The Hickman courier., 1872-04-20
HOW GUNPOwDER IS MADE.
4 House where Men Never
Laugh.

How DO you think you would like TO
live, fearing every moment to be blown
up not daring to speak loud to jar any
thing for fear of starting an explosion
that would send you in an Instant to the
other world?
Y GU don't think it would be very
pleasant? Well, it isn't yet hundreds
of men live in just that state, work, re
ceye pay, and live year after year, in the
very sight Of death as it were all that
The world may have gunpowder.
\ ou can easily guess that those men
20 about quietly, and never laugh.
y GU know that gunpowder IS very
dangerous in gun. or near u fire, but
perhaps you don't know that it is equally
dangerous all through the process OF ma
king. 4 powder mill is fearful place
to visit, and strangers are very seldom
allowed to 90 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 dis
tance from each Others SO that # 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 il explodes only
the roof will suffer. But, in spite Of
every care, sometimes a whole settlement
of the powder mills will 20 off almost
in an instant, and every yestige of the
toll Of years will be swept away in
few seconds.
But, though you feel like holding your
breath TO look at it, 1t IS really very
interesting process to see. 1t is made
perhaps you know, of charcoal, saltpeter
and birthstone. Each Of these articles is
prepared in a house by itself; but the
house where they are mixed Is the first
terrible one. Iu this building is an inn
mense milestone, rolling round and round
in an iron bed, and under the stone are
put the three fearful Ingredients Of gun
powder There they are thoroughly
mixed and ground together. This l.
very dangerous operation, because if the
stone comes in contact with It's iron bed
1t is very apt to strike fire, and the merest
suspicion of q spark would set of 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 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 powder 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 90 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 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 gunpowdcr II contains
a set of sieyes, 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 men
shovel it in with wooden shovels The
machinery makes . great deal Of noise,
but the men are sileut, as in the other
houses. The reckless crashing of the
machinery even seems to give grnater
horror, and one is very glad to get out Of
that house
The stoving 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 there it goes
to the packing house, 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 as dry as a
powder house, but you wouldn't think
this house very dry. tits almost imbed
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 90 in there are shallow tanks of water,
through which every one must walk to
the door.
Iu none of these powder houses is any
light ever allowed, except sunlight. The
wages are good, the day work Is short,
ending always at three or four o'clock
But the'men have serious look, that
makes one think every moment of the
danger and glad to get away.
Though curiosity may take u man once
to visit a powder mill, he has no desire
to 90 the second time and he feels all
the rest of his life that for once he has
been very near death-American Sports
man.