the water from the pulp aud trim out
cylinders Of cotton about eight inches high
and three and half inches in diameter.
These cylinders are then placed under n
hydraulic press and exposed TO a pressure OF
about LOO pounds TO the square inch, or
eight tons on each. The cylinders are
pressed into hard cakes or disks, some two
inches high aud three and one-half inches
in diameter, with 3 specific gravity little
greater than water. They are then packed
in boxes OF fifty pounds each, and kept in
magazines for general use. Gun-cotton Is,
for its gr at explosive power and the condi-
tons OF safety attached 10 its storage, super
Tor TO any other known explosive for naval
warfare.
Since the introduction Of gun-cotton, the
gun-cotion torpedo system has been intro
duced at the station. These torpcdoes now
take the place OF the heavy. uDwieldly gun
powder torpedoes, which, with their charges.
weigh $50 pounds. The gun cotton torpedo
only weighs seventy-ive pounds.