The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-04-23
Great Ponder Plants
Gould Work for u. S.
Huge Factories Of du Pont Company at Carneys Point
Would Drop Foreign Orders Immediately If This
Country Had to Go to War.
BY EDWARD M. wELLIvER.

49, oes WNSs Neshb tho bfcEs sSsN
Both sides Of the street are lined
with Russian hotels, Greek restau-
rants. and the like. The town also
boasts OF several motion picture thea
ters.
II Grounds Fenced on.
When we reached the grounds found
that they were all fenced on. and ali
entrances guarded by businesslike look
Ing policemen IA khaki uniforms. |
was warned to throw away. all matches
before going inside the grounds. as
carrying matches constitutes a crime
there.
On all buildings saw signs written
which warned against carrying matchen.
II IL said that the danger does not lie
IN explosions as II commonly supposed.
but In Ares. Because the buildings are
enona an sspason :ovS net
very much damage: but fires. which oc-
cur rather often. could do great harm,
As soon as We arrived inside the
plant we went directly to the police
$50 special policemen 70 handle the con-
ditions that are bound to arise In any
place where 80 many men are em-
pIoyed. The police are very comfort
ably quartered.. and seemed TO be q
which contains several poor tables, ID
provided by the company.
Lunched With Police.
We had lunch in the police barracks
and The food was all that could be de-
sired.
While at the table I obtained smre
idea as to TIE difficulty Of keeping or
der IN such large body Of men. The
whisky problem. or course. IL very seri-
Gus and all Offenders are dealt with,
strictly.
Some trouble also Ia had with men
selling "dol e." and while was there
saw four men taken away for this.
A great number had recently been
caught swndling the company out OF
done.
The company runs special trains to
carry men to and frcn work ani sll
men are required 10 ring their time bell
going TO nnc from work. Come OF the
men would get on the train 20 IL and
ring their bell, como out. get on the
train and leave.
They would come back at night. ring
cry two weeks they would forge their
foremans pay check. This was done a
few times. but the offenders were soon
caught and imprisoned.
all kinds have been found among ,he
workmen, and officers come from all
over the country looking for criminals.
Only Ford Cars Used.
After lunch we started out to see the
plant. I noticed tho great number OF
Ford machines In use. and asked the
driver the cause Of this. He said tina,
other machines had been tried, but no
ho
the wear and rough treatment to which
the cars OF the plant are subjected. A.
soon as we got started could see the
reason for this.
The roads were narrow and the travel
started we did not slow up very great
~. Ruts and bumps we took al full
speed. and II did not seem TO make any
dinerence whether We hit bridge in
.ne rlsht place or waited until we
The driver said that In winter the
roads were practically impossible be-
cause OF the great amount of mud.
Mud VIII cover the wheels entirely at
of'en REQUIRED to help pull machines out
The plant is divided into four sec.
tons to accord with the number OF
power houses which are necessary. The
sections are No. !, No. 2, No. 3 and
Deep Water.
Same Process Everywhere.
The same thing that is done in one
section In done In all.
The manufacture OF smokeless powder
is rather complicated proceeding
Pure cotton Is cleaned OF impurities e
the highest degree possible, and Their
pounded into pulp by machinery. This
pulp is treated with nitric acid, ether
and alcohol and then IL Is put in large
machines which stir and mix II thor.
oughly.
1t Is taken out of these machines and
put into cans which are carried to an
the guncotton, which the mixture now
Is, IL compressed into large cakes under
terrinc pressure This Is rather danger.
GUS. and there have been cases of ex
plosions. II was explained to me tha
In this. and all other dangerous parts OF
the business, only American laborers ar,
employed. the work being too dangeroui
to take chances on foreigners.
These cakes OF powder are hauled Of
small hand cars or rails to anothe
huge presses: where the powder 4
! pressed out In nine long sticks o
various diameters according to the us
| to which the powder is TO be put.
The powder II now ready 70 be GU
into the small lengths In which It 4
Like Phone Switchboard.
The machine employed for this re
minds one of the switchboards in
telephone office. The upper part OF
is full of holes and the long sticks o
| powder are stuck into these The ma
chine then cuts a stick OF any length
automatically.
The ether. OF which there is a Rrea
| deal In the powder. can now he re
! moved to large extent and saved.
] This Is done by a process OF evapora
: alton, and about so per cent OF all tn
| ether used IN manufacturing the pow
| der is saved.
This ether is stored In huge tanks Ilk
those OH an oil tank railroad car.
| The process of manufacturing tn
der Is not all alike. Some powder vii
fire slower than Is desirable, and som
faster so to neutralize the effect a
this the powder Is all mixed. This
done In special buildings which ar
especially provided with chutes, made q
zinc, down which the workmen can slid
| In case OF any danger.
AS the powder Is mixed first at tn
TOP of the building. the chutes reac
| that far. The chutes correspond to IN
long sliding boards often found q
amusement parks. except that they ar
The driver of our car told me that
f"w days before he had taken a ma
10 the hospital. which Is on the grounds
who had badly hurt his legs slidin
down one OF these chutes.
The workmen have time enough I
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