New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-04-22
From lhc Pittsburgh Advocate
An BIour in an Powder will.

The Pittsburgh Powder Mills are situated on
the North bank OF the M0non, ahe.a about two and
halt miles from the city. For the purpose Of
lcssening the disasters attending explosion the
building, cover large extent oi ground, ana cdch
of the rn2nv processes to which the material L.
subject before it j. turned in the form with which
the world j. bat too familiar. is performed IN Il
separate building These buildings are OF stone
and are connected together 10y a railway.
But to begin at the beginning. Good gunpow-
der. such As Nh. Watson makes, requires good
charcoal; Young and sound wood Is required. the
water maple being the most desirable On thee
Mr. Watson ta, large plantations which weld
wha, wood lac requires. besides furnishing Il con
siderable number of Young tree, To- the citizens ioi
ornamental purposes. There are also on the pre-
misses plantations tor sycamore for hoop-Poic.
which Weld about 1000 per ycar per quarter o.
an acre. From tine plantations We went To the
Steam engine And mere the dread of fire. which
habit has made a .c osd uas.re to the powder
.aker. ha, suggested number OF ingenious con-
trivunces To prevent its comm. ia contact WIKI
the "vilianous saltpetre.
The smoke from the fire. under the boilers .
conveyed undsr ground some 300 feet, and then
bya chime, 60 feet high 1t Is carried oil, at Il
supposed safe distance. Ia directly the opposite
direction the steam - carried a considerable dis
tance under ground IA the engine which - DIS
tant from the place where the last procc>.ss-
which bv 10 aid the powder uudergoss, some
zoo feet The engine has boilers attached 10 II.
each 30 inches IN diameter and - feet inche,
long. and consumes about - bushels OF coal per
day.
Ike wood j. converted into charcoal by being
burned in larsc cast iron rctori,. and the sa' thai
is evolved i, conveyed by pipes into tie ire under
IL. N.s.N
would otherwise be necessary. j. saved. The py-
rohgneous acid which the wood contains. and
which this process. evolves. Il Is the purpose OF
MIR. atson To- distl into vinegar, 40 soon ss his
arrangements for that purpose can be effected.
We followed the charcoal into the compound
ING house. Here after having been cru.hes te-
tween rollers, it il placed in large hollow cast
iron globe. in which arr considerable number O.
small brass balls these globes are made to r.
volve rapidly. which speedily reduce. /, 10 az i'm.
ralpahlc powder. IL is then pa, with the other
ingredients. in the proportion Of 10 OF charcoal.
10 of sulphur. and - Of nitrc into " mixing
barre" which is made 10 rcvolNe So times per
minute
From he mixing barrel it i taken to the mill
house where ( large rollers OF cast non, weigh
ius go lbs each, o, the shape Of mi.-stone>.
placed ~ end chase each ether round cast irou
circle weighing 10000 lbs. Under these rollers
it i. crushed ior about Eve hours. and then II !,
taken to the "prc.>.room. In tsc press-room It
j. put in LAYERS between cloths and beani' alter
nstcly, and subjected TO tie immense pressure Of
a hydraulic press. This i done to csndenso thc
powder into IA SOLID substance The cake. or
slabs arc then taken to another building and passed
through a pair OF sosrsely grosved rollers. which
break it into smal Jumps. Thu. is the first pro
cess of cuining.'
These humps are then placed shclve. in
room heated bv steam for the purpose of being
partially dried. when they are again passed through
various rollers, until tne desired q" gram i. OBJ
tanned. fresl the roller. the gunpowder "a /,
may now be termed pass : through hopper in a
revolving wire cylinder. the different, degrees OF