Evening journal., 1915-03-20
MUCH Gun COTTON
FOR THE DUPDNTS
Company Has 00,0OOlBaleS
in Storage at Carney
Point Plant
CROP OF LINTERS
HAS BEEN SOLD

Upwards OF 10000 bales of cotton.
chiefly linters. have been purchased
by the DUPONT Powder Company and
now arc in stock at the City Point
plant. according to the lndex-Appeal
of Petersburg, Va. The cotton is
used i'm the manufacture of guncottOn.
For this purpose lintors. that Is. the
fuzz taken or the seed by machinery
after the cotton is ginncd, is pre-
fcrrod.
The market price of linters now r.
4 cents a pound. The normal price
is not much more than onc-half that
sum. The crop OF linters this year
amounted TO about 100000 bales. So
great has been the demand that the
entire supply has been taken.
The supply OF linters has not been
sufficient 10 meet the demands of the
powdermakers. and a great deal Of
cotton has been bought for this pur-
pose. although Il Is not as desirable
in powdermaking. The demand must
have had an effect upon the price Of
the staple.
All the powder made in the United
States is manufactured out OF gun
cotton. The same statement is true as
regards Russia, France and Germany
About 20 per cent OF the powder
made in England is manufactured
out OF guncotton. From 80 TO 40 per
cent of the powder made in Austria,
Italy, Sweden, and Norway is made
OF guncotton. AS stated. for making
powder linters are preferred to the
cotton OF commerce. There are ma
chimes not only for cutting this fibre
from the seed. but later, for shaving
from the seed what remains OF the
fuzzy stun.
The powdormakcr takes these frag
ments of cotton and chops and grind'
them into particles so small that moi
one is moro than thrcc one-hundrcdth.
nj an inch in length. and then treat.
them with nitric and sulphuric acid
/ Then. be washes them and gives another
treatment to them. this time the dos'
being of ether and alcohol That maSe
powder and ior practically ever,
pound of lintcrs used one pound of pow
der is the result. In America there ar'
! five great powder plants. Two
those at Dover, y. H., and Indian lca'
ON the potOnac-are owned by the gov
l.crnment Three those at Carney
Point. opposite Wilmington, DEL an
those at Parlm. ~ j., aud Haskell, y
J.. are owned oy private interests.
The Index Office says the City Pom
Virginia plant will be the largest pow
der plant in the country. Guncottou al
ready is being made there. The norma
output of the American powder mills
ll0OOOO00 pounds a ycaf The cNirem
capacity Is about lj0nOo0o pound
That merns 3O000 bales ~ lmtcs
z Europc's powdor-making capacit
Is from ten TO twenty times as Ercs
, as that OF America. the paper say
II is possible for Europe TO produc
perhaps 30O,001.000 pounds OF pow
. der in one year n lintcrs we're use
p in all this powdor-making Il woul
amount 20 100000 bales of linters re
ouired by Europe. There is a sus
picion that Europe Is making an
using all the powder Il can. suspicio
Is warranted 10000 bales of Inter
would not be an excessive estimate {
make for this account VI the powdc
3 people have not lintcrs at hand the
undoubtedly will turn to cotton.
nccessitates more chopping but tina
does not signify II the need is great
II s the gun of a large calihre thg
cats mp cotton. In the firing of !.
inch gun 800 pounds of powder are n
qurcd That means 200 pounds of col
ton. One shot of a l2-inch gun rcquir,
as much powder as 5000 shots Of a.
rifle an infantryman uses. or $50 shot
from an ordinary field gun. II is In