Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-04-18
Gnnpowder-H0w it is Made.
From the American Sportsmal

CHUpONGoE-H0M III is 1uasles
From the American Sportsman.
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 explo-
sion that would send you in an instant
to the other world? #6
You don't think it would be very
pleasant? Well, it isn't, yet hundreds
of men live just in that state, work, re-
ceive pay, and live year after year in
the very sight of death, as it were-all
that the world may have gunpowder.
You can easily guess that those men
go about quietly, and never laugh.
You know that gunpowder is very
dangerous in. gun, or near q ire, but
| perhaps you don't know that it is
equally dangerous all through the pro
cess of making. A powder-mill is a
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 a separate building. These
houses are quite a distance from each
other, so that if one blows up it won't
blow up the rest. Then the lower parts
of the buildings are made very strong,
while the roofs are very lightly set on,
SO that if it explodes only the roof will
suffer. But in spite of every care, some
times a whole settlement of the powder
mills will go off in an instant, and every
vestige of the toll 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
very interesting process to see. 1t is
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 the three fearful in
gradients of gunpowder. There they
are thoroughly mixed and ground to-
gether. This is very dangerous oper-
alton. because if the stone comes in
contact with its iron bed it is very
apt to strike fire, and the merest sus-
picion 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 ma
chinery left to do its terrible work
alone. When it has run long enough
the mill is stopped and the men come
back. This operation leaves the pow
{ der 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 it every
| moment, and you may be sure no laugh
; or joke is ever heard within its walls
Every one who goes in has to take OF
: his boots and put on rubbers, 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 will
q leather. and is made perfectly blacl
0 by the dust of the gunpowder. 1t con
t tains a set of sleeves, each one smalle
q than the last, through which the pow
1 der is sifted; and an immense gri- din
4 mill, where it is ground up, while me-
f shovel it in with wooden shovels. TIL
machinery M kes good deal of noise
but the men are silent, as in the othe
houses. The reckless crashing of tn
! machinery even seems to give create
! horror, and one is very glad to get on
Of that house.
, The slowing house is the next on
: on the list, and there the gunpowde
= is heated on wooden trays. 1t IS vel
. hot, and no workmen stay there. Fro
there it goes to the packing-house, an
2 it is put up in barrels, kegs and CAM
. tiers.
: Safely through all these houses
goes at last to the storehouse. Oh
of feels like drawing long breath to 81
:; the fearful stuff safely packed away.
;; You've heard of things being as d
g as a powder house, but you wouldr
r think this house very dry. 1t is almo
" imbedded in water. The roof IS OF
$; big tank kept full of water. Instead
lp steps to 60 in, there are shallow tan,
p of water, through which one must wa
ID to the door.
er In none of these powder houses is al
III light ever allowed except sunlight. II
3. wages are good, and the days work
* short, ending always at three or 10
Id O'Clock; but the men have q serio
I'll look, that makes one think every Il
IL ment of the danger and glad to e
away.
,,r Though curiosity may take M
h once to visit powdermill, he has
en- desire to 60 the second time; and
no feels all the rest of his life that he
Id for once been very near death.
Id
n Hibernation.
~ p l. !,