The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-31
THESE are busy days at the naval
ammunition base at Iona Island,
some forty miles up the Hudson

>HESE are BUSY Gays AT the naVai
ammunition base at Iona Island,
some forty miles up the Hudson
River. Here at top notch speed
hundreds of men are making ready
large and small shells and preparing the
powder charges for the guns of the bat
tleships now in Mexican waters.
The reservation covers 1l6 acres.
Within its limits are stored about three
million pounds of smokeess powder and
over one million pounds of black pow
der, besides many thousands of shells.
This war material Is kept in large brick
and stone powder magazines and shell
houses.
The powder magazines all have four
separate fireproof walls and are divided
up into compartments in order to pre-
vent fire or an explosion from reach
ing or destroying the entire contents
The loaded shells are kept separately
from the empty projecties and are
stored in the two fixed ammunition mag
azines. Each shell Is weighed and num-
bered before being put away. The
weight Is recorded in chalk on the she'll
Magazine attendants inspect the shell
houses and powder magazines many
times during the day and night. At
night each visit Is recorded on the disk
Of the magnetic clock in the admins
tration building. The temperature in
the shell houses and powder magazines
is kept between So and 90 degrees. The
temperature readings are taken at reg
ular intervals.
One of the features Of Iona Island is
its miniature railroad, which is used
for hauling the loaded shells and copper
cans of smokeess powder. The train
is pulled by a little sparkless, compressed
air locomotive. The engineer, when he
wants more power. steps down from his
cab at different points and connects the
storage tank of the engine with an air
pipe running from the power house.
Seven hundred pounds pressure Is taken
on, which is allowed to run down to fifty
pounds before recharglng. These COM
pressed air locomotives cost In the neigh
borhood of $1,000. The railroad is 80 ar
ranged that all the magazines, shell
houses and filling houses are reached
by 1t.
Just how many shells for the big
battleships are stored away at Iona
Island Is secret; but there are lots
OF them. They are expensive. Thus
the IA inch shells, weighing 900 pounds
and requiring a charge of nearly 400
pounds Of powder. cost about 5000 each.
One of the principal activities at Iona
Island Is the manipulation of smoke
less powder for charges for the large
and small guns of the navy and of
black powder for bursting charges for
the shells. The powder filling houses
four OF which are in operation, are
situated at widely separated points
They are all small, one story, wooden
structures, isolated owing to the pos
sibility Of an explosion. The men work
ing in them are required to wear white
serge suits and moccasns; no metal
or other articles are allowed in their
pockets which might in any way cause
spark.
All the tools, tunnels, measuring
cups. scales and other appliances used
are made OF copper. Here the sdelicat,
and somewhat dangerous business OF
weighing out the various smokees.
: powder charges is carried on. IN,
weighing has to he done very care
fully. At the Indian Head provine
grounds the naval ordnance expert,
ny tests determine the powder charge