Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1872-05-23
A Ho.sr wHKRs Mrx Nrvrs L.roH

A Hossr WHKRE MEx Nrvra LAreH.
How do you think you would like to
live fearing every moment to be blown Up,
not daring to speak loud. to jar anything,
for fear Of starting an explosion that woaia
send you In an instant 70 the other torldy
You don't think il would be very pleas
ant. Well. it isn't yet hsndreas Of men
live in just that state, work. receive pay
and live year after year in the very sight
OF death. As it were; all tha: the world
may have gunpowder.
You can easily guess that those men 60
about quietly. and never laugh.
You know that aunpowder is very dan
gerous in q gun. oF near Gre, but per-
haps you don't knew that il is equally
dangerous all through the process of max
ing. A powder-mill is q fearful place to
visit, and strangers are very seldom allow
ed to 60 into one. They are built far
from any town. in the woods. anG each
branch Of the work is done in q separate
building. These houses arc quite dis
tance from each other. so that If one blows
up i, won't blow up the rest Then the
lower parts of the building are made very
strong. while the roofs are very lightly set
on. so that if it explodcs only the roof will
suffer. But. in spite Of ever care. some
times whole settlement Of the powder
mills will go of almost in an instant. and
every vestigs Of the toll Of years will be
swep. away in few seconds
But. though you feel like holding your
breath to look at it, it is really a very in
tcres.ing process to see. II is made, per-
haps YOU know. Of chnrcosl. sal.petre and
birthstone Each of these articles is pre-
pared in house BY itself. but the house
where they are mixed is the first terrible
one. in this building is an immense mill
stone rolling round and round in an iron
bed. and under the stone are put the three
fearful ingredients of gunpowder. There
they are thoroughly mixed and grcund to-
gesher This is a very dangerous opera
tion. because if the stone comes in contas,
with its iron bed it is very apt to strike
fire, and the merest suppicion of spark
would set OF the whole. The materials
arc spread three or four inches ,hick in
the bed the wheel. which goes by water
power. is started. and every man !eares
the place The door is shut and The ma
chiuery left TO do its own terrible work
alone. When it has run long enough the
mill is stopped and the men come back.
This operation leaves the powder in hard
humps or cakes
The next house is where the cakes arc
broken into grains, and of course is quite
az dangerous as the last one. But ,h.
men can't 20 away from this they are
obliged to attend to it tevcry nome At. aud
you may be sure no laugh or joke j ever
heard within its walls. Every ole who
goes in has TO take off his boots ald put
on rubbefs, because one Crane Of the dam
gcrous powder crushed by the bcct would
explode the whole in an instant.
The floor Of this house is covered with
leather, and is made perfectly black by
the gunpowder. 1t contains Sc, of sis vts,
each one smaller than the last. through
which the powder is sif,ed and ar i'm
meuse ground and laboring mill. where il,
is ground up, while men shovel it in with
wooden shovels. The machinery makes u
great deal Of noise. but the men are silen,
as in the other houses TIE reckless
crashing Of the machinery even seems to
give greater horror. and cue is very glad
to get ont of that housc.
The -toring- 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 their i. goes
to the packing house. and it is put up in
barrels. kegs and canisters.
/ Safely through all these houses. i, goes
at last to the store-house. One feels like
drawing long breath to see the fearful
stuff safely packed away out Of the hands
of men in ,hi. curious house.
You've heard Of thing. being as dry as
powder house. but you wouldn't think
this house very dry. 1t is almost embe,l-
ded in water. The roof is one big tank.
kept full Of water. Did you ever hear Of
water roof before? Instead of steps to
60 in there are shallow tanks of water
through which everyone must walk to the
door.
\ To none of those powder-houses is any
light ever allowed except sunlight The
wages are good. The days work is short
ending always st three or four O'Clock -
But the men have serious look that make,
one think every moment Of the danger and
glad to get away. -y->
Though curiosity may take q man once
to visit powder-milI, he has no de<ire ,c
go the second time, aud he feels all ta,
rest Of his ife that for once he has beer
very near death.-Ameriean Sportsman