, 1872-02-08

very lightly set on, SO thatif it e1plodes,
only the roof will suffer.
But, in spite of every care, sometimes
a whole settlement of the powder-mills
will go of almost in an instant, and
every vestige of the work of years will
be swept away in 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, salt
peter, 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. In this bed
and under the stone, are put three fear
full ingredients of gunpowder. There
they are thoroughly mixed and ground
together.
This is very dangerous operation,
because if the stone comes in contact
with its iron bed, it is very apt to strike
fire, and the merest suspicion of aspark
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 doits 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 these cakes
are broken up into grains, and of course
it 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 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 the house is covered with
leather, and is made perfectly black with
the dust of the gunpowder. Itcontains
a set Of sieves, each one smaller than
the last, through which the powder is
sifted, and an immense groaning and la
boring mill, where it is ground up, while
men shovel it in with wooden shovels.
The machinery makes a great deal of
noise, but the men are silent, as in the
other houses. The reckless crashing of
the machinery even seems to give great
er horror, and one is very glad to get
out of the house.
The glazing house comes next. Glaz-
ing is done by mixing black lead with
the powder, to give it black and shin
ing look. The powder is put into oar
rels, which revolve for several hours.
That polishes the grain by their rubbing
together. The black lead is put with
them, and they revolve several hours
more. Of course the dust flies from all
these operations, and the. workmen 81
lent, like the rest, look like very black
negroes, working in the blackest of pow
der in room whose walls and floors are
blacker than the rest, if possible. II
has very singular look to stranger.
and, added to horrible silence, makes
one feel that the whole world has gone
into mourning. Often, the gunpowder,
revolving so rapidly in the barrels, get
very hot; so this, too, is a dangerous
operation.
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 gees
to the 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
uIdWluS 1OuS UIchtA W otc Guo ltdIlu
stuff safely packed away, out of the
hands Of men, in this curious house.
You've heard of things being dry as
powder house, but you wouldn't think
this house very dry. 1t is almost i'm
bedded in water. The roof is one big
tank, kept full of water. Did you ever
hear of water roof before ? Instead
of steps to go in, there are shallow tanks
of water, through which every one must
walk to the door.
In none of these powder housesis any
light ever allowed except sunlight. The
wages are good, the days work is short,
ending always at three or four o'clock.
But the men have q serious look, that
makes one think every moment of the
danger, and glad to get away.
Though curiosity take man once to
visit 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.