The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1872-06-19
How Gunpowder is Made,
a HOUSE WHERE MEN NEVER 1,Arcu

IVY "oHitHC 10 De blown
up; not daring to speak loud, to ia,
any .''ins, for fear of starting an ex.
pf"slon that would send you in an in.
stant.to the other world9
You don't think it would he ver1
pleasant? Well, it isn't; vet hand, ed
OF men live in just gthat state, work
receive pay, and live year after wear
Id the very sight of death, as it were
al that the world may have gunpow-
der.
You can easily guess that those men
90 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
process OF making. A powder mill is
fearful place to Witt, 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
hese houses are quite a distance
rom each other, so that if one blows
up 1t 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 ex-
piodes only the roof will suffer. But.
in spite of every care, sometimes a
whole settlement Of the powder-mills
Will go off almost in an instant, and
every vestise of the toll of years will
De swept away in a few seconds.
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 charcoal.
saitpeter and birthstone. Each of
those atticles is prepared in a 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 ingredients of gunpowder.
There they are thoroughly mixed and
ground together. This is very dan
gerous operation, because if the stone
comes i'll contact with its iron bed # is
very apt to 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 powder, is
started, and every man leaves the
place. The door is shut and the
machinery left to do it's 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 lau oh
or joke is ever heard within it's walls.
Every one who goes in has to take off
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
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 laboring mill, where it is
ground up, 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 crashing of the machinery
even seems to give greater horror, and
one is very glad to get out of that
house.
The clearinghouse is the next on the
list, and Ii ere the gunpowder is
heated on wooden trays. 1t is very
hot, and no workmen stay there
From there it goes to the packing
honse, and it is put up in barrels, kegs,
and canisters.
Safely through all these houses, it
goes at last to the storehouse. One
feels like drawing long breath to see
the fearful stuff safely packed away
out of the hands of men in this curious
house.
You've heard of things being as dry
as powderhouse, but you wouldn't
think this house very dry. 1t is almost
imbedded in water. The roof is one
big tank kept full of water. Did you
ever hear of WATERPROOF before {? In
stead of steps to 60 in there are shall
low tanks of water, through which
every one must walk to the door.
In none of these powderhouses is
any light ever allowed except sunlight.
The wages are good, the days work is
short, ending always at 8 or o'clock.
But the men have a serious look, that
makes one think every moment of the
danger and glad to get away.
NAV toJ~o n ,,,o,,