Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1842-05-10
From the Pittsburgh Advocated

The Pittsburgh Powder Mills are sltua.
tcA on the North bank of the Monengo.
baIa. about two and halfmI from the CT.
~. For the purpose Of lessening The dis
listers attending explosion, the buildings
cover a large extent Of ground, and each
of the many processes TO VIII ich the mate
rial is'suhiect before it is turned IN the
form with which the world is but too ia
mIiar. is preforme1 in a separate build.
inr. These buildings are of stone, and
are connected together by..a railway.
But 20 begin at the beginning. Good gun
powder,s as Mr.. Watson makes, requir-
es good charcoal, young and sound wood is
required. the water maple being the most
has large desirable. OF these Mr.. Watson
plantations which yield what wood he re.
aures besides furnishing a consid, rable
number Of young trees to the citizens for
ornamental purposes. There are also on
the premises plantations for sycamore for
hoop. noes, winch weld about 5000 per
year por quarter of an acre, From the
plantations we went 10 the steam engine
And here the dread of fire, which habit
has made second nature TO the powder
maker, has suggested number OF lngeGl-
Gus con,rivanccs to prevent It's coming in
contact with the "vllanous saltpeier."
The smoke from the fires under the
boilers is conveyed under ground some
800 feet, and then By a chimney 60 feet
Ligh it is carried of, at q supposed safe
distance. In directly the opposite dre;.
ton the seam is carried a consid, rabIe
distance under ground to the engine, which
is distant from the place where tie last
processos-which by its aid the powder
.undegoes. some 700 feet. The engine
has 6 boilers altac' ell to il, each 80 in
chcs in diameter,and - feet inches long
and consumes about 10 bushels of col
per day.
The wood IS converleA into charcoal by
beng burned in large cast iron retorts,
and the gas that is evolved is conveyed by
pipes int the fire under the relort BY
which one h,rd of the fuel which would
otherwise be nee, ssary, is saved. The
pyrol;gneous acid VIII ch the wood con
tains and which this process evolves, It :
the purpose of Mr.. Watson TO diStil into
vinegar, as Don as his arrangements for
that purpose can be effected.
We followed tie charcoal into the
"compounding hou-e." Here, after hav.
ing been crushed between rollers, il is pla
ccd in large hollow cast iron globe, IN
which are q cons ilerable number Of small
brass balls; these globes are made to re.
volve rapidly, which speedily reduces it to
an impalpable powder. 1t is then put
with the other ineredi, nts, in the proper
ton of ID of charcoal, 10 of sulphur, anC
IS ofnitre,, into "mixing barrel" which
is made TO reyove SO times per minute.
From the mixing barrel it is taken t
the mill house," where large rollers o
cast iron, weighing go lbs. e-ch, Of th'
shape of mill -stones, placed on end, chaS'
each other round a cast iron circle weigh
ing 10000 lbs. Under these rollers it i
crushed for about five hours, and then it i
taken to the "p ess-room." In the press
room it is put in layers between cloth
and boards alternately, and subjected Il
the immense pressure ola hydraulic press
This is done to condense the powder Mt
a sold su1stance. The cakes or slab
are then taken TO another building an
passed through pair Of coarsely groove
rollers, which break it INTO small Jumps
This is the first process of 'grainin5."
These humps are then placed on shelye
in a room hea.ed by steam fo- the purpos
Of being particularly dried, when tn y ar
again passed through various rollers, unit
tie desired "grain" is obtained. Fror
the rollers the gunpowder, as it may nov
be termed, passes through hopper III
REVOLVING wire cylinder The different de
Rrees of fneness in the length Of which
screen it into as many kinds CT powder,th
finest, which is mere dust, is taken bac
to be re-worked.
The remainder is placed in barrel;
about $50 lbs. in each which are mad
rapidly TO revove for the purpose of ''gla
zing" it But one operation now remain
and that IS the final drying, which is g
fected in the manner which we have be
fore described. Ii is then takOn to tn
packing house, and from that to the 'mag
azine," which is a flre-proof building at
long distance from the rest Of the works
GFThe Baltimore, Patriot in all
sion to Mr.. Van Buren's visit 10 tn
Hermitage, says sit IS there the | az
gain is to be struck-Mr. Van Bure
for Presideut,and Gen. Jackson's prct
igee, James X. Polk, for Vice p. esi
dent;" As to this "complexion
must come at last" the Patriol advise
that Messrs. Stevenson, johnson, Blu
chanan, Calhoun and other pretenders
Law aside their preten:ions, and quiet
" submit. 1t is shrewdly suspected
by some of our knowing politicians
that the bargain is already struck, ant
thar the banner Of Van Buren, anC
Polk will soon be given to The breeze
An enthusiastic Wing meeting, at
tended by some thousands, took place
at st. Louis on the 14lh ult. A warm
expression was given in favor Of Mr.
Clay for the Presidency.