The Holbrook news., 1912-04-12

fare has been toward the
 adoption of those instruments
 which accomplish its purpose
 with as little risk to the users
 as possible. This Is exemplified
 somewhat in the use of smokeless
 powder. the manufacture of which is
 attended with much less danger, and
 its transfer from place to place re-
 suits in fewer accidents as compared with the production of gunpowder It can be handled with perfect safety and even set on fire in the open air without causing an explosion or oc- casioning the least anxiety.
 At Indian Head, which is also the navy proving ground, there is plant for the manufacture of this powder which is owned and operated by the United States government and the en- tire output of the factory, which last year amounted to over a million and a half pounds, is used by our navy. Should occasion ever require, the pow der will also be used at Uncle Sam's many big Qualifications, the accom- panying illustration, showing a DOT ton of one. Fort Wadsworth, near New York city.
 About 25 buildings are used in the process of its. manufacture. They are situated in that portion of the govern ment reservation farther from the river and scattered over large area. being about 400 feet apart Explosions will sometimes occur no matter how great the precautions ised, for the materials which go to make up the manufacture of powder are necessart- ly combustible, so the wisdom of this provision on the part of the govern ment may be understood, for if one building should accidentally be blown up the others would not suffer there by. The greatest secrecy is maintain cd as to some parts of the chemical process. and few of the three or four hundred men employed really know the entire combination of the chemical Ingredients used in the smokeless pow der making. The efforts of the pow der board and the directors of the powder factory are constantly directed toward the improvement of the quail ty of the output, and recently two spe- cial points have been aimed at: First, to insure the chemical stability of the powder for as long a period as pos sible; second, to secure a degree of uniformity which will insure what is called "ballastic stability" of the pow der-that Is to say. a permanence of velocities and pressure throughout prolonged periods under varying con ditions of temperature, moisture, etc. In short, to have the powder work as well in any part of the world as it does on the proving grounds.
 There is big laboratory attached to the factory standing some distance away from the other buildings, and here at least a dozen expert chemists are always at work and through their experiments a new stabilizer has been recently introduced into the powder making formula, and from the reports of the officers of our battleships in va rious parts of the world the results have been most satisfactory. The | whole powder making plant is wonder | fully interesting even to layman. Few people. however, are permitted to see it's workings, for powder mak- ing. like gun testing, is conducted away from the public gaze.
 Smoking is not permitted on the grounds, and so carefully do the au- thorities guard against accidents that the workmen are not even permitted to carry matches. All the buildings are well ventilated, as the fumes of the chemicals used are apt t. bring on heart trouble. Chimneys are arranged .o carry of the poisonous gases, con there is little illness among he men. There are facilities for a .apid output in case of necessity-a natter which would be of vital i'm oortance in time of war. There is llso reserve supply which is con Jtantly on the increase as our navy yrows larger.
 The cotton used is shipped to h. Han Head in large bales and stored D a building erected for that purpose. t is purchased in large quantities and must be of a special grade. The sec md stage of the work begins when he cotton goes to the picking room. Here colored men open up the bales $ nd pick the fbers apart. After the Ibers are separated the cotton is z eady for the drying room. where it is S .ept for 24 hours. The temperature f the drying room is PIP degrees dur z ng the entire time and the workmen r an only remain a few minutes at f Ime After this process the cotton a