Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-05-02
How Gunpowder is Made.

You know that gunpOwder is very dangerous
in gun, or near fire, but perhaps you don't
know that it is equally dangerous all through
the process of mining. A powder mill is fear
full place to visit, and strangers are very seldom
allowed to go into one. They are built far from
any town, in the woods, and each branch of the
work is done in a separate building. These
houses are quite distance from each other, so
that if one blows up it won't blow up the rest.
Then the lower parts of the building are made
very strong, while the roofs are very lightly set
so, that if it eXplodes only the roof will suffer.
But in spite of every care, sometimes whole
settlement of the powder mills will 90 off almost
in an instant, and every vestige of the toll of
years will be swept away in few seconds.
But though you feel like holding your breath
to look at it it is really very interesting pro-
cess to see. 1t isl made, perhaps you know, of
charcoal, saltpetre and birthstone. Each of
these articles is prepared in house by itself,
but the house where they are mixed is the first
terrible one. In this building is an immense
milestone, rolling round and round in an iron
bed, and under the stone are put three fearful
ingredients of gunpowder. They are thorough
ly mixed and ground together. This is a very
dangerous operation, because if the stone comes
in contact with its iron bed it is very apt 70
strike fire, and the mereSt suspicion of a spark
would set off the whole. The materials are
spread three or four inches thick in the bed the
Wheel which goes by water power, is started,
and every man leaves the place. The door is
shut and the machinery left to do its own terri
BILE work alone. When it has run long enough
the mill is stopped and the men come back.
This operation leaves the powder in hard Jumps
or cakes.
The next house is where the cakes are broken
into grains, and of course is quite as dangerous
as the last one But the men can't go away
from this; they are obliged to attend to 1t every
moment, and you may be sure no laugh or joke
is ever heard within the walls. Every one who
goes in has TO take off hisaboots and put on rub
berS, because one grain of the dangerous powder
crushed by the boot would explode the whole in
an instant.
The floor of this house is covered with leather,
and is made perfectly black by the dust Of the
gunpowder. 1t contains set of sleeves, each
one smaller than the last, through which the
powder Is sifted; and an immense ground and
laborng mill, where it is ground up, while men
shovel it in with wooden shoveS. The machn-
cry makes a great deal of noise, but the men are
silent as in the other houses. The reckless
crashing of the machinery even seems to give
greater horror, and one is very glad to get out of
that house,
The slowing house is the next on the list, and
there the gunpowder is heated on wooden trays.
1t is very hot, and no workmen stay there From
there it goes to the packing house, ami 1t is put
up in barrels, kegs, aud oanisterS.
Safely through all these houses it goes at last
to the storehOuSe. One feels like drawing a long
breath to see the.fearful stuff safely packed away
OUT OF the nands OF men IN this curious house.
You've heard of things being as dry as a now
der house, but you wouldn't think this house
very dry, tits almost imbedded IN water The
roof is one big tank, kept full of water. Did
you ever hear of water roof before2 Instead
of steps to 90 in there are shallow tanks ofwater
through which every one must walk TO the door.
In none of those powder houses is any light
ever allowed except sunlight. The wages are
good, the days work is short, ending always at
three or four O'Clock. But the men have seri-
Gus look, that makes one think every moment
of the danger, and glad to get away.
Though curiosity may take man once to
visit powder mill, he has no desire to 90 the
second time, and he feels all the rest of his life
that for once he has been very near DEATH
american Sportsman.