Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1855-05-03


with military honors in the public burying
ground at Richmond
HOW THEY MAKE GUNPOWDER.
A correspondent of the New York Tribune,
in letter from Wilmington, Delaware, gives
the following interesting sketch of the pro-
cess of which powder is made at the celcbra-
ted Mills of Du Pont, in that city:
"Of course, of the details of the business
of the Messrs. Du Pont, even if known to NE,
[ could not make mention, unless by their con-
sent, but the process of manufacture is in re-
ality no secret; every book of chemistry treat
ing of it to some extent All know that gun
powder is composed of saltpetre, birthstone and
charcoal, but few have any idea of the trouble
and labor gone through to have these materi-
ais of proper quality. The saltpctre, as re-
ceived at the yards, has the appearance of dir
ty coarse SALT filled with short fbrous mat
ter; by process of refining, two or three
times repeated, it assumes the appearance of
fine table salt, in which state it 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 arc con-
verted into charcoal This method of procu-
ring the wood gives singular appearance to
the country; for in many places alongside the
roads or by the streams may be seen old tree
trunks, standing but little higher than mans
head, and topped only with a 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
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 The
plan Of construction is to lessen the damage
from explosions, for should an explosion take
place the force would be diverted towards the
stream The mills consist of two heavy iron
rollers on wheels, moving in trough I SAW
one pair, each Of which wei ghed $4,000 lbs,
| about seven tons. The materials being well
mixed up, and pulverized in these mills, is
slightly moistcned, when it is pressed into
cakes till it becomes almost as hard as plaster
Of Paris. These cakes are then broken into
min, an operation Witch, on Il account 0f its
danger, [ was not permitted to see. After
granulation, the powder is taken to the glazing
mill. Here 600 or 100 pounds of powder are
put into wooden cask, revolving moderately
fast for twenty four hours, there being six or
eight of these casks, and close by each were
100 pounds more, ready for another Charge
From the glazing mill the powder is taken to
the drying house. Here, at the time of my
visit were nearly four tons of powder, spread
out on trays, while close by were two furnaces
roaring away at the rate of ton of coal each
in twenty-tour hours. Danger there was not
yet 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 it is put in barrels or canisters, and
thence taken to magazine, of which there are
several, built with the same regard to honda.
mage in case OF explosion as the grinding
mills.
While standing in one Of the packing hou-
ses, and just as had given kick to a hundred
pound keg Of powder intended for his excel
Santa Anna, Mr.. Dupont called to Il man to
bring him some powder in scoop shovel, and
therein inspected about half peck of pow
der destined to knock out of this world some
enemy Of his said exccllency. The unconcern
with which this was handed me, as though it
were so much wheat, struck me as remarkable
| would not convey the idea that carelessness
is customary or allowed, nor was the incident
above mentioned careless act, its noticeable
feature arising rather f I'm the bent of my own
mind. On the contrary, the greatest care is
exercised, the yards and various buildings be-
ing under the direct and constant supervision
Of some Of thu firm, and to such an extent is
this supervision carried that one of them Wis
It's the yard every night at one o'clock while
the discipline Of the hands is more efficient,
have heard said by those who ought to know,
than it * IN I'll" army nm" won IL
system Of liberal rewards for long and faithful
service, and for acts of bravery in case of dan
ger, has 50 lcsscned the liability to accident Of
dangerous nature, that the proprietors feel
perfectly safe, and a stranger visiting these
yards feels comparatively so.'
TEARS OF TO DAY.-There is tear Of ioy
and a tear of grief. The tear to-day may not
be forced by the same cause which overAowed
the eye yesterday. A tear may be sent up
from the heart by Joy or by sorrow. It is the