New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-27
GUN-COTTON.
THE SAFEST OF THE HIGH EXPLOSIVES
FOR NAVAL WARFARE
SOMETHING ABOUT IT'S QUALITIES AND THE
WAY IN WHICH IT IS MADE-DEToNATIoN
OR EXPLOSION By SHOCK.

100 t~Dt'4D->
"Gun-cotton." said an ordnance officer few
days ago. when asked about the qualities Of
this substance which is used in the torpedoes
carried by the ships OF the Navy. is b, far the
safest Of any Of the high explosives That Is the
reason it is chosen instead OF the nitro glycerine
Preparations which although they will produce
more powerful effec-s, are very dangerous
things to have shipboard They can be ex-
poded too easily. by the application Of heat. by
shock. and. under some conditions by spon-
taneous combustion. But the cotton. as
long It is kept wet. is absolutely safe. ara
there is trouble about preserving the neceS-
sary degree OF moisture"
Precisely the same opinion regarding gun-cot-
ton as an explosive for naval warfare was ex-.
pressed by the superintendent Of Of the
largest powder manufacturing firms. man who
has had much experience in the making Of gum
powder and gun-cOtton.
Not only is gun-cotton absolutely inert and
harmless so long as it is vet" he said but it
does not necessarily follow that it will explode
even when dry. or course. it is then much more
liable to do So but If it is undisturbed in any
way considerable quantity Of it might reuaiV
dry without any accident In our works We are
extremely careful about the way in which We
Of any precautions when it IS wet on ship
board the disks Of dry cotton which uset
as primers to detonate the wet always kept
away from the magazine. either on deck in
one 4 the cabins. The only danger from them
would De in case they were dropped while being
handled The result then would not always-per-
haps not usually-be an explosion, but you never
can tell with certainty. one OF the disks might
be dropped half dozen times and rot explode,
and me next time. under apparently the same
conditions it would go of. As far As heat Is con-
cerned. il the dry gun-cottOn is exposed 10 con-
tinued high temperature for long time, il is like
~ to decompose undergoing chemical changes
which generate heat and may 60 far enough to
cause spontaneous combustion But no such con-
Gition is possible n a ship. because the gun-cot-
ton always carried IN the torpedo heads and in
spected regularly TO that it remains wet
The heads are practically alright but If any
evaporation is noticed the cotton can be damp
encd again by a regular means arranged for
that purpose"
Tn. process by which 80 common and harmless
a substance Is cotton is converted into high
explosive is a comparatively simple one. Pure
raw cotton or ordinary cotton waste j. stepped n
A solution of one part II nitric acid and three
parts Of sulphUric acid. The nitric acid is tho
one which renders the cotton explosive, mo
presence u the suphuric being required only
10 absorb the water. thus allowing the other
AID % combine more readily with the nearly
pure crllulose u which cotton consists. After
tn. cotton has soaked in the acids for several
hours 10 Is taken from the pots and squeezed
through heavy rollers to extract all the super
nuou5 acid which it has not absorbed. Then II IS
washed carefully and thoroughly still with the
same object Of removing the free acid II any
OF this remained its tendency would be 10 cause
chemical changes in the gun-cottOn and de-
compose IT, Formerly this washing was the
last process resorted To for the remoya! 81 no
free acid but a few years ago Sir Frederick
Abel found that the cells in the cotton fibre so
absorbed and retained the acid by capillary at
traction that the washing failed 10 extract II
entirely To remedy ;hs and make the gun-cotton
more pure II IS now. after being washed. passed
through i machine similar to that which grinds
up the rags in a paper-mill. Here 1t is crushed
thoroughly and afterward washed again until
the last trace OF free acid disappears. and ne
cotton comes out in the form OF a soft white
rulp. closely resembling the pulp OF which paper
is made This concludes the process OF actual
manufacture and it now remains only to con-
vert the gun-cottOn into the most convenient
form for the use TO which II is to be put II IL
is u be employed in making powder. II Is dried
and stored away in pulverzed form. but II II u
des gned for filling torpedoes 1t must be COM