Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1891-05-10
cAlsEllNo %ouN.coT1oN.
A Hzs.rt Ten. w111 nay n. M. 30
tie Erpio.I,~

Institute, boston, q few nights a0o 4,
pure cotton dipped In n mixture Of pnr.
nitric and sulphuric acids. In secLtpv
q method by which these ~inyredicnts
might DO obtained absolutely pcrS md
tho cotton thoroughly treated with thu
aeids mnny years hnve been spent and
serious accidents have occurred
b lccturcrS says the boston Herald
traced the experiments with tho cxplo-
sive from its discovery. In 1859, up totho
present time, and spoke Of several Of
tho most fatal explosions which attended
the experimental stage o..
After experiments by Prof. Hill. Of
the United States torpedo station, gam
cotton was adopted ns nm explosive for
use In tho navy In 1884. In preparing
1t for this service the g%in-cotton Is By
successive DRESSINGS In hydraulic
presses, tho last'of which has q press
uro OF six thousand eight hundred
pounds to tho square inch, made into
little blocks measuring two and one
half inches each way. 1t now containa
from ten to sixteen per cent. OF wntcr.
but when issued to the service contains
thirty-fivc per cent. Before Icing made
up into blocks it Is carefully tcstcd
Prof. Alunroe declared that gun-cot-
ton, correctly prepared nnd handled DO
cordinS to directions, o the safcst'ot
the explosives to use. It wis danger.
ous oaly when the lnatcriala haddnos
been thoroughly purified, Or tho anitn
Pnt, acid and cotton incomplete.
In proof Of what could be doqa With
II picture was thrown upon thc9crcen
showing tho worlsmcn cutting it with
chiscl, jigsaw and lathe to Gt'it intA a
shell. Another illustration yvaa tho en-
tin5uishing of 4 block that WIS burn
ing by pouring water upon It. Two
thousand pounds of it had been burned.
in q bonfire without an explosion.
One volume OF the explosive gives
eight hundred and twcnty-ninc of tho
gus, and the pressure Developed by SOM
bustion is c~iglity-onc tons to tho square
inch, and by dctonntion one hundred
and hfty-scvcn Inc lve-tcut!ls tons, tho
latter being in contact, however. Tho
effect Of h explosion Of ono particle
on another Is so rapid that II woild
take only one second for it TO pass
through nineteen thousand feet OF tho
explosive.
1t was shown by the ktereoptioou
that the letters u. $. N, with the date
OF manufacture, that arc on the bottom
Of each block, ars impressed pon 'nu
iron plate, upon which the gun-cotton
may be exploded. 1t is o curious fact
that II the marlts on tho block are In 70
lief the reproduction on tho iron will DO.
raised. and II cut in, there will I've all
inlcntation on tho plate. Prof. Mum
roc's theory is that when the letters aro
cut into the explosive the gases rem
Grated in the indcntations nrc hurlcd
from them rs n projcctilc from q fun.
II 4 leaf or o delicate piece Of laco ba
laid between the ~gun-cotton md tho
iron, its impress will be left in alb tho
perfection of outline Of tho Original,
though the article itself is absolutely
unnihilatcd. ID -,
HOW SOLDIERS DaEss.
Indian Fighters ray Very Little AttentIon
to Their Clothes
When fighting the Indians the sol-
diers pay but little attention 40 tho
clothes they year., says tho Now York
Morning journal, md to the ~iucxpcri-
cnccd nan OF the East n privatc Nsould
hardly be recognized as one 81 jEncla
Sans gallant army should he rlHacross
him accidentally. : M.
When the soldiers start out on ON In.
dian campaign the bright blue urifonn
Is usually discarded for q suit OF: brown
goods, very much like the cloth OF which
ovcralls nrc made. The srcgulation
army cap is discarded, md In its place u
Grayish Slouch hat Is substituted; which
is much easier on the head, and pro
tccts the eyes from the glaro. Of the
sun. -.*E
The soldiers talSe q great. pride In
their uniforms, and not only when fight
Ing. but when on long marches do thcy
don the brown suit which does not sho,s
tho dirt, and they wouldn't care II Il
did. 1t Is impossible to keep o blue uni
form looking halfway decent, half a.,
days march being quito suiIicicnt Y
make 1t look rs though 1t hud been worr
for years. The officers ns.wcll ns THO
priTatc3 wear the SLOUGH Int, nndl rcci
mcnt out in the Indian country, undo,
my circumstances, presents o vcri
unique appearance.
at n distance an officer looks abou
the same rs n private, except thct T.,
hns no gun, and especially in wiutr,
time II In difficult to distinguish them
Everybody wears tho warmcst clothes
he can find regardless Of uniform. If 4
soldier has n buffalo coat he il very lir
bic to wear 1t X the mercury Is Hiun
tcring down about twonty or thirty dc
grccs below zero. {
Another rather unique aTdir worn l.,
h soldiers Is what Is called the Coli
fornia o~ver-shocs. They arc notLin:
moro nor less than q large piece Of tut,
tied up over the foot nnd log mud NJ
high up rs tho knee. This Is n grca
Euard against the snow md cold, nu
tho soldiers prefer it to any thing cls'
they a find. About tho nccls Is worr
q handkerchief tied In q simple knot
which, among tho cavalry mcn, invarin
bly, jolts around 70 tho back. Of tho col
lar. though Originally. tied In froDt. L.
cold weather another handkerchief l.
tied over the head md ours nhd tied T.
q lnot under tho chin, A SLOUGH Int |.
held on ~ aqstring, Usually tod To the
band md them brought down throuS,
holes on cithor, sidNl Of tho bri,n uhC
passed under tho back Of tho head.
In n company Of ono hundred men nj
most every bty'c OF rough coeluiuc i'm
uSinnblo con DC seen, most Of which
Is covered with grease md dirt. Til,
moro Ercnsc tho better, ms 1t Ia said noI
until tho old brown ovorulls nrc wei
smcnrcd with oil sorts Of truck do they
become really worm. aud they never
wour out {,
Heads Like Oideu Times.