Daily Yellowstone journal., 1886-01-30
THE MANUFACTURES OF euNeowosR
Preparing the Saltp.trr Production OF
sulphur and Charcoal Mixing Pror.ss.

| teridls-sulphur saltpCt"r and charcoal
But tossing these materials together amy
way does not make runpowdler by any
means. There Is IN 'Iiod. and ii il
somewhat complicated. That pursued al
| the Waithnm works, the most famous in
the woi |, Is as follows: The slltpfeI
comes chiefly from Bangnl and uthel
provinces in India. where IL is fnun,
mixed with the suil AMI rs an incnIstn
tiun on the ground. Ii is boiled an,
crNslal.ized by evaporation. Before il i
used at the factory il is PARTED by I,
| process which acts an the principle tta'
hit water will receive in the solution
mere Of the saltpete than the impIriti's
mixed with il. Spta" salipairr i boiled
in water. tie r'sss,ril z solution hltCir,
and COS i.sl in large va.s, ct the bottom q
which tlr pure ,altwtrr is deposited IN
fine crystals. II Is then washed, drict
and stored in bins. care being taken tia
no sand or gritty PARTICLES arr introduced
as under pressure they might produce Il
exI 'psiun.
Tic same precautions are taken witt
regard to the production OF The sal ii:.,
and charcoal. The hast sulphur come
from Sicily. Il is purified by diSliling
process. which brings il ont in handsomt
yellow crystals. Then it is pulyerizrd 10y
being ground under iron runners an,
siiied in Kind of revolving cylindiira
sieve called slope reel, The charcna'
is made of wood from Holland and Ger
MANY. Alder and willow are planted
near the factories. and the charcoal from
these is used for common powder, an'
black dogwood for fine rifle powder. TIL,
charcoal is not prepared in pits. hut tn,
wood is sawed into short lengths an,
packed into iron cylinders. called slips.
which are placed ON a small carriage an,
run into rptort like that used in ga,
works Here the slips are exposed L. th,
ilames for period of two and half ~
threr and half hours. the gas isslIin,
sron the wood being utilized for fuel
The charcoal when taken out is groun,
n a machine like giant coffee-mil. ant
hen sifted like the sulphur.
The next process is mixing the ingrrdi,
'nts. The proportions vary i'm dfIerrn
Countries. For English government pow
Her of every kind it is saltpeter. seventy
i've parts; sulphur. ten: charcoal, fifteer
the sulphur being reduced almost To =
minimum. as its chief Use is to ignite the
charge and hasten its motion. Tho
ingredients being weighed for &
charge of fifty pounds. are Iourr,'
Int. s.,.l. A. = L..
drum placed horizontally. and having
within il an axis revolving in different
direction from the drum. and furnished
with eight rows of projecting arms. ST.
rapid is the action of this machine that
three minutes is sufficient to thoroughly
mix the ingredients. 1t is then called the
green charge" and is ready for the in
cooperating mills. where the object is To-
make the mixture so intimate that new
substance is created, namely. gunpowcier.
The incorporating houses of Waltham
have thirty-two separate mills. Each
mill consists of pair Of runners coupled
together by strong axle. This axle
rests IN the socket of an upright shaft
which, passing down through the mill
bed. is connected by bevel wheels with a
revolving horizontal shaft driven by
steam or water-power. The runners are
Of Derbyshre limestone and iron. and
weigh from three and one-half to four
tons. The size of the iron ones is from
three and half To seven feet in diameter.
The mill-bed-a circular vat with flat
bottom and sloping sides-is of stone on
metal. On this bed fifty pounds of the
green chargc Il spread and moistcneG
with water, AMI the mill is set going.
Common powder i left under the mil
tire hours. rifle powder Ave hours
On leaving the mill the glmpow,ler i
in tie form of q soft cake which easily
breaks up into dust. This is pressed IN
layers between plates of copper or gun.
metal to increase its hardness or density.
and then made into the required form by
machinery. innati Enquirer.