The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1915-09-08
GIRLS AND WOMEN
MAKE GRENADES NEAR
FIRING LINE
Continued from first page).

D.
ploded. The average number Of frag-
ments, determined after careful tests,
is 220, the fragments being about
the size of the tip of your little finger
of very rough edges and, at short
distances-these weapons are never
used otherwise capable Of piercing
a two-inch plank. They make very
dangerous wounds.
Are Packed in Sugar.
These cast-iron shells, shaped like
a lemon, are next cleaned outside
by brushes welded by women; in
side by a revolving apparatus resemb-
ling an egg-beater. This inside
cleaning is to prevent grit or par
ticles of iron remaining to cause a
possible spark and consequent explo-
sion while being filled with chedite
later.
Girls pack the grenades with the
explosive which resembles sulphur or
| light brown sugar. A round piece
of parafned paper is put over the
| opening and with plug is forced
down into the grenade's neck to the
point where the lemon begins to
swell.
Each Woman Has Special Work.
! While this is being done the
stopper" is assembled by other
girls. From the wood turning de-
partment come the wooden plugs
which close the grenade and contain
the operating button. A hole runs
through the middle and through this
| passes Bickford time fuse. At the
upper end is a cap something like
the cap of an old-time muzzle-loading
gun which is exploded by the push
button mentioned above. At the bot
tom of the fuse is. the detonator. The
| various operations of assembling this
! apparatus are performed by girls and
| women, some quite young, some old,
grandmotherly and bespectacled.
! Each girl or woman has but one op-
GRAFTON to perform, however simple
they may be. One inserts the fuse,
another adjusts the cap, third the
detonator, a fourth makes the joint
between the fuse and detonator safe
by means of sealing wax and so on,
the shoppers" flowing smoothly down
this human stream rapidly and with
out let-up until at last they pour into
the grenades stream for final adjust
ment.
Work is Dangerous.
A hole is made in the tightly packed
chedite with which the grenade is
filled and into this hole the detonator
is passed. The grenade is now near
ing completion and becomes extreme-
ly dangerous. Should one be dropped
or the button of one hit against any
hard object with force, an explosion
results within four and half Sec
| onds, the time these special grenades
are set for: Consequently from now
on, until the grenades are packed for
shipment, all workmen sit beside
barricaded Stone and brick over which
| a bomb which has met with an acci-
| dent may be tossed before it explodes.
10000 Grenades a Day.
In this strange war hand grenades
have become of more Importance in
many instances than rifles and all
along the front special corps of
"grenadiers' have been formed. These
are being drilled in their special work
daily
"Don't tell where you saw us max
| ing grenades," was the final injunc-
tion of the colonel of artillery acting
as superintendent of the works.
1--WE were visited by spy this morn
ing. The Germans want to know just
| where we are so they can drop bombs
| on us from their aeroplanes. We sup
ply 10000 grenades a day to- one
army so you see how important it is
that we-keep working. Besides, we
we don't want our folks killed.
Tomorrow - "Subterranean De-
fense'' .-.....>....
n a a - a a a 1