The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-07-16
JAPANESE ARMS
AND AMMUNITION
RTLLIAM II. BLUMEgSTEfN In NorfE
american ReViezs For July

/ No European or American 2unpoW /
der plant is as complete, on as grand
scale, as thoroughly up to date, as con.
venient and practical as the Japanese
government plant at Meguro, near
Tokyo. for the manufacture Of all
kinds Of ordnance and blasting pow
ders. The broad brow Of a hill, falling
rather steeply down on one side into
a swampy rice field, has been utilized
for the purpose with consummate skin.
The plant is patrolled by detachs
ment Of soldiers, who also assist at the
proving tests on the well equipped
grounds set apart for this purpose.
Each manipulation in the manufacture
ing process has It's full allotment Of
space. yet not a foot is wasted. The
buildings are massive. suitable for the
purpose, neat and well kept. but with
out d trace of anything superiuous.
Along the main street. which runs the
entire length Of the factory grounds,
is laid out narrow gauge railroad,
and overhead YOU see the wire rope
power transmission connecting all de-
partments In spite Of all this the
picture Is Enthusiastically Japanese, moi
only because of the turned up corners
Of the massive roofs and the graceful
outlines OF the supports Of the trans
mission, which are Of mason work. but
because Of a hundred little details in
the treatment Of each section. ! VIII
only mention the little cascade in
which a streamlet falls down the bill,
the waters Of which are required for
the manufacturing process. The land
adjoining this hill used to be swamp
rico fields. Now it Is drained and re-
claimed. and the buildings for the
heery machinery and presses are lo-
cated in tlsis section. reared on earth
qIake proof piles.
Military precision reigns supreme,
and In spite Of the working of powerful
engines and all the humming Of wheels
and stamping Of crushers and all the
other noises Of d busy industrial estab-
Hshment which turns out some five
to six thousand pounds OF finished ma
terial every day, and gives occupation
to half a thousand workmen, the pic
ture is a serene one, free from the smut
and dirt of labor Free also from I'M
pleasant memories, for there has never
! vet been an untoward explosion or IA
/ tality. such as blurs the records Of
many d similar institution under eau
casian management. Faithful devotion
J ana strict obedience bring about I'M
remitting attention to duty and thereby
: preclude disasters which generally are
: traceable to somebody's negligence.
, That Japan now produces her own
! saitpeter In artificial plantations in
sufiicient quantities for her needs Is
well known. Sulphur is found in album
I dance, as In any volcanic region, and
the material for charcoal is also provid-
Q cd for. Guaiacum, which yields the
8 best charcoal for powder purposes
! does not thrive in Japan, but there AIRS
plenty Of alders, which furnish the
= next best grade Large groves Of this
tree cover the old lava beds on this
slopes Of the Fujiyama. The logs wers
treated according to all the rules Of tbs
art. but the wood was of 50 great s
density, and its ibrous construction u
7 intricate, owing to the extremely SLOW
Z growth IN the unyielding soil, that tbs
= charcoal made from it could be dis
7 integrated and reduced to granular
powder only with the utmost difficult,
7, and with but Indifferent success. N
"a sooner had the government been In
- formed of this fact than search wa
p made throughout the land for some
thing better than the alders of Full
e san, and 1t was discovered that on tn
Of islands of Oki, on the northern shor
n Of Dali Nippon, In the sea of Japan
Or there fourished splendid alders, Q
to rapid growth and finely flbered, porou
wood. Experiments proved this var.
e. ETY. to yield an ideally good charcoa
in for the manufacture OF powder. In
~ mediately a forestry station was q
ed tablished on the islands to take car
as that the supply Of this wood shout
ve never be exhausted. Here, then, v
have the three chief ingredients {
Is black and brown gunpowder saltpete
in sulphur and chareoal-abundantl pre-
m duced IN the country.
Ut The powder factory at Iwahani
which lies in the direction Of Nikkl
u. was built by the Japanese, without a
r. sistance from foreigners, after tt
In. model of Meguro, but on larger seal
It Is also well equipped with all Il
apparatus and machinery for the elal
grafton Of the raw materials and Il
no manufacture OF ordnance powder, /
ar well as all kinds Of blasting powd,
he for engineering and mining purpose
1t supplies the Hokkaidoi e., Il
northern provinces Of Dai Nippon al
the islands lying in that direction.
el Udji, the powder works Of the sout
81 where the specially Is smokeless poy
M der, has the very finest distillery f
y the alcohol required III the manufa
turing process have, without any e
ception, seen anywhere. Here, also
4. d complete plant fer the manufactu
s. of guncotton, where the raw materi
- Of domestic or imported growth is pic
, ed, cleaned, dried and passed throus
the various complicated, and In mai
m stages rather perilous, MANIPULATED
lies, of nitration. The army Of workm'
aish move about with the precision Of cloe
M fff4