The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-08-07

Magazines In the Dunes. Arran In the distance
manufacture, but with care no untoward
occurrence will happen. As a matter of
TACT, at Ardeer there never has been one
explosion In the mixing house, although
as much as 10 tons day have been pro-
duced. There is always ready a gre 4
douehe OF cool water should the temp@ra-
ture rise to the dangerous point Danger
Is at hand when red vapOrs are given off at
the temperature of 800 degrees at which
point nitro-glycerne begins to decompose
All that is needed TO prevent accident is
care, cool head and appliances at hand to
keep down temperature or run off the
mixture.
Nitration is pretty we'll over when the
thermometer indicates fall of tempera-
ture. All being safe, the mixture is run off
into another leaden vessel and allowed to
stand. Then the nitrO-glycerine, which IS
heavy and has the specific gravity of I6. is
washed In water. and any trace of acid is
removed in an alkaline solution. This
stage being reached, the explosive is care
fully mixed in weighed proportions. ac-
cordlng TO the grade of dynamite required
with kleseIguhr earth. The moment il is
thus mixed it is comparatively safe, and
hundredwelghs after hundreGweight is
put into boxes and trolleyed along a small
level railway to the various cartridge-fill-
Ing nuts, where girls do the cartridge-mak-
ing on piece wages. Each hut is limited to
Generally speaking, the whole of the work
in the danger department is finished by III
or II O'Clock, and il is to the credit of the
management of these works that there
never has been an accident in this depart.
ment. The cartridge filling is generally
over about or 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
As to the nitric-aeid making, that goes ON
night and day. but nothing else.
The cartridge-filling huts are we'll separ-
ated by high establishments, with view 10
a a nf
magazines are widely separated and are
even remote from one another, with a light
ming rod on the top of each and high
Stockade with locked gate surrounding
The illuminate of mercury exploding caps
necessary Tor dynamite cartridges are nee
produced at Ardeer, but at Redding, 40
miles distant. They are, however, kept in
stock at Ardeer and ready for shipment
No accident has happened from these highly
sensitive explosives, even when loading
ships on an open beach. SO nicely are they
boxed in sawdust. Altogether from 200 to
800 men and women are employed in the
works. and four or five steamers are con-
stantly on voyages round the British coasts
freighted with 20 or 80 tons of dynamite and
nitro gelatine. One little cutter with 20
tons of explosive on board weathered ire
mendous gale IN the Irish Sea during which
many heavy ships and steamers went to the
bottom. Had the packing of illuminate of
mercury caps and dynamite cartridges been
blown TO SplinteTs.
The Government regulations require SAM
pies OF each days manufacture of nitro
glycerlne TO be kept in special magazine
Ii anything goes wrong with the company's
dynamite In mine or barber. then the
blame is easily traced. The sample of that
day is subjected TO analysis. Not only that
but the system of bookkeeping is such that
every pound of dynamite in stock or sold
can be traced To particular day. Haphaz-
ard mixing is not permitted. On one occa-
sion the daDger-man going with his sample
bottle OF nitro glycerine to the sample
magazine Is supposed to have let 1t fail to
the floor at the entrance. The whole maya
zine blew up. and the poor fellow was only
traced in fragments. The only other acct
dent worthy of note was when cartridge
filling hut took IRE and 10 girls were burned
to death. There was no explosion. 1t was
only fire, but terrible one for all con-
cerned.
The blasting gelatine. produced from
nitro-glycerine and nitrated cotton, some
guncottoD. is the triumph of manufacture
at Ardeer. The sitting experiments, which
made 1t possible as a manufacture, and the
invention of the requisite machinery. are
due to George McRoberts, who had many
anxious moments in satisfying the Govern
ment requirements. OF late he has been
able to 0blige the Government by advising
the War Department on the methods of
producing nitro-gelatine. The process Is
simplicity itself, both in the nitrating of the
cotton, the drying and the mixing into
paste with revolving knives. and any one
who studies the journals of the Chemical
Society and Institute may find out the tech
meal details. Samples of this explosive
have been kept under water three years
without deterioration. 1t is one OF the safest
explosives known. and as the patent for it
has expired. any CAPITALIST may embark in
Its manufacture. BUTT is not quite so easy
to make as refined sugar. d. j.