Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1872-05-04
HOW GUNpowDER u MADE.
Z House Uhcrc Wien N,rcr Lnugh.

auNtMAr. tor tear Of starting az cNplO-
sion that would send YOU in an instant
to the other world
You don't think It would he very
pleasau; Wei, it ISN'T; yet hundreds
of men live in Just that state work, re
cciyc pay and live. year after year, ia
the very sight Of death, Is it were all
that the world may have gunpowdcr.
You can easily guess that these men
90 very quietly, and never laugh.
You know that gunpowdcr Is very
dangerous in gun, or near nrr, but
perhaps vou don't know that it Is equal
IL rs dangerous all through the process
OF making. \ Apov,Icr mill is fearful
place 10 visit, and strangers are very
seldom allowed To 80 into one. They
are bull, far from any town, IN the
woods, and each branch Of the work is
done in a separate building. These
houses are quite distance from each
other So if one blows up, il wont blow
up the rest Then the lower parts ot
the building are made very Strong.wmlc
the roofs mc very lightly set on, SO that
itit cNplojcS only the roof will suffer
But in spite Of every care, sometimes
whole settlement of the powder mills
viii 20 of almost IN an instant, and
every vcStigc of the work OF years VIII
be swept away in few seconds.
But though you feel like holdingyour
breath to look at ii, it is really very
interesting process 10 see. 1t is made,
i perhaps YOU know, of charcoal, Saltpc-
trc and birthstone. Each of these arti-
! cleS is prepared in house by itself, but
the house where they are mixed. is the
first terrible one. In this building isan
immense milestone, rolling round and
round i'll mn iron bed. In this bed, and
under the stone, are pUt the three fearful
ingredients O, gmpoNdcr There they
alc thoroughly mixed and ground to
gether. This i, very dangerous opo.
ration because II the stone comes IN
contact with lis non bed. II Is very apt
20 strike fire, and the mcrcst Suspicion
of a spark would set of the wnoIr. Inc
materials are spread three or four inches
thick in the bed; the wheel which goes
bv water power. is started and every
man leaves the place. The DOORS shut,
and the machinery is left TO do lis tern
ble work alone. When il has run long
enough, the mill is stopped and the men
90 back This operation leaves tho
powder in hard humps or cakes
The next house Is where these cakes
are broken into grains and, OF cJursr,ls
. quite as dangerous rs the last one But
/ the men can't 20 away from this they
are obliged to attend toi; every moment
and vou may be sure no laugh or joke
is ever heard within It's walls Every
one who pocs in has to take of Iii.
boots, and put on rubbcrs, because one
grain Of the dangerous powder, crushed
by the boot, would explode the whole
in an instant
The floor Of this house il covered with
Gather. and is made perfcctly black by
the du.t or tbc ,uuuowdor Itcoutains
= sct or selves each one smaller than
tbo last tbrou IA which the powlcr j,
siiled. and nm immense ground and la
borino mill. where il is ground np.whilc
| Iuru shovel If m with wooden shONeH.
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 10 give great
or horror and one il worry glad 10 get
ont Of that house.
The stoying house is the next on the
list, and there the gunpowdcr is heated
in wooden trays. II is very hot. and no
workman stays there. From ,hore il
goes to the packing house, and is put
up in barrels. kegs, and canistcrs.
9a'eIy 'h''"6" al 'nen' houses, Nv
2o[' u, =, I'a' - '''' N'o' ,.I '.'o.,'. ~
II''' me ~ "a" ,.'s " 'o"S p'',''. i W ~,
'Ise ''ilul if sun '"','! "a. NJ 49,; W., 49,"
% 'I'' ''"'''' VI '''"' - ''''' WV
''o,'S', -, .r,,;., Lo;n drv
.. Wv ,'I,r " ".ii'~ haran ~ 'h hm, von -onIJn,
tLint tb;s house vcrv dr. III. almost
;mhadJod ;n water Di1 Won eycr hear
nTo ua,e, roof heG,re 1 Inu,ad &C
steps to 90 in, there are shallow tanks
Of water through which every one must
walk TO the door.
In none OF these powder houses
any light ever allowed except sunlight.
The wages arr good, the days work
IS short, ending always at three or four
o'clock But the men have serious
look. that makes one think every mo
men; Of danger, and glad to get away.
Though curiosity NAV take a man