Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-02-22
HOW THE BRITISH
MAKE THEIR OWN
WAR EXPLOSIVES
Writer Was Given Permission to Go
Through Ammunition Factory and Tells
Methods of Manufacture That is IN
Vogue.

Correspondence If the Associated Press
London. Feb. 22.-IIuw the British make
their explosives l. described bv 4 writer
who wa, given permission ~ 80 through
N factory now turning out much ~ the
material used in the British and French
shells.
The factory grounds are connected by
telephone and tram lines. say the writer.
and in addition to the buildings there are
n number of entertainments. some at the
sheds are highly dangerous. First among
these comes the nitrating ROOM. M which
Il tank filed with a mixture Of nitric and
~ulphnric acid i kept IL a state Of violent
agitation bv means of compressed arr lei--
shot ~ from the bottom. Above The acid.
1 small stream ~ pure elvcerinc tricklc- in.
Below the waite " 4 pool ~ water NJ which
the VAT contents could ~ drowned were
the mixing ~ 20 wrong. Thr acids when
mixed with the .lvcerins. become nitro
slyccrin-tcn times more powerful than
gun powder and likely 70 explode 40 the
slightest shock.
l It lNiiAf~ sil~iU- lAfht 10y A"Ah NAh
closely watched while the contents are
cooled by means oi chilled brine. forced
through a coil OF pipes al the bottom.
should the slightest trace of rel appear.
the attendant must drown the stuff ~ n
second. When ready. the crude explosive
ran through lead pipes ~ another room.
There 1t IN allowed NJ settle IN waits. and
the surface w skinned VII. III The com
pound ha~ nnt been properly MIXED, Y ring
NJ prucurE green appears un the -urtHrr
NJ the tank. aud thc attendants dn-h out
VI the building ~ save themselves III thrt
can.
The third building j. devoted to the
washing 81 the nitroelyecrin To get rd 81
the excess of free acid. Two washing are
gone Through. the first IA pure water agi-
taied by compressed air Jet. aud the ~ec-
ond time in water % which q strong ~olu~
ION of soda has been added 90 ncufraliye
the remaining traces oi acid.
NitrDglyrcrin w now used for MANY rnr
po~c- III the form already reached. but to
make dynamite. VI IVY taken tn the fourth
she'd. where aiucly ground wood pulp and
Chilean ~aItpctcr urc added. Thi- yclIrwi-h
-oarv mixture wv hdrmlc-- mlc-- fired ny,
strong concu--iun. generally hv \ cap of
illuminate mercury. au explosive that rue-
Of ~ the mcrc~t touch. Dynamite d rarely
used IN torpedoc-. because qua cotton D.
more convenient. Some forms 81 10, how
ever. enter into -uhmarinc mine.
The making of mclinitc and pierre acid
and Of triuiiro-toluol. the terrible cNplo-
i've used ~ aerial bombs. b kept FROM the
public. while absolute secrecy surround
the maxim. uf cnrditc. lytditc and the my
ferrous "B' powder. Not even the work
men and thr chemists employed m making
these explosives knows The combination
into which they ARE mixed for service ne.
Id " -aid that some oi the materials turned
ont IL the explosive factories. which en-
ployc- and chemists think are absolutely
necessary to the production of service
Charge. are not used nj IN. They are
asked for simply 10 mi-lead pos. ible trail
.tors who would brtray government secrets.