Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-08-25
PLAN To MOVE
EXPLOSIVES
Government Asks Permission
to Cart Pyro Cotton by
Truck to Picatinny

NEW BRUNSWICK, Aug. 25.-
Plans for the early reduction In the
of explosive materials In
storage at Rarftan arsenal are con
templated by the ordnance depart
ment of the United States army. and
as o as the necessary permits are
granted by the counties through
which the materials will be moved,
the 1000, 900 pounds CT pyro cotton
now at Raritan will re moved TO
Picatinny arsenal, near Dover.
Application was made to the free
holders yesterday by the command
ing officer at Picatinny for permits
sion to art the material through the
county by truck train. AS pointed
put by the government officials there
are no state laws governing the
transportation in such a manner,
though no attempt at removal will
be made until such time hat 1t is
certain that no municipal ordinances
will be violated.
The pyro cotton was accumulated
at the local arsenal during the war
period and has been in storage there
since that time. Under the plans
of the ordnance department the ex-
plosive is to be removed and manu-
JdCIul Gu lIlO al plOpt4llHS PONtNi
at the northern Jersey arsenal.
The freeholders were assured that
the moving of the substance rel
the roads of the county would not
be a dangerous undertaking as it
a not be ignited or exploded. The
request for permission on the part
of the government was referred to
county solicitor Frederick Il. Rich
ardson for an opinion and no ac-
ton in granting the request will be
taken until the next meeting of the
board.
The following letter from r. L.
Avery, commanding officer at Plea
tinny, shows the governments in
tention in this matter:
August II, 1922.
"Chairman Middlesex County Road
Committee,
New Brunswick, N. j.,
Dear sir:
'The ordnance department, U. S.
Army, is anticipating the transfer
of approximately 100000 pounds,
gross weight, of pyro cotton from
Raritan Arsenal to Picatinny Ar
senal, movement of this material to
be made by automobile truck.
"Pyro cotton is the commercial
name for nitrocellulose used in the
manufacture of smoke1ess powder,
and is made by nitrating with a
mixed acid, sulphuric n nitric, or
binary cotton linters. purifying the
same until It. passes a stability in
and storage.
THE pyro which it is proposed to
transfer was made during the val
and has been stored at Raritan Ar
aana1 for onnrnyirnataIy fnnr UaarS
under constant observation and test.
and is being transferred to this ar
senal to be used in the manufac-
ture of ~propellant powder. This
cotton Is packed in zinc lined wooden
boxes with rubber gaskets, and con
tains 90 per cent and rs per cent.
water. The material is perfectly
safe in handling and transporta-
ZION, and cannot be ignited or ex-
ploded.t tests having been made to
show that eve a box of this ma
teriaI can be penetrated by high
powered rifle bullets without danger.
1T is proposed that the truck
transfer will be made in truck trains
Of approximately six trucks each
or a total in one movement Of
10000 pounds.
"~Inasmuch as we have been in
formed that there are no state laws
governing such shipments. it is
thought that perhaps the COUNTIES
might have certain restrictions by
which such a shipment should be
governed. Therefore, letters are be-
Ing sent to the various counties
through which this shipment would
have to pass to get the necessary
authority and regulations. Please
expedite your authority in this case
so that this shipment may be ar
ranged.
Yours very truly,
"(Signed) r. i. AVERY,
Commanding