Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-21
DU POINT PLANT BUSY
IN MANUFACTURE OR
SMOKELESS POWDER
Men Working Day and
Night and, Despite Denial,
of Owners, Rumor Hints Of
Possible Shipments to Eu.
rope.

PBNNsGRovE, NJ j.. Oct. n-Th,nr,
are booming down at Carney Point. Pow.
der makers who have not been nar,,o-
ularly busy lately are busy now. Pow.
der of the smokeless variety is beins
made in immense quantities: sometines
the men work at night. The plant AT
Carney Point is the biggest in the world
1t is n part of the big du Pont concern
1t has only been recently that tbl,
plant has been so buey. WHY II IA m
busy now no one will soy workmen ar.
Just as mum about such things as ar,
the men In charge. They know that
they are busy, they know that there I,
day force and night force at times.
but that Is all they do know and all thsy
care to know.
Rumor has 1t that the other smokeless
powder plants of the company are equally
busy. Perhaps the United States is Law.
ing In supply so as to be well provided
In case 1t SHOULD get into a war with
some other nation, but there is a vagus
suspicion that this powder may find its
way into some foreign gun Just how
is another question. The Du Pont Com
pany will not ship powder to foreign
nation at war, for powder Is contraband
and to ship 1t would be filibustering
Rumors that the Du Points were preparing
for big orders were denied by the firm
some time ago. Since them 1t was de-
clared when the foreign shipments were
mentioned that 1t would be impossibls
to furnish smokeless powder, even If a
way was found, for ii took six months
to manufacture smokeless powder AMI
have 1t in condition for use. Not -
now. There has been a wonderful chanr.
made in the manufacture of smokelc
powder. It is known that no longer dos
1t take six months to have smolSelc
powder in condition for use. Accordin;
to the reports the wet" process now be-
ing used at Carney Point has revolu-
t'onized the powder business. In case
this Government should be compelled 10
go 10 war the inventors can furnish il
In few weeks. instead of months. and
no one except the inventors can tell how
quickly II could be furnished
Why this sudden boom In the powder
business should occur at this time no
one about here knows. Nobody cares
1t is making work and good times about
here for a large number of men are
Is busy. The works are running as
lively as they can be run with due re.
gard to safety.
OF course. there are all kinds of rumors
as to where this powder Is going. Some
say Germany, some say France and
others say both, but no one knows. How
1t would be shipped Is n question. There
are no big ships stopping at the wharves
about here to receive it. There is more
talk among the workers about the new
process than there Is about the ship
ments. In view of the fact that a re-
cent fatal accident in the laboratory OF
Francis l. dupont was due to the powder
supposed to he made by this new process.
Francis |. DUPONT the chemist of the
company and one of the greatest chemists
in the world, is given the credit for the
invention among the men.
Whether the process is being used In
other smokeless powder plants is not
known, but it is probable that II Is and
that those plants are generally as busy
as the one near this place In fact,
those engaged in the powder business
admit that the powder business is brisk
at the present time. They do not admit,
however that any of the powder may
be used by the European nations now
at war,