were fired (= 4.40 lbs. tonite), and analysis of the air of the "return"
showed that CO was present in traces only, whilst the fumes contained only
1.9 to 4.8 parts per 10,000.

~Dangers in connection with the Manufacture of Guncotton, &c.~--Of all the
nitro compounds, the least dangerous to manufacture are gun-cotton and
collodion-cotton. The fact that the Stowmarket Factory is within five
minutes' walk of the town shows how safe the manufacture of this explosive
is regarded. With the exception of the nitration and the compression into
blocks or discs, the whole process is worked with a large excess of water,
and the probability of an explosion is thus reduced to a minimum. Among
the precautions that should, however, be taken, are--first, the careful
extraction of the resinous and soluble substances from the cotton before
nitration, as it was shown many years ago by Sir F.A. Abel that the
instability of the gun-cotton first manufactured in England and Austria
was chiefly due to these compounds. They are generally removed by boiling
the cotton in a soda solution.

The actual nitration of cotton is not a dangerous operation, but the
operations of wringing in the hydro-extractors, and washing the nitro-
cotton after it leaves the first centrifugal machine, are somewhat so.
Great care should be taken that the wrung-out nitro-cotton at once comes
in contact with a large excess of water, i.e., is at once immersed
entirely in the water, since at this stage it is especially liable to
decomposition, which, once started, is very difficult to stop. The warmer
the mixture and the less water it contains, the more liable it is to
decomposition; hence it is that on warm and damp days the centrifugal
machines are most likely to fire. The commencement of decomposition may be
at once detected by the evolution of red fumes. Directly the gun-cotton is
immersed in the large quantity of water in the beater and poacher it is