The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-11-12
Gunpowder il Eugland.

ninety miles, and the shock was felt X
ltwenty-fire miles. Grants niue ct Peter.
burg contained 1900 pounds. The pow
der destroyed 1t Firth was eight times q
great 10 quantity. By this az pIosion twelv
persons ware killed, and twenty .woundet
Houses were destroyed for miles arount
Near the magazine the ground was swey
gear. The estimated loss of property wg
100 COO. Four miles distant two woman
dresses and human finger fell to ID
eartn: Canary birds and parrots fell dea
AL long distance from Firth, and dog
ianA Other animals manifested the creates
alarm, @e
The explosion, which spoke so loudly fo
.iseii, -, OF course, a leading topic Of tall
anu ne~spap per comment in England, an
many anxious enquiries are directed 10
ward the probable perils and hazards aris
ing rom possible explosions at othe
magaz mes. The London Times, in yer,
elaborate article, describes the great Gov
eminent magazine at Purfieet, aud poin i
OUT the method OF conducting bnsines
tnefe, and the presumed effects 81 the blow
ing up Of this vast store Of gunpowder.
we make ccpious extracts from this ar.i
cie, confident that they will prove exceed
ingiy interesting to our readers.
TIE PURFLEET MAGAZINE.
we propose to give the public plain &C
count Of how Purf.ee. il managed, anl
what 1t contains II, on the one hand, VI
state that the powder stored there is enor.
moua-enough in quantity to appal thu
boidest when they think OF the chances O.
accident-on the other hand We shall bt
pound to admit that everything which the
experience OF century, the progress Q,
science, and even imaginative and over.
scrupuious fears can suggest in the way Of
Precaution has been adopted. II ever
Fnrneet blows up-and il It does London
will be the first to know 1.-THE accident
VII! 40. be caused by PnrHeet proper, bn1
VIII De due to some enc or other Of the
oarges always landing or receiving pow.
blew up At Firth the other day was less
than one thousand barrels, or short OF fifty
tnns., The quantity at Purfeet stores il
nity-two thousand barrels, or two thousand
three hundred tuns. 1t is not the largest
magazine in the Kingdom.
OTHER MAGAZINES.
Iner0 - another within four miles Of one
OF our most important seaport towns. that
stores nearly four thousand tuns! This
latter, however, is q: mere surplus store
mouse. which 10 rarely opened--a vault in
wnlcn the powder is .entombed and care
July guarded. Another, which We have
no scrupie in mentioning, for its situation
. disgrace TO the Admiralty-Upnor Cas-
some 1850 or LEGO tuns of
powder. Sheernese and Chatham. with
their forts and dock-yards, would cease to
be even geographical expressions If any
lnlnG went wrong with the constantly
opened magazine which ID in their midst
under UpnOr Castle. There are other mag
axanes. too, In different parts of the couf-
~, which are as large as Purfieet, but
these are mere magazines-that ID, store
n0usee. which are seldom opened or re-
CURED but in time of war. ssfFIs
Pnrdeet derives its importance from the
Iact that every atom Of powder used by the
government is there landed, examined.
'ested. and, If approved, passed into store,
ma II rejected returned at once to thu
osrges. Thus, in the ordinary ful6llment
II it, duty, not a day passes without the
being opeu-scarcely q day in
which 1t has not either to test, receive Or
Dend away loads of powder.
THE MAGAZINE AND ITS MANAGEMENT.
When first established, . century AGO.
he magazine was isolated from everything.
Now there is village close to il. and beau
lfui villas are scattered over the ground
lround il, far and near. The ground occu-
pied by the Government Is about twenty.
I've acres and this is mostly moated round
md walled and fe-walled in almost a series
# concentric circles about the magazines.
There is permanent guard of two officers
ma eighty men, with alarge staff Ofwatch-
men, coOpers, store-keepers, overseers.
Jerks, &c, all Of whom, with their wives
md families, live within the walls in the
garrison" as st IS termed. Every one, no
natter how remotely connected with the
vorSs n this part OF the garrison, even the
aiior who makes the flannel dress. anfitne
hoemaker who stitches the soft leather
hoes to DO worn IN the magazine is on the
TAN, anI has to conform to the rules Of be-
ng within the walls before nine, and nav-
nc NIL lights and fires out in the quarters
y 1880. Yet, large as is this stat. the
powder men, the actual workers in the
are only nineteen in number,
nd ali these are the sons, and in some ca
es the grandsons Of those whofirs worked
ere. They hRvo1ived among powder all
heir lives, and are familiar with etery- |
hing but ifs explosive nature, for at Pur-
eet, ~ at all Government magazines.
here has never been an accident. The |
rst accident here would be the last, and
'cuid lay half Kent, Middlesex and Sur |
ey in ruins.
When q visitor goes to Purfieet, If he is |
Omitted q al, he is kept under theimme-
late personal charge Of the Superinten-
ent himself, who thus takes him.
THE ROUNDS.
Passing through the sen.ries and series
doors, you come TO one at which the
'atchmar is on duty, which admits 10 a
mall turfed enclosure between high walls.
here sentry IL pacing on a little strip OF
sphalte laid in the grass. This Is the last
the sentries, for near 1t hand il the mag
zine ground, where, to the cautious eyes
I the powder-m men, q sentry with his steel I
luipnnents would be regarded with abou,
; much favor as q bonfire. Beyond the
entry is small cooperage which leat.s to
long, low, narrow room with wooden
artiticn, about two feet high, running
cross the floor. separating Que end from
le other. At the end you enter hang the
orkmens' clothes and shoes; al the other.
eyond the partition, which is magazine
round, nothing but flannel dresses aud
~ leather shoes are kept. At the further
ID of the room yon leave your Walking
lex or umbrella, or knife, Or anything
lat is Of iron or steel. 81
Here, too, for the same reason, Won pull
y your boots, and in case of mud or grit
cling on your dress, have Furthermore to
othe yourself in loose flannel blouse
I'D trowsers. Then only do you step over
70 partition to put on . pair Of soft stitched
ather boots. Having thus fulfilled all
70 strict conditions which the duty Of the
;lothesman" imposes on you, he opens
le last door Of all, which admits you to q
-.