The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1912-02-22

is taken into the nitration building,
where nitric acid and sulphuric acid
are added. The mixture is whirled
around in huge tub-like machines COW
cred with a hood and a steam jet to
carry off the acid fumes. When this
is completed the cotton is washed in
fresh water and dried by a wringer,
and unless this work is very thorough
there Is risk of spontaneous decompo-
sition. 1t is now gun-cotton and is
placed in cars and pushed to the boil
ing watts where is undergoes another
state Of publication. The pulper, a
machine very much like the one used
in papermaking, next comes into play.
Here the ~gun-cotton is chopped up by
knives so as to give the fibers a thor
ough cleansing. From here it goes to
the poaching house, which consists of
a series or large tubs in which the
pyrocellus, as the material is now
called, goes through a further clean
ing process of hot and cold washings.
It is then dried by a wringer SINH.
lar to a printing machine and sent to
the press house, where the water is
squeezed out under great pressure.
After a few minutes in the machine
the mixture put resembling a
huge white cheese. 1t IS weighed and
sent to the mixing house, where there
are instruments such as are used in
making bread by machinery and which
are known as kneading machines. The
pyrocellus is here mixed with a solv-
ent, the name Of which the govern
ment prefers to keep a secret. The
resultant material is a thick, yellow
g%elatinous mass resembling taffy.
The stage Of smokeless powder has
now been reached and the mixture is
once more put through a machine by
hydraulic pressure. 1t Is then wrapped
around reels and dried by steam so as
to evaporate the solvent. 1t is pressed
into the proper grain suitable to the
different ~caiibers Of guns and at this
stage it bears a striking resemblance
to h%oarhound candy, as it is identical
with that both in shape and color.
Then the cutting into proper
lengths, and this is done by hand and
the use of a sharp instrument very
much like a meat chopper. Two men
do this work and they are especially
careful to get the powder the exact
length. The cut powder is carried to
another table, where a man goes over
each piece and the defective pieces
are thrown out. The inspector is par
ticular that only perfect powder is
SEM out. Recently a plant has been
erected to work over this defective
powder, and so successful has this
process been that the powder which
a few years ago would have been a
total loss, Is now remade in such a
ann as to be the equal of the best
Of the new product.
The next step in the process is dry
ing and the green powder is sent to
the drying house in covered cans, be-
ing wheeled there on trucks pushed
along the tracks which are laid be-
tween the buildings. A colored man
furnishes the motive power. The dry
ing house is a veritable mountain of
explosives. for great stacks of powder
are piled up everywhere. 1t must be
protected even from the rays of the
sun and the windows are covered
with canvas Here 1t is branded and
prepared for shipment. The actual
testing Of the powder takes place
when it is used to fire the big guns
down in the valley on the proving
grounds.