The Washington times., 1917-02-11

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do very much.
The war between the South and
North was fought with muzzle-loaders
and intricate machinery was not
needed for the making of cartridges
which service was performed by un-
skilled labor.
When he reached Atlanta, DIR. Mon.
roe received the following letter from
Mayor Bridges Smith, of Macon, Civ
ing him a bit of history about the
making of arms and ammunition for
the Confederate army with which he
was concerned in 1S61-65.
Manufactured Munitions.
'The Government used what was
known as Findlay's Foundry as an
arsenal, detailing mechanics and en-
ploying the best skilled artisans TO
be Found, and then began the manu-
facture of cannon, shot, shell, can
lister and grape. The cannon were
cast at one time from contributions
Of brass candlesticks, andirons, door
knobs, handles of pokers, etc, and
of church and school bells, and, in
fact, everything OF brass or bell metal.
About the same time q gunsmith's d
shop was taken for the purpose of
making small arms and balls and
slugs.
| IAN old railroad depot was used
later for this purpose, where percus-
sion caps were also manufactured. The
manufacture of ball cartridges for
sho.guns and muskets began in a
residence, the work being done by s
| family, a mother and daughters. This
force was increased by the employ
r9ent OF many girls, and the resi-
dence being too small an old slave
mart on Poplar street was secured
by Major T. c. Downie. d technical en-
gineer, who was placed in charge Of
the manufacture OF cartridges. From
regiment OF reserves the old men
and boys were detailed to work in
both the arsenal and the laboratory.
The latter gave employment TO
[. several hundred girls and boys, in
addition to the detailed soldiers. They
iwere kept constantly at work making
buck-and-ball' cartridges, and also
cartridges for muskets and rifles. The
first cartridges were made of brown
/: wrapping paper, but in 1858 the Con
| federacy secured in some way a great
quantity of white tough paper. SINH
liar to what Is now known as bond
writing paper. from q ship from Eng
/ land that had run the blockade, and
! this was used to the end OF the war.
In addition to making cartridges at
the laboratory, the powder charges
were fastened on shot, shell and can
lister ammunition, Roman candles and
rockets for signals, and also time
fuses and friction primers were manu-
factured."
Made Under Difficulties.
DR.. Monroe said in his address:
Notwithstanding the crudity OF the
means, the lack OF skill OF the en-
ployes, the numerous makeshifts that
had to be resorted to, that the sulphur
supply was that found on hand at the
sugar plantations when the war broke
out, that copper for their percussion
caps was largely, taken from the stills
at the turpentine camps, that the mer.
curry and acids used for making the
illuminate, anAS such gun cotton a.
was used In printing fuses, had to be
run in; and that the nitre was OBJ
tanned from the lixiviatIon of the bat
| deposits in limestone caves and the
| nitrified earth about the plantation
| quarters, while the excrementous mat.
ter was carefully gathered to form
nitre beds in which the intrifying
bacteria effect the desired transfer.
nation, when General Wilson took
possession of Macon there had been
| produced and accumulated at that
point an abundant supply of ammuni.
lion OF excellent quality and OF high.
Grade material for the manufacture
OF more.
Pointed Out Newer Methods.
But what of the present-day sttua.
tion?" asked DR.. Monroe. THE am
nunition and arms have completely
changed. Breach-losding guns throw.
.ng projectiIes having low trajectory,
nigh velocity. and great penetration;
smokeIess, high-powered propeIlants:
brisant detonating explosives for
armor- piercing projectiles, mines, and
torpedoes, and substitutes for the
mercury illuminate have been de.
sised. Gunpowder has been com.
pletely displaced, and the products of
the cotton field, soap factory, coke
wen, and gas works, together with
5ulphurlc and nitric acids, have be
| come the raw materials for the
manufacture Of the explosives now
used.
Chemistry Has Aid Manufacture.
Chemistry in its application of
electricity has freed the nations from
the dominance OF Chile and India
over the worlds nitre supplies by
teaching man how to draw directly on
the abundant supply Of nitrogen all
around us Ut being estimated that
here are about $4,000 gross tons of
| 1itrogen in the atmosphere covering
each acre of Eround), and either
through heating IT, when distilled
from liquid air, in contact with such
| calcium carbide as was made com,
mercially for the FIRST time at Spray,
y. c., producing calcium-cyanamid,
from which nitre and nitric acid are
| directly obtained, or by means of the
| electric arc causing the components
IF the air 20 burn so as to obtain
nitric acid directly: and chemistry
has further taught how abundant
supplies of sulphuric acid may be OBJ
tanned from the waste gases of
smelters."
The Southern States have learned
how in the last fifty years, and now
enjoy "alI the benefits OF this chem
ical progress to an amazing degree
and in developing the chemical indus
tries within their territory have
fostered likewise the mechanic arts so
| that they are rich and prosperous
and powerful and prepared for any