Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-08-28
MAKING oux Corrox.

Uncle 8a@'s Factory FER the Prepara.
ta00 ~ Tits Expa0s1vO.
From the New York Sun.
"Gun cotton 10 common enough, and every
body has some sort Of an idea what Il 10 like.
said q chemist. "but there isn't one person
probably out Of . hundred thnt knows what II
10 made OF, or how Il 10 made. to cay nothing of
. knowledge OF the tact that there is only one
place In the United states where it II manu-.
fActured. That manu- factory has only been in
operation . year or %. It belongs to the gov
eminent. ana 10 right in Newport harbor, with
In sight and sound OF the great summer world
or hshion that 10 created - Newport every
year. Until that factory was started all the
gun cotton used by our government. and by
every one else who had use for it, came nom
England. All the torpsdoss are now made os
this home manufactured explosive.
"rhs Dsnufacture Of gun cotton 10 On In
oon,einsd with the purest and strongest Of sui
ghurie and nitric acid, 10 used In making t.
There 10 but one establishment in the country
lnsnt oan Be- 56tsinsd. The waste IL su6jsctsd
to careful end thorough hand picking, the
pteters rsnaoving every posslblc particle Of dirt
tanks. There it seethes for four hours. Then
~ passce through cleansing process, being
. naslsd thoroughly, when II Y rs6oiled. AZ
has become harsh and stin, almost Ike wire
cloth. After the second boiling IL 10 placed In
rOoan heated BY the waste air Of drying boxes,
where IL 10 len sntil IL 10 perfectly dry. A II
dries the cotton 10 drawn Ito curly snarls and
6unohes, liks the rips seed pods ofs touch.me.
condition ils contact with the acids could NOT
~ even and thorough, 20 the waste snarls are
and pulls And tssfS IL into Wooily or k1ffy
condition, whom IL would be Q perfect absorb
ent II there was not still remaining in N q
the toucn, but quickly detected by the action
Of the acids. 10 remove this moisture she
waste 70 placed In An air-tisht box, where IL ID
being kept ~ 2OVo. This exposure, altsr i've
hours, hes dissipstsd all the latent moisture,
%sas for Ss
zine apartment where the cotton and acid
ere brought together IL called the dipping
room. Iron troughs are flled with nitric and
saiPharie acid mixed, one part of the former
and Two parts OF the latter. Into Shese the
cotton Is placed, one bundle at time. Ten
oo.son through and shrourn The cotton
put Into hand presses and the acid pressed
out. AT this stage the acidized waste Is put
cotton underyoes . radical chemical reaction.
aud 50 great 10 the heat evolved during the
transformation that the jars are placed in
running about them. After twenty -four hours
Of this treatment the cotton has become
vitated, which Is the last stage In its practical
acid ingredients, and they must be removed
even to the slightest suspicion OIL their presence,
or their action would soon destroy the value
Of the explosive.
40 remove the acid from the nitrated waste
IL IL run one jarful or charge III q time through
powerful wringsr, which separates oil OF the
acid that IL Is possible 10 separate by pressure.
From the Wringer IL Is transferred ~ u large
tub into which water Is constantly flowing. TIE
cotton IL Agitated and tumDled about In the
water W wheel which turns rapidly in the
tub. No more thorough washing could be given
10 anything than tnis gun cotton receives
there. II Is tumbied about In the water until
the latter, which Is tasted every little while by
tue empioye In charge, has no suspicion OF
bath 1t has been drawn Into long shreds and
rolled into many balis anu Ii 10 then safe to
handle anu store away for use. In that form,
however, II would take up too much room aud
be incOnvenient fur military use, aud it 10 pat
through processes that reduce its bulk.
"The shreddy and giObuixr fragments Of cot
weight A tub large enough 70 receive chat
bulk Is fitted INSIDE with steel cutters and
grinders. Wafer IL mixed with the cotton, and
1t IL ground and cut into Nm almost impalp aDle
pulp. This process soils che cotton, and the
pulp II rinsed with lime wafer until It Is clean
again. The pulp Is then drawn from the tub
into an iron tank. From the tank IL is led into
iron MOUNDS, which press the water from the
pulp and form il INTO cylinders eight inches
long aud something over three inches in
diameter. The cylinders OF cotton are then
placed under powerful hydraulic press,
which reduces them under . pressure Of LOO
pounds 10 the square inch. This tremendous
weight on the cylinders nattens them into
cakes two inches tuick, aud their specific gray
gun cotton Is then ready for uss and storage,
aud, owing 10 It's conditions Of great safety both
la storage aud Use, Is far superior ~ any ex-
.ss a1r nav a.asa ysi r
weigh nearly 400 pounds Will weigh but Sb
pounds when made Vi gun cotton"