Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-04-14
How they Make Cunpoxvdor.

A correspondent Of the New York Tribune,
in a letter from Wilmington, Delaware, gives
the following interesting sketch of the process
By which powder is made at the celebrated
Mills of Du Pont, in that city:
"Of course, of the details of the business of
the Messrs. Du Pont, even if known to me. ]
could not make mention, unless by their con.
sent; but the process of manufacture is in
reality no secret; every book of Chemistry
treating OF 1t to some extent. All know that
gunpowder is composed of saltpeter birthstone
and charcoal though but few have any idea OF
the trouble and labor gone through to have
these materials of proper quality. The salt
peter, as received at the yards has the ap
pearance of dirty coarse SALT filed with a short
hbrous matter by process of refining, two
or three times repeated, it assumes the ap-
pearance somewhat of fine table salt, in which
state 1t is fit for the powder-mill Great care
is also taken to have the sulphur pure. But
the most labor and fore-thought seem to be
necessary in procuring the charcoal, which is
all made of the willow and poplar, the former
being used for the best kinds of powder. To
procure supplies of these woods the proprietors
set out yearly, in every nook and corner trees
which are hewn down every three years, and
the branches are converted into charcoal. This
method of procuring the wood, gives singu.
lar appearance to the country; for in many
places alongside the roads or by the streams.
may BIO oocn old tree trunks, standing but little
higher than a mans head, and topped only
with bunch OF small branches. / saw some
trunks that appeared to be forty or fifty years
old, without limb bigger than my wrist.
The mill buildings in which the materials
are ground or mixed are scattered along the
banks of the stream, each one containing a
mill. They are built Of stone on three sides,
with heavy walls, strengthened with piers the
other side, facing the stream, is of wood, and
the roof also slopes toward the stream. TIE
plan OF construction is to lessen the damage
from explosions, for should nm explosion take
place the force would be diverted toward the
stream. The mills consist Of two heavy iron
rollers on wheels, moving in a trough. / saw
one pair, each of which weighed 5000 lbs.
about seven tons. The materials being well
mixed up, and pulverized in these mills, is
slightly moistened, when it is pressed into
cakes till it becomes almost as hard as plaster
OF Paris. These cakes are then broken up
into small pieces, and taken to the granulation
mill, an operation which, on account of its
danger, | was not permitted to see. After
granulation, the powder is taken to the glazing
mill. Here 600 or 700 pounds are put into q
wooden cask, revolving moderately fast for
twenty-four hours, there being six or eight OF
these casks and close by each we're 700 pounds
more, ready for another charge From the
glazing mill the powder is taken to the driving
house. Here, at the time Of my visit, were
nearly four tons of powder, spread out on
trays, while close by we're two furnaces roaring
away at the rate Of ton Of coal each in
twenty four hours Danger there was not. vet
| could not but think of Sebastopol and the
story of its mines. From the drying house the
powder is taken to the packing house, where Il
is put in barrels or canisters and thence taken
TO n magazine, Of which there are several.
built with the same regard to non-damaged in
case of explosion as the grinding mills.
While standing in one Of the packing houses.
and just as had given a kick to hundred
pound key Of powder, intended for his excel
lency Santa Ana, Mr.. Dupont called to a man
to bring him some powder in scoop shovel
and therein / inspected about half a peck Of
powder, destined to knock out Of this world
some enemy Of his said excellency. The un.
concern with which this was handed me, as
though it we're but so much wheat, struck me
ms remarkable. ] would not convey this idea.
that carelessness is customary or allowed, nor
was the incident above mentioned a careless
act, its noticeable feature arising rather from
the bent Of my own mind. On the contrary.
the greatest care is exercised, the yards and
the various buildings being under the di.
rect and constant supervision Of some Of the
firm, and to such an extent is this supervision
carried that one Of them visits the Yards every
night at one o'clock; while the discipline Of the
hands is more efficient i have heard said by
those who ought to know, than it it is in the
army or navy. This with a system Of liberal
rewards for long and faithful service, and for
acts Of bravery, in cases Of danger, has SO les.
sened the liability to accidents Of dangerous
nature, that tho proprietors feel perfectly safe,
and stranger visiting these yards feels COM
paratively So"