The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1898-06-22

Since the advent of the speedy torpa-
Ito boat and since rapid firing gums have
been placed ON hattlcships aud cruisers
an explosive that would allow to the
officers and gunners an mobstructcd
view of an enemy under all conditions
has been sought, and thousands of dol.
lars have been expended in the effort TO
obtain satisfactory substitute for black
gunpowder. Cordite, tho latest cxplo-
slve, is said to be the most satisfactory
propellnt of modern times fer naval
warfare, and the expert opinion seems
to be that i'll few years gunpowdcr as
now understood will have vanished.
Tho earliest records of established
powder mills show that there was only
one i'll operation in 1890, this ono being
i'll England. During tho year 1877 tho
Waltham Abbey Powder mills were
purchased by the English government
They arc still conducted by it. Tho Fa-
Versham mills, which up to that date
woro the largest i'll the world passed
into the hands of II private corporation
i'll 1915. Tho manufacture of powder
WAS continued without much improve.
ment, except in tho efficiency of tho
grinding and mixing machinery, until
about 35 years ago, the formula for
black powder being saltpctor 70 parts,
charcoal Is parts and sulphur 10 parts,
the whole forming mechanical mix
ture and not n chemical compound
Smokeless powder, however became
absolutely Il necessity, for tho reason
that smoke producing powders masked
the object aimed nj, and the torpedo
boat, which WAS becoming recognized
feature of naval warfare, could dash up
and discharge one or moro deadly mis-.
siles under cover of the smoke
Smokeless powders We're first pro.
duced i'll France, and for somo time tho
secret of the manufacture was guarded
lcalonsly. As soon rs tho necessity for
this kind of powder became apparent,
however, n number OF manufacturers
devoted attention to it, and as result
various brands of smolcless explosives
We're placed on the market
The most satisfactory results eyentu-
ally made their appearance III eorditc
which was produced through expert
ments mado by Professor Dowar and Sir
Frederick Abel Gdrdite is composed of
nitroglyeerin 5S per cent, gun cotton 81
per cent and yaseline per cent Nitro
Elyccrin is an oily, colorlcss liquid and
an active poison II is produced by mix
ing a quantity of sulplufie acid with
almost double the amount Of nitric acid
and allowing it TO cuol About one
eighth Of the total weight of glycerin is
then added gradually, the mixture be-
ing kept below temperature OF 30 de-
grees Il. by passing air and cold water
through it After the mixture has stood
sufficient tins tho a,otda ara drawn OF
and tho residue mitroglyccrin) is wash
ed and filtered
Nitroglyccrin cannot be ignited easily
by fame and n lighted match or Ia
per plunged into it would he cXtinguish-
ed. II is sensitive To friction or pereus-
sion, either of which Will dctonate it,
the temperature the more sensitive it
becomes. 1t viii solidify at II temper
aturo Of 40 degrees, and its explosive
force ii estimated to be about twelve
times that Of RunpoWdcr
Ono of the most approved methods
used in the manufacture Of gun cotton
is this; The raw cotton is torn into
shreds, dried and dipped in mixture
Of sulphuric and nitric acids. IT is then
placed in II stream of running water and
washed thoroughly. Tho cotton il then
wrung out, usually in a centrifugal ma
chino.
1t is aftorward boiled, dried, cut into
pulp and pressed into disks When tho
gun cotton is finished, there should DO
no trace of the acids remaining. Vase
line, the other component part Of cor
dite, is the well known extract from pc
troleum, and its usefulness is chiefly to
Intricate the bore Of the gun and thus
lessen tho friction between it and tho
projectile. 1t also has Il tendency to inn
part a waterproof nature to corditc.
A colorlcss liquid prepared from ace
tate of lime, called acotunc Is used as II
solvent in the manufacture Of corditc.
Tho method of preparing the explosive
is; Tho required proportion Of nitro
glyeerin is poured over the gun cotton,
and tho two, with tho addition Of ace
tone, arc lmeadcd together into stiff
paste. Vaselinc is then added, and tho
whole compound, after being thorough
ly mixed, is put into machine and tho
cordite pressed out and cut into lengths,
after which it is dried
To tho artillerist the nature Of corlito
is represented by fraction whose nu-
merator gives in hundredths Of an inch
the diameter Of the die through which
tho cordito has been pressed, its denom-
inator being tho length Of the stick in
inches. The cordito known as SOLE,
which il the size used for the inch
quick firing guns signifies that its di-
ametcr is three tcnth5 Of an inch, and
it is IL inches long
1t is necessary to use II fine grain
powder to ignite "A charge Of cordite, it
being secured IN such manner that q
flash from the tube firing tho gun will
cause the explosion OF the charge. A
full charge Of powder for II inch gun
is 295 pounds, whilo the cordito charge,
having the same efficiency, is only 1917
pounds.
Cordiie is one Of the safest explosives
known, and is not dangerous unloss it
is confined. 1t can be held in tho hand
and lighted without danger. 1t burns
slowly and with n bright flame. Al
though comparatively new discovery,
it is used extensively in every navy
throughout the world. IT was manufac-
tured first in Great Britain and was in
general use on her battlcships before
adopted by other powers New York
sun.