davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-08
From the Cotton Bloom, 10 Snooke1ess Powder
c.re~i4os FOR Different ce14bers.
Her Own Form of This Martial Necessity Has
Caused So Many Di astrous Explosions
That 1t Has Been Rejected in Favor of
Americas More Reliable Brand.

TIME French authorities have paid
handsome compliment to our naval
Il ordnance experts recently by or
dering that the smokeless powder for the
battle fleets of France shall hereafter be
manufactured i'm accordance with the
methods developed here at the naval
powder factory Indian Head, Maryland.
This will probably arouse again good
deal of European criticism, and espe-
cially i'm England, the official powder eX-
perts of that country being quite sure in
their own minds that they lead the world
in this particular. However, notwith-
standing the fact that some of their self
satisfied powder sharps have had their
fling at us from time TO time, we have
every reason to be proud Of the general
manner i'm which our smokeless propel-
liant has behaved and what it has made
possible N both rapid and accurate firing.
France has been decidedly unfortunate
i'm her smokeless powder, and the havoc
il has cost her in the last five years has
painfully emphasized the shortcomings of
that propellant-having called for sac
riice of hundreds Of lives and virtually
the destruction of two of her battleships
the lena in 1907 and the Liberte last
year. The need OF change has but very
recently been pointed out by the bursting
Of two guns on the cruiser Jules Mich
elet while engaged i'm target practice.
Apart from the damage 10 these guns, the
accidents caused a loss OF five lives and
the serious injury of as many more, and
the French navy was brought face TO face
with the fact that it's notorious powder
was a continual menace to its ships and
its personnel. The determination to con-
denim all of the smokeless powder now
available for the French navy and 10
adopt our own means that that service
will substantially he at the mercy of
foe for nearly half a year; it will take
that time 10 make enough powder to re-
plenish the magazines of the various
sQuadrons. The conservative critic will
promptly declare this to be the penalty
paid for adopting a mysterious chemical
compound. and i'm his hasty conclusion
he will give the general public the mis-
taken idea that smokeless powder is
porilous substitute for the old-fashioncd
propellant with which most Of the navies
were supplied up to twenty-odd years
ago. But il is only fair to the science of
chemistry to say that its creations may
run the whole gamut of worth-from
questionable goodness to unQuestioned eX-
celcncc., II is the latter state Of the art
which has been reached by our own ord
nance engineers. France led the naval
world i'm the wide introduction Of smoke
less powder. and this fact makes more
conspicuous the compliment which she is
paying MS now by following oar processes
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-08

our guns used brown powder, at the time
We went TO war with Spain, nearly half
OF the powder In any given charge was
just so much dead weight. or useless ma
terial This was because just about 80
per cent of the propeling charge was
consumed in moving from the rear of the
gun and In driving forward the pro-
jectile. The other 80 per cent was an
inert mass of smoke and unconsumed
grains. which had TO be pushed. out of
the weapon by the percentage that gem
Grated the propulsive energy. The smoke
OF the brown powder soon fouled the
bores of the guns and affected their ac-
curacy OF fire.
Smoke is the sign or indication of in
complete combustion. The chemists and
the powder sharps sought to find gas
producing substance. amenable to control,
which would burn up completely inside
of the gun. and convert all Of It's body
substance into impelling energy OF high
power. This meant getting rid Of useless
mass. befouling deposits in the bore, and
Incidentally the smoke. Apparentlv. the
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-08

some hours. This makes It more absorr-
tive. 1t is then soaked in a mixture a.
nitric and sulphuric acids. The attscr
Of the nitric acid sets free an appreciah.
percentage Of water, strange az this NAV
sound, still remaining in the so-cal.a
dry cotton This water reduces m.
strength Of the nitrating bath and vouM
impair the quality of the guncotton su,
for the presence Of the sulphuric aria
This latter has strong affinity for water
and absorbs It so that the nitric acid shan
not be diluted and too weakened 10 IA
it's work thoroughly. Cotton so nitrated 4.
called "pyro' among the initiated. and
the next process is to stew IT for coupl.
of days in boiling water The purpose O,
this operation is TO extract the major pan
of the free acid clinging to the Gotta
The anomalous part OF this and the In.
mediately succeeding treatments is tia,
the powder maker, having soaked his COT.
ton in nitric acid and worked chemical
metamorphosis, does everything he can
TO get rid of the Transforming acid. Fol.
lowing the two days of boiling, the 'pyro'
is put through a pulping plant, which d
a duplicate OF the apparatus In paper
mill. For nearly day and half Tie
cotton pulp is poached and washed, and
finally II is substantially free OF the last
trace Of acid, but it is nevertheless gun
cotton.
The pulp is then run through presses
that squeeze out more than half OF the
water. and In this state of moisture II Is
taken 10 what is called the dehydratng
house, where by means OF pressure and
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-08

~ impulses toward treacherous develop
ments was returned TO the magazines Of
the vessels. II is 70 be hoped that the
French navy will not treat its new pow
der with the same measure OF reckless
disregard While our smokeless propel-
liant will remain stable for ten years stil
il can be abused and the French in
adopting it must not forget this. lest they
invite other fatal explosions.
Snokeess- powder is not strictly smoke
less. as photographs OF our ships during
battle practice show. but the smoke IS 80
thin and so quickly dissipated that II
bears only a modest resemblance to the
great blanketing clouds produced by the
previous propellant While comparative
smokclessness is much To be desired, 1t
Will probably astonish the average citizen
TO know that this characteristic Is an
incident rather than the real end the
ordnance engineer sought 10 attain. When
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-08

in order TO effect the desired combustion
After that catastrophe the French on
Gals made a number OF exhaustive ex-
perments. and in consequence OF the in
formation thus obtained the authorities
ordered the complete separation of these
two propeliants while in storage on ship
board. cartridge loaded with Pow
der b was ignited at its free end. and
II burned without violence; but when the
decorating charge OF black powder AZ the
reai end was enited first. the smokeless
charge was Immediately exploded with
great force. Now. here H. the order In
which the accidents i'm the French navy
have occurred. The decomposition Of the
smokeless powder induced heat and this
heat rising with the advance of the
chemical change was sufficient To set OF
the more sensitive black powder. and cN-
plosions followed. But decomposition due
simply to time was not alone responsible
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-08
In the N1tfAtip9 House
Powerful Explosive.

for these unfortunate casualties.
II has been the custom in the French
navy TO send It's unserviceable or defcc-
tive smokeless powder back 10 the fac
tories To be revoked. and then to re-
issue the stuff for target practice-the
Irecaution being that this powder should
! be used up inside of an interval of ninety
days. This regulation was frequently vio-
lated. and on the Liherte powder OF this
sort was years old Besides this, the or
der requiring black powder and smoke
less powder TO be kept in separate com
partments was not properly observed.
IL is a well known fact that smokeless
powder when subjected to temperatures
corresponding to that of midsummer. viii
deteriorate; indeed. its decomposition or
disintegration may be started In this way.
Realizing this. the, French authorities d-
rected that no cartridges should be re-
turned TO the magazines. though unfired.
which had been placed In guns heated By
previous discharges. This order was not
obeyed aboard some OF the French feet.
and thus ammunition with all Of the like
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-08

time -honored ingredients of black powder
brown powder being merely a modified
dervatve-could no longer be counted
uron to solve the problem Something en-
trely new was necessary Chemistry
came to the rescue. and provided a won
derfully promising substitute for the me-
chanical mixture which It's earlier rival
In TACT. was. But the chemical COM
pound has had TO undergo good many
changes I'm the course of its evolution
into Its present acceptable form. How
ever. 1t has completely revolutionized the
designing of modern ordnance Before its
general adoption guns were modelled TO
suit the explosive vagaries OF black and
brown powders; In word, the cannon
was built about the propellant, and made
strong enough to resist its bursting en-
erey. To-day the rife is designed to
meet certain desired requirements. and
the smokeless powder is fashioned so that
II VIII suit the gun. This latter state OF
the art makes possible many things that
were considered beyond attainment TWEEN
~ years ago Thus has chemistry unset
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-08

+ great many other significant discoveries
| the genesis of smokelcss powder was dis
covered by accident. In 1882 Braconnot
by chance dissolved starch in nitric acid,
and found the product to be highly eX-
plosve. Shortly afterNard the noted
French chemist Pelouze nItrated cotton
goods with the same result, but. like his
predecessor, saw no practical application
| for the material 1t was not until 1916
| that Christian Friedrich Sch0nben. at
Basic. obtained true guncotton by en-
ploying a mixture of sulphuric and nitric
acids. His work laid the actual founda-
ton for smokeless powder But II took a
good many years TO find processes by
which the guncotton could be controlled
so that it might safely be used as an
ordnance propelant. There were some
disastrous accidents before this state OF
the art was reached.
We took up the subject in the latter
SOS. and We were guided in our choice
by the work of the famous Russian chem
list Professor Mendeleef To the unlnti-
ated It seems strange that the experts
should seek to supplant the old powder
by substituting an explosive that was
VIGOROUSLY more violent In its action, but
the chemists discovered that nitrocel-
/ lulose-such is cotton called after mira
| tion-was responsive to restraining agents
| which are capable of subduing the sud
denness of It's explosion. They learned
also that the shape of the powder grains
regulates the rapidity with which they
burn and give off their propulsive gases.
This is one OF. the really exquisite nice
| ties OF the art, because these grains are
made differently for each size OF gun
and the varying lengths OF these weapons.
The average citizen wonders how cot
ton, can be turned into powerful and
properly controlled explosive To him the
snowy bloom of the Southern fields has
no suggestion Of potential violence, but
this is where one OF the marvels of chem
istry comes In. When cotton Is stepped I'm
nitric acid II becomes afterward soluble
in a mixture OF ether and alcohol, provid-
ed the percentage OF nitration does not
exceed definite amount, II the nitration
be above this arbitrary figure the gun
cotton is insoluble. Ether and alcohol
convert the soluble guncotton into a plas-
tic substance, and when this solvent has
been afterward largely evaporated the
rubber-like material turns into hard,
tough mass. resembling more or less bore
hound candy. When in this latter state
1t is ready to be used In the rifles.
After the cotton has been cleaned Il Is
subjected to dry heat at boiling point for
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-08
THE Bread MiSeer Which Kheods the
C,uncottota e-nd The Ether e-1co1oo1 Solvent.

OF stupendous violence lies beneath the
feet.
Before the disaster aboard the lena, In
1907. II was the Gust om TO place both black
powder and SIN keless powder in the
same magazines. For the layman. Il
must be explained that smokeess powder
does not readily ignite. and therefore a
small quantity of the more Imaginable
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-08

We have increased the weight OF the
rife only 2.S tons, and while we are using
a heavier projectBe but a lesser charge
Of powder, the later gun starts Its missile
on its errand OF destruction with peh'-
I'D energy nearly twice that OF the
weapon of 1898. But the amazing phase
OF the contrast Is that the gun OF 1917
can send It's shell nine times further ana
drive II through heavier armor plate az
the longer range. This is what snokeiess
powder has made possible.
Black or brown powders had for their
base charcoal, sulphur and saitpetre'
while smokeless powder has for its founda-
ton cotton whose cellular structure mas
been changed in its character by nitric
acid. Cotton so treated becomes guncot-
ton. and this material Is an explosive OF
great power, being substantially threefoid
as forceful as ordinary powder. Like
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-08

4, previous rules and created new order
Of designing on the part OF the ordnance
engineer. The change Is indeed mar
yeIlous one. We can best realize this by
a comparison.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-08

Ga the manufacture of this ordnance ne
cessity.
The French propelant has proved TO
be dangerously unstable. II has shown
hazardous tendencies toward decomposi-
ton and spontaneous ignition after being
I'm the magazines for differing periods. 1t
IS bad enough to have 10 guard against
the peril Of extraneous heat and flame
a-. naval man knows how carefully
The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-09-14
Want TO HAVE
ANOTHER COUNTY
Bitter Fight Over Question
of Making New Division
Out of Two Counties.

Belfeld. S. D.. Sept. 14.-Anxious
to become a county seat. Belield.
which recently instituted a movement
for the creation Of a new county out
of a part Of Stark and all Of Billings
county. Billings. already divided
once, has its county seat at Medora,
and the BelHeld people. though they
now are in Stark county. are anxious
to bring about a change in boundary
lines whereby they will be placed in
Billings. believing that such q condi-
ton will make it possible for them to
gain county seat honors for them
selves.
In Billings there is a bad division
Of forces. Medora adherents had a
bitter fight with the people seeking
division on the west and south, tho
western division idea being approved
while the south plan lost because Of
the failure of the people Of that Sec
ton Of the county to carry their case
to the supreme court, while the other
forces o that step and
Belfeld Is in h center Of a rich
farming community. There have
been a large number OF new settlers
brought here within tho past two or
three years. principally from Holland.
and the city 10 very prosperous a. q
result Of the general forward move
ment.
The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-09-14
Society Personals.
y * X y 4 i i

Miss Eva Finkle who has spent the
summer at home left last evening for
Nelva where she has accepted a
teaching position for the year.
Mrs. ]. D. Turner and Mrs. j. c.
Sheppard left last evening for Rugby
where they will Join their husbands at
the hunting camp.
Judge and Mrs. c. F. Templeton will
ii where they have spent the past sev-
eral weeks at the summer cottage.
Miss Jessie Lord Of Park River who
has beer abroad for three months with
d party of Seattle girls is in Mime
apolis accompanied by her sister. Mrs.
James Douglas of Seattle.
Mrs. L. A. Morey of Emerado is Wis
iting relatives in the city for a few
days.
Miss Enid Lowe went to Mimic this
morning to enjoy a few days visit
with friends.
Mrs. Annette NJ. Jack who has bee,
at Wllliston on a business trip for the
past few days is expected home this
evening.
Miss Elizabeth Machart Of Lankin
will come to this city Monday to take
up a years work in piano study.
Miss Lulu Williams Of Devils Lake
will enter Wesley conservatory for
the study of music this year and Miss
Eta Smith Of the same city will re-
turn.
Mrs. Frank Kermott accompanied
by her daughter. Sedonia. and sons.
Jack and Holland. has returned from
Devils Lake where she spent the sum-
mer.
Mrs. F. B. Feetham and son, Law
renee. have returned from a visit with
friends in Minneapolis and ST. Paul.
The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-09-14
Old Ships.

Old Ships.
They lounge against the crumbling
The old ships that may sail no
more;
One day they hurried far and near.
But now they browse along the
shore
With ragged sail and breaking hull
And topping mast and sunken
deck
They dream. mayhap. Of storm and
lull.
OF olden voyages. and wreck.
Who knows? The old ships do not tell
II what the waters whisper low
When lazily they break or swell
Is something of the long ago;
But times there are when each old
ship
Will lift and toss as though to start
Once more upon a world-round trip.
Once more to every seaside mart.
And then it mods and seems to browse.
Nor heeds the ave that race along
And shout of seward pointing bows.
OF riffing humming in a song.
But So it dreams then of the days
When old reef battles gave it scars.
OF nights when it found all the ways
Above the ocean-mlFrored stars.
The Old ships! Dc they hahhle then.
Or is it but the waters swish"
But do they breathe of brawny men.
OF Oily calm. Of flying fish.
OF swinging races with the gales.
OF long. long courses that were run.
OF shattered masts and tattered sails.
OF Ravens lost and harhors won?
So we. when we grow old-when we
Have voyased all Of JOY and pain,
We moor by m e.ernal sea.
But chafe our rustins anchor chain
Until at last we break the bond
And idly met the tide. and drift
To what far isles may lie beyond.
To what horizons We NAV lift.
Wilbur D.. Nesbit.
The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-09-14
ONE man WAS
BURNED TO DEATH
Bad Fire on Farm near Wah-
peton Results in one
Fatality.

Wahpeton. N. D.. Sept. IA FIRE
which resulted in the loss Of the life
OF Matt Kobold and the destruction
OF four horses occurred on the Fred
Radke farm. three and a half miles
north Of Wahpeton. last week. The
owner Of the farm also narrowly es-
capped death in the flames. and had it
not been for the timely arrival Of a
neighbor would doubtless have suffer-
ed the same fate.
The origin Of the fire is not known.
Mr.. Radke had retired and Mrs. Rad
Ike was about to DO so. when her at
tention was attracted by flames issu-
ing from the burning building. and
Mr.. Radke rushed to the scene. Ko-
MIR. Radke arrived. and both men d.
rected their efforts to rescuing the
nine valuable horses.
The subsequent happenings cannot
be accurately c~hronicled. for the rca-
son that Mr.. Radke. after l~iberating
three horses and driving these from
the zone of danger. was apparently ov-
When he recovered consciousness
the flames had made too great head
way to enter the building. although
Mr.. Radke had by then secured q pail
OF water and wat just on the verge Of
again entering the barn in search Of
the doomed man, who had probably
already succumbed by that time. On
Dietz. a neighboring farmer. who had
been attracted by the blaze and had
run the entire distance OF a mile sep
arating the two places. prevented the
sncrihce OF the second .ife. A It wa.
Mr.. Dietz was compelled to forcibly
rcrtrain the excited and dazed man
from needlessly exposing himself to
the danger.
When tho flames had died down and
tho debris had cooled suficiently to
make a search Of the ruins the peo-
pie who had by that time gathered
found the charred remains Of the un-
fortunate farm hand in one corner Of
The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-09-14
German Club Hostesses Chosen.

Mrs. Finley D. Cameron. Mrs.
Clement r. Winslow. Mrs. NJ. G. Olson
and Mrs. Eugene L. Lovejoy have been
chosen hos,esses for the winter series
Of parties 10 be given Ivy the German
club. The season will open November
% and each of the four ladies named
will have charge of one party. the 9TH
err dates being December 81. January
"a and March Is. The hostesses will
name their assisting ladies for each
event as formerly and each party will
be as elegantly appointed as in former
years.
President j. r.. Carley has named as
the arrangements committee for this
season Messrs. F. D.. Cameron. c. j.
Murphy and a. P. Clifford and they
have secured the Dacotah for all cotil-
lions and will have Finley's orchestra
provide the music.
The first cotillion of the German
club will be awaited with anxiety by
those privileged to enjoy those elegant
functions and the event will officially
open the winter season of dancing.
These parties are always marked with
a distinctive elegance that society
maids and matrons adore and they al
ways number among their guests some
charming visitors from away.
The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-09-14
TARRED AND

Norwalk. Ohio. Sept. l4.-Minnie
LAValley. nineteen, who was given q
Coat OF tar n feathers by q party OF
eight women. who then told her to
leave town. is supposed to be in seclu-
sion in Cleveland.
Don Young. prosecuting attorney
here. has said that no action will he
aiken to bring the perpetrators to
justice. unless a formal complaint 10
made. The parents Of the girl promise
to do this.
The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-09-14
s16a Girrs Dress. 8 to - year..

the building close beside the carcass
OF a horse that he had evidently been
trying to lead from the barn. The
body was burned to a crisp, and could
only be recovered piecemcal.
Matt Kobold was about IS years of
age and unmarried. He was former
ly employed in Wahpeton by w. H.
The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-09-14

Willardt, who conducted a meat mar
Ket here. Kobold has a brother locat-
ed near Mantador in Richland county.
who was notified Of the sad fate of his
kinsman. but is not known to have
n other relatives in this section.
The loss sustained by Mr.. Radke
will be heavy.
The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-09-14
0A'LY Fashion a
,. ~ nav nAaennm

~ nav 1lAseTo0

CCFiood focin - Exceptionally prsuy th sasna. For A.edhas wa
- they are made Of haea. ghshem4 piaue And othr vaha1s nasnila 4
kMIe later. ssge, cashmnere and de Ms vU Be \ demand. Thne nodis
suit al fabrics and are most attractive IA anple ny.
The dress to the left y made with . dep collar With b Wy bsnemhr sd
Mh hs.s can b : made e. 81 coa.c.;ise .,tssi1 a1.: . - = .fx &c .seez
blouse !: made With the tiiuoae S.xs ths :aan ID their @a.aass, end con-
For the o year size. the dress Win reqan 81 yrds q material y. ~ ysrds
~ years Of age
The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-09-14

We do not wish to criticise. but It 10
right to allow your family to be with
out a Northwestern Telephone. Our
new directory closes Sept. II, 1912.