The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1872-05-17

HOW TT Is NADIA HOUSE WHERE
MEN NEVER LAUGH.


How do yOu think you would lik,
to live. fearing every moment to h
blown up; not daring to speak loud
to iar anything, for fear OF starting al
explosion that would send you in III
instant to the other world?
You donT think it would re very
plea ant? Well it isn't; yet hundred
Of men live In jnst that state, work
receive pay, and live year after year
in the very sight of death. as 1t were
all that the world may have gunpow
der.
You can easily g,lcss that those mel
60 about very quietly, and Ieyel
laugh. -
You know that gunpowtler is very
dangerous in gun, or near fire. bnI
perhaps You don't know that it |,
equally dangerous all through the pro.
cess of making. a powder mill i a
fearful place to visit and strangers are
very seldom allowed to 60 into one.
they are built fur 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 on. so that if it cxplotles
only the roof will suffer. But in spite
ofevery care. sometimes a whole set
tlcnent of the powder mills will 60
Off almost in an instant. and every
vestige.ot the work of years will be
swept away in a few seconds.
But though You feel like holding
your breath to look at it, it is really
an interesting process to see. 1t is
made, pcrhap: you know, of charcoal,
saltpcter and birthstone. Each Of
these articles is prepared In house by
itself, hnt the house where they are
mixed is the first terrible one. III this
building is an immense mill stone,
rolling round and round in All iron
bed. In this red and under the stone.
are put the three fearful ingredients Of
gunpowder. There they are thor
oughly mixed and ground together.
This i a very dangerous operation.
because il the stone comes in contact
with its iron bed; it Is very apt to
strike fire, and the mcrest suspicion of
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. l. started
aud every mnn leaves the place. The
door i shut, and the machinery is left
to do its terrible work alone. When
il 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
are broken into grains, and of course
are quite as dangerous as the last one.
But the men can't go away from this;
they are obliged to attend to it every
moment, AMI You may be sure no
laugh Or joke is ever heard within its
walls. Every one who goes IN has TO
take off his boots, and put on rnbbcrs,
because one grain Of the treachcrou'
powder, crushed by the boot. would
explode the whole in an ilsNnt.,
The floor Of the house Is covered
with leather, and il made perfectly
black by tiie dust of the gunpowdcr.
It contains set of selves each one
smaller than the last, through which
the powder is sittcd, and an immense
ground and lahoring mill. where it is
ground mp, while men shovel it in
with wooden shovels. The machinery
makes great deal of noise, but the
men are silent, as in the other houses.
The reckless chrllshing of the ma
chinery even seem to give greater bor-
ror aud one is very glad TO get out of
that horse.
The slowing honsc Is next on the
list. aud llerctle gun powders heated
Oh wood trays. 1t is very hot. and
no workman stays there. From there
it goes to the packing house, and is
put up in barrels, kegs and canisters.
Safely through all these houses, it
goes ut last 10 tile store house. One
feels like drawing long breath to see
the fearful stnif packed away, out Of
the lands of men, in this curious
house.
You've heard of filing; heihg as dry
rs powder house, but YOU wouldn't
think this house very dry. 1t is al
most Undecided in the water. The
roof is one big tank kept full of water.
Did You ever hear of a water roof be-
fore? Instead of steps TO 60 in. there
are shallow tanks of water. through
which every one must walk to the
door.
In none of those powder horses Is
any light ever allowed except sun
light. The wages are good, the days
work l. short, ending always at three
or four O'Clock. But the men have 4
serious look, That makes one think
every moment of the danger and glad
to get away.
Though curiosity may take 4 man
once to visit a powder mill. he has no
desire to go the second time: and he
feels all the rest of his life that for
once he has been very near DEATH
.iRelicaa Sportsman.