The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-01-07
1ssrning Star and Catholic Messengef.
I INV ORLEANS, SUNDAY. JANUARY T. is7i.
BIZ OLIVE rHoRNE.

nm not dating to speak loud, to jar any
thing, for fear of starting an explosion
that would send you in an instant to the
You don't think it would be very pleas.
anti Well, il isn't yet hundreds OF men
live in Just that state, work, receive pay,
and live, year after year, in the very sight
of death, as it were all, that the world
may have gunpowder. Ta,
You can easily guess that those men 90
about very quietly. and never laugh.
You know that guppowder 10 very
dangerous in q gun, or near Are, but per-
haps You don't know that 1t Is equally
dangerous all through the process OF
making. -
and strangers are very seldom allowed to
60 into one. They are built far from any
town, in the woods, and each branch Of the
work is done in q separate building. These
houses are quite q distance from 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, 80 that,
il il explodes, only the roof will suffer.
But, In spite of every care, sometimes q
whole settlement Of tho powder-mills will
go of almost In an instant, and every YES
tige of the year will be swept away in q
few seconds.
But, though you feel like holding your
breath to look at it, it is really very in
teresting process to see. Icis made, per-
hsps you know, Of charcoal, saltpetre and
birthstone. Each of these articles is pre-
pared in q house by itself, but the house
where they are mixed 10 the first terrible
one. In this building is an immense mill
bed. In this bed. and under the stone, are
put the three fearful ingredients Of gun
powder. There they are thoroughly mixed
and ground together.
This 10 very dangerous operation, e.
cause IL the stone comes in contact with Its
iron bed, 1t 10 very apt to strike fire, and
the merest suspicion of 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 10 shut; and the machinery left
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 10 where these cakes are
broken up into grains, and Of course 10
quite as dangerous as the laat one. But
obliged to attend to 1t 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 danger
ous powder crushed BY the boot would ex-
The floor of this house is covered with
leather, and is made perfectly black by the
dust Of the gunpowder. 1t contaius q set
of selves, each one smaller than the last,
through which the powder is sifted, and an
immense grinding and laboring mill, where
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 machine even seems to give
greater horror, and one is very glad to get
out of that house.
10 done by mixing black lead with the
powder, to give it black and shining
look. The powder is put into barrels, |
which revolve for several hours. That
polishes the grains by their rubbing to- |
gether. Then black lead is put with them,
course the dust flies from all these opera
tions, and the workmen, silent, like the
rest, look like the very black negroes,
working in the blacklist of powder, in q
room whose walls and floors are bfacker
than the rest, if possible. 1t has q very
singular look to a stranger, and, added to
the horrible silence, makes one feel that
the whole world has gone into mourning.
Often the gunpowder, revolving 80 rapidly
in the barrels, gets very hot, so this too 10
q dangerous operation.
The steving house is the next on the
list, and there the gnnpowder is heated in
wooden trays. 1t is very hot, and no
workmen stay there. From there it goes
to the packing house, and is put up in bar
rels, kegs and canisters.
Safely through all these houses it goes at
last to the store-house. 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 rs a
powder house, but you wouldn't think this
house very dry. 1t is almost imbedded in
water. Did you ever hear of q water roof
beforeq Instead of steps to go in, there
are shallow tanks of water, through which
every one must walk to the door. - e
In none Of these powder houses is any
light ever allowed except sunlight. The
wages are good and the days work is short,
,nding always at three or four o'clock.
But the men have serious look, that
makes one think every moment of the dan
,er, and glad to get away.
Though curiosity may take man once
O visit powder mill, he has no desire to I
% the second time and he feels all the rest [