The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-08-26
BIG GUN CHARGES
Handling Shells and Powder at a
Naval Ammunition Base.
SAFETY FIRST is THE RULE.
All Workmen on Iona Island, Uncle
Sans Station In the Hudson River.
Wear White Serge Suits and Moe
casins, and Copper Tools Are Used.


casins, and Copper Tools Are Used.
Iona island. the United States naval
ammunition base in the Hudson river.
covers Hi acres Within lis limits are
stored about 3.0000O0 pounds of
smokeess lSwder and over l,000.oOO
pounds uf black powder. besides many
thousands of shells This war ma
teral is kept in large brick and stone
powder magazines and shell houses.
The powder magazines all have four
separate tireproof walls and are divid-
ed UP into compartments in order 10
prevent II fire or an explosion from
reaching or destroying the entire con
tents. The loaded shells are kept sep
arately from the empty projecties and
are stored In two fixed ammunition
magazines. Each shell is weighed and
numbered before being put away. The
weight is recorded In chalk on 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
tiiltion building. The temperature In
the shell houses and powder magazines
Is kept between 81 and 80 degrees.
Just how many shells for the big
bnitleShiliS are stored away al Iona
Island i a secret. but there are lots Of
them. They are expensive Thus the
fourteen inch shells weighing 1000
pounds and requiring II charge of near
~ lOO pounds OF powder. cost about
5000 each
one of the principal activities at
lonn island Is the manipulation Of
smokeless powder for charges for the
large aud small guns of the navy and
Of black powder for bursting chnrges
for the shells. The powder filling
houses are situnted nj widely seTmrat
ed points. They are small one story
wooden structures. isolnted owing Ia
the possibility OF an explosion. The
men working in them are required to
wear white serge suits and moccaslns:
no metal or other articles are allowed
In their pockets which might in any
way cause II spark.
All the tools. tunnels. measuring
cups. scales and other appliances used
are made of copper. Here the delicate
and somewhat dangerous business OF
weighing out the various smokeless
powder charges is carried on The
weighing has to be done very carefully.
At the Indian Head proving grounds
the naval ordnance experts by tests
determine the powder charges best
adapted for the various guns. and Mt
the annun target practice the results
as to range aud yelocities of the vari-
Gus charges are recorded Then slight
changes in the composition OF tile pow
der lend to changes IN the weight OF
the charges.
Each morning the days supply of
powder is brought from the magazine
TO the filling houses IN lead colored
wooden boxes These are Zinc lined
1.
are enptied into long wooden trough
and with a copper stoop the ruwdef Is
dipped out accurately weighed and
tied up in quarter. half and fun charges
IN bags OF white muslin.
These bags have several wide stream
ers for fastening them. md each Is
tagged with the date of filling and the
amount of powder ii contains. \ small
ignition charge of quick burning black
powder. To set Off the smoLeless. il
slowed in the bottom OF each bag Tho
bags are then placed In large copper
cans aud returned to the magazines.
where they are held in readiness to 20
aboard the ships.
The big charges OF 400 pounds for the
fourteen inca guns are arranged IN
four charges OF 100 pounds cach The
bags when piled on top of one another
reach 10 the top of mans head and
present formidable sight OF bottled
M destruction.
One of the important operations per
formed In the magazine houses Is load
ing the projectiles with their bursting
charge. For the fourteen inch shells
ATTY pounds OF black powder Is used
and about thirty pounds FOR twelve
inch shells. 10 hold the she'll steady
and TO get ut the base Of these huge
steel missiles some OF them weighing
lao pOunds-tbpy are ruped in sling
and hoisted clear OF the hoor by pull
ley aud chain. The point is then low
cred foot or 80 into stout wooden
frame with an opening n tritie larger
than the shell. Then a long mar
row bag is inserted In the shell cavity
and the measured amount of black
powder is poured through funnel into
the shell. Some fifty OF these huge
projectiles can be loaded in n day.
Several OF the smaller filling houses
are used TO assemble the cartridge
cases and the bursting charges Of the
thrce-incl rapid fire shells.-New York
Sun.
A Hardened Criminal.