Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-04-05
How They Make Ganpowdcr.

How They Make Ganpowdcr.
A correspondent ofihe New.York Tribune
in letter from Wilmngton, Delaware, gives
the following interesting sketch of the pro-
cess by which powder is made at the ceiebrs.
ted Mills OF Du Pont, in that city:
"O:course OF the details Of the business o.
the Messrs. Du Pont, even if known 10 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 it 10 some extent. Ali know that
gunpowder is composed Of sslt9etre. brim-
stone, and charcoal. though but few have any
idea of the trouble and l-pJr gone through IT,
have these materials III proper quality
The saltpetre, as received at the yards, has
the appearance OF dirty, coarse ttl, hlIeu |
with short fbr,us matter; by q process VI
refining, two OF three times repeated it as
sumes the appearance soBewh oi fine tu !
Bile salt, in " hich stale ii is hit for The powd
mill. Grsat care is also lakuu to have tie
sulphur pure. But Il e most isIor uuJ lore.
thought seem 10 be Lece's'ry in prccGr ~
the charcoal, which is al made vi tliJ wi | "
and poplar, tie !utm.r hc.ng us,d ter tie
Of these VT eds the propustors So OLi .ry,
in every NIX ynI corner, trees whi Ii re
hewn do~n cystS.ttrcc ycgrs, aud the Dranrh-
es are couver eI into charcUa. Tbs net cd
OF pr.curInI the wu,G, ghess singular up.
pesrance to The cuuty; Ter, ~ unr, places
alonss d, ihs roads or by the tUeaMs, miy
be seen oh tree trunk., Stunning but Il.
higher than mans "e.d, and tuppSu ouly
with bur, h ,fsmulI branches. saw some
trunks lhdt Appeared to te AZ OF 81 ycar4 Old,
without LIMB big-sr t.i~n my wrist.
Tie mill buildings 10 which lne materials
are ground or mixed arc catered along the
banks OF the s'rrarn, Cucn one containing Il
mil. They are bullt ol stone on three sides
with heavy walls, strengthened with pie. 4;
the other SIDE, fac NJ the stream, IL Of wood,
and the roo! also slopes toward the stream
The plan OF construction is 10 Lessen the
damage from explosions, for should an cxplo-
sion take place the force would be diver ed
toward the stream. The mills consist of two
heavy iron rollers on whech, moving in a
trough. saw one pair, each oi which weigh.
ed 10000 lbs, about seven tons. The mate.
rills, being well mixed up and puIverzcd in
these mills, is slightly muistencd, when il is
PlVSoEu ihNo Snht WI ~ DtCOItb aim JSL uh
hard as plaster of Paris. These cakes are
then broken up ito small pieces and taken
to The granulatins mill, an operation which,
On account OF its danger. 1t was not permit
ted to see. After grunu!ulon, the powd,r Is
taken TO the glazing mil. Here 800 or 700
pounds are put into u wooden casls, revolving
moderately fast for twenty-tour hours, there
being six or eight OF these casks, aud clos Z
by each were 700 pounds more, ready for
another charge. Flom the gIaZins mil the
powder 10 taken to the drying house. Here
at the time of my visit, were nearly TOUR tons
OF powder spread out on trays, while close by
were Two furnaces roaring away a, the rate
OF "A ton OF coal each in twenty our hours.
Danger there was not, yet | could Mt but
think o. Sevastopoi and the story Of It's mines
From the drying house the powder ia taken
to the packing house where III sut Eto bar
rels and canistcrs, end thence tuken to n
magazine, Of which there are several, bui t
with the same regard to non.damage in case
OF explosion as the grinding mills.
While standing in one ot tie packing -hou.
ses, ant just as had gwen kick to hum
dredpound keg OF powder, intended Tor his
excellency Santa Anna, Mr.. Dupont called
to man to bring him oome row der IN
scoop shovel, and therein | inspected about
hall peck of powder, destined 10 knucK out
9th wor 8 me ensTy O. his said Excel
lency.
The unooncern wi:h Hh,'h this was hand.
ed me, as though it W g. bat 50 mucl wheat
struck me as remrrkabtc | would not con-
'ey this idea, that Cdrrir,sncss 's cu>lun,ry.r
or allowed, nor was the ncien aJovc met