The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1915-07-20

thht 0tFiuhu1 hao Ptthy VI ~~e'SNf
economically employed. and recog-
nized that in an extremity Germany
could use cotton rags by working 1t
back into cotton linters or threads.
This, however, would produce an in
ferior grade of guncotton and fall far
short OF the present requirements. An
English publication, justifying the
British order in council, pointed out
that every shlpload df American cot
ton that reached Germaiiy finally
results In death of 500 soldiers OF the
Allies "
The United States government has
no figures showing the amount of
American cotton that Is going into
guncotton which is the real force in
the guns OF Europe butSit is believed
to be enormous. Some OF the sAmeri-
can factories are said to be using be
tween 5000 and 10000 bales a week.
Pound for Pound.
The chief feature of interest to the
resident of the South is the fact that
for every pound of smokeless powder
being 90 per cent of that used III
Europe, there is used one pound Oh
cotton. Linters, or cotton that is taken
from the seed, is preferred owing TO
its adaptability in being worked ana
then it is much cheaper than the
longer fiber. The English writer's
furnish different basis of consump-
ton, by figuring that bale oil oVV
mounds of cotton will turn out Soo
pounds of guncotton, but the ratio as
figured in the United States is about
pound for pound.
United States observers Judge from
tho number of arms, small and large,
engaged in the war, the weekly con
sumption of cotton to be between zo'-
mn and $4,000 bales. A light fieid
piece, say three inches in diameter
requires 1.75 pounds of powder per
shot and the maximum capacity OF
the gun is about twenty shots per
minute These guns in Europe are
eating nm between 5000 and lO,0oo
bales per week A twelye-inch gum
IN Goa coast and naval use, three times
as large as the other, requires 3Oo
hounds of powder per shot, the large
amount of powder being necessary TO
offord an effective range far beyond
the expectancy of the field piece Inc
oueen Elizabeth type of guns used IN
Eurone. which are fifteeninch pieces
and the fourteen-inch guns consume
from $50 to 400 pounds of powder per
shot. This type of gun guards the
Panama canal.
into All Ammunition.
Ammunition for machine guns use
600 bales or more per week. Heavy
field artillery, composed OF guns Oh
as inches up to IL inches, are getting
rid of another 1000 bales per week
and about 10000 bales per week are
going into the small rifle Ammunition
Smokeless powder manufactured from
one bale of cotton will charge So'ooo
rifle cartridges. These load l40 TO
the pound. The English figure that
it requires $4,000 rounds of small am
munition (rifle) to defend every loo
Yards of trenches daily, and II the
trenches are from 500 to 500 miles III
length as reported, the amuunllioh
lconsnmption is 200,OO0,000 cartridges
daily or about $500 bales OF cotton
A sea fight with two vessels engaged
consumes from ten to twelve bales oil
raw cotton per minute.
| The use Of gun cotton was not dis-
covered until 1S45 and then by SWISS
chemist who invented it by treating
wool cotton with mixture OF nitric
and sulphuric acid
How It Expiodes.
The effect of gun cotton is not oo'
tained by setting on fire as is the case
with ordinary gun powder, but when
light is put to it, the consumption
| is rapid without explosion. To make
il explode it must be "detonated.
This can be done by hitting it hard
blow on an iron base, but it is usually
| by cap.
Under war stress the United States
would need sO,OOO,OOO pounds of pow
der year, it has been estimated. the
present United States plants are lar
short of that capacity.
2 ..su