Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-09-17
BIC PORCELAIN FACTORY
PART OF WAR MACHINE
Sevres Turning Out Reccptaclcs fol
Manufacture of Powder and
Explosives.
BRANCH RAILWAY TO PLANT
With Staff Less Than Half It's Usual
Size, Production Is Five Times as
Great as Before the Beginning of
HOStiliticS.


PARIS. September >1G.-Thc world :
famed national porcelain factory at
Sevres suddenly has been transformed
into part OF the huge war machine.
Instead OF making those dainty and
fragile statucttcs and vases which are
the wonder OF art collectors. it is
turning out "poterics de rucrrr." or
earthenware retorts and cauldrons for
manufacturing asphyXiatinE gas and
for all the various chemical processes
of producing high explosives. Even
tho famous artists whose names are
associated with the delicate coloring
OF Scvres porcelain. now are excrcis-
ing their art in enamclinE these huge
rctortS. so as To make them more re-
sistant 10 the acids and chemicals used
in the war processes.
Early in tho war. NJ. Bourgeois adj
mnistrator of Scvrcs. learned that the
production OF high explosives for artil-
lcry was falling short, owing TO the
lack of carthcn reccptaclcs capable OF
treating the acids. lie, therefore, pro-
posed to the Minister of Fine Arts VI.
Dalmcr. that the art work of Sevrcs
he suspended and all its energies given
to producing the rcceptaclcs needed
TOT pow utT-l klnE lnlS was APP
proved. and soon the Transformation
was begun. There We're many difficult
ties to overcome Half OF the force
HAD gone off to the war. Those who
remained were artists trained in the
most delicate class Of work The fur
naccs, too. were designed for small art
objects. and there was only one. fur
mace big enough TO made powder
caudrons.
hut the obstacles were overcome. the
whole establishment being inspired
with the idea that il was contributing
to the national defense. The sculptor
OF hisquc figures did not hesitate Ia
make the plaster molds for the big re-
forts. The chemists studied art
methods of adapting the various hard
clays of the new kind of war work
The artists did their part in cnamcling
The working force soon had four fur
naces. usually employed on vases and
bisques. enlarged so as to make the
big powder cauldrons. Soon the work
was going at such Il rate that a branch
railway was run into the factory, con
Meeting il with the great powder fac
Fons, Toulouse. bordeaux, DIXON and
BrcSt.
Thus Sevrcs has gone through Il com
plcte transformation, and to-day is
furnishing thousands of reccptaclcs OF
all sorts In which powder, explosives
and gases of all sorts are manufacturer
and stored. With q staff less than half
its usual strength. the production OF
Sevres is five times as great to-day as
it was before the war. And besides the
great quantity of its war output. the
quality Of it's work is making it a sort
of expert school for the engineers OF
the various powder factories. The
chief workers of these factories now
come to Sevrcs To study the chemical
methods employed in hardening clays
and making them more resistant 10
high temperature. a huge new FUR
mace. three times the size OF any
heretofore used, now is being built for
the manufacture of retorts of specially
large dimensions"