--------------------------------+------------------------+--------- | | Total Company. | Location. | capacity | | daily | | (shell). --------------------------------+------------------------+--------- T. A. Gillespie Loading Co. | Morgan, N. J. | 47,000 Do. | Parlin, N. J. | 25,000 Do. | Runyon, N. Y. | 3,500 Poole Engineering & Machine Co. | Texas, Md. | 15,000 United States Arsenal | Rock Island, Ill. | 1,000 Sterling Motor Car Co. | Brockton, Mass. | 10,000 American Can Co. | Kenilworth, N. J. | 20,000 Atlantic Loading Co. | Amatol, N. J. | 53,500 Bethlehem Loading Co. | Mays Landing, N. J. | 41,000 Do. | New Castle, Del. | 27,400 Do. | Redington, Pa. | 4,000 du Pont Engineering Co. | Penniman, Va., G plant | 41,000 Do. | Penniman, Va., D plant | 13,330 J. D. Evans Engineer Corp. | Old Bridge, N. J. | 30,000 | +--------- Total | | 331,730 --------------------------------+------------------------+--------- It was found necessary in the early stages of the war to fill all shell with T. N. T., regardless of cost, until there could be built the required and properly equipped plants for the mixing and loading of amatol. Two methods for loading T. N. T. were adopted. The one most largely used, however, was the casting method by which the chemical was brought to a molten condition in a steam jacketed kettle and poured into the shell. To do this two operations were usual. First, the shell was filled approximately two-thirds full with the molten material, and then as soon as a crust was formed this was broken through and the second filling took place. This process was necessary to prevent the formation of cavities in the filling charge. Such cavities cause breakdowns, resulting almost invariably in incomplete or entire failure of detonation. The ammonium nitrate first produced in this country during the war was of such a character that proper densities could not be obtained when mixed with T. N. T. to form amatol. This difficulty was overcome after much investigation, and proper methods were outlined for the ammonium nitrate manufacturers, with the result that Grade III ammonium nitrate was produced as a sharp, hard crystal at a setting point of not less than 290° F. This was found to be perfectly satisfactory. [Illustration: EIGHT-INCH SHELL BEING LOADED WITH AMATOL.