The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1872-06-26
llunpOwdcr.
now IT IS NADIA HOUSE WHERE
m MEN NEVER LAUGH:

How do you think you would like
to live, fearing every moment to be
blown up-not doaring to speak loud,
or j,r anything, for fear Of starting
an explosion that would send you in
an instant to tho other world =?
You don't think it would be very
pleasant ? Well, it isn't yet hun
dreds of men live, just in that state
work, receive pay, and live, year after
year, in the very sight of death, all
that tho world may have gunpowdor.
You can easily guess why those
men 60 about quietly, and never
laugh.
You know that gunpowder is very
dangerous in a gun, or near fire,
but perhaps you don't know that it is
equally dangerous all through the pro.
cess of making. A powder-mill is
fearful 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 separate
building. These houses are quite
distance from each other, so that if
one blows up it won't blow up tho
rest. Then the lower parts of the
building are made very strong, while
the roofs arc very lightly set on, SO
that if it explodes only the roof will
suffer. But in spite of every care,
sometimes a whole settlement of the
powder.mills 60 off almost in an in
stant, and every vestige Of the toll of
years will be swept away in few SEQ
onds.
But though you feel like holding
your breath to look at it, it is really
a very interesting process to see. 1t
is made, perhaps you know, of char
coal, saltpctre and birthstone. Each
of these articles is prepared in a
house by itself; but, the house where
they arc mixed, is the first terrible
one. In this building is an immense
milestone, rolling round in an iron
bed, and under the stone are put the
three fearful ingredients of gunpow.
der. There they are thoroughly mix
ed and ground together. This is q
very dangerous operation, because if
tho stone comes in contact with its
iron bed, it is very apt to strike fire,
and the inerest suspicion of a spark
would set off the whole. The mate
rials arc spread three or four inches
thials. tho bed the wheel goes by
water power, is started, and every
man leaves tho place. The door is
shut and the machinery left to do the
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 Jumps or
cakes.
The next house is where the cakes
arc broken into grains, and, of course,
is quite as dangerous as the last one.
But the men can't 60 away from
this they are obliged to attend to
it every moment, and you may be
sure 10 laugh or joke is ever heard
witbil its walls. Every one who
goes in has to take off his boots and
put on rubbors, because ono 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 sievos, each one
smaller than the last, through which
the powder is siftcd and an immense
- ground and laboring mill, where it is
ground up, while mon shovel it in
with wooden shovels. The machine.
ry makes a great deal of noise, but the
men arc silent. as in the other hous.
es. The reckless crashing of tho
machinery even seems to give great
horror, and one is very glad to get out
Of that house.
The storing house is the next one on
tho list, and there the gunpowder is
heated on wooden trays. 1t is very
hot, and no workmen stay here. From
1thcre it goes to tho packing house,
and Is put up in barrels, kegs and
canisters.
Safely through all these houses, it
goes at last to the storehouse. One
feels like drawing o long breath to
sec the fearful safely stuff packed
away, out Of tho hand Of mon, in
this curious house.
You've heard of things being as
dry us u powder-house, but you
wouldn't think this house very dry
1t is almost imbeddcd in water. The
roof is one big tank filed with water
Did you over hear of a water roof be
fore : Instead of steps to 60 in, there
are shallow tanks of water, through
which every ono must walk to the
door.
ln none Of these powder-h il
any light every allowed, excopt sun
llght. Tho wages are good, tho days
\ work i, short, ending Away ut 3 o,
.a d o'clank But tha 80.