Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1872-05-15
HOW GUNPOWDER Is MADE.


You know that gunpowder is very dan
gerous in a gun or near fire, but per
haps you don't know that it is equally
dangerous all through the process Ct
making. 4 powder-mill is a fearful
place to visit, and strangers are very sell
dom allowed to go into one. They are
built far from any town, in the woods. and
each branch of the work is done in sep
arate buildings. These houses are quite
a distance from each other, so that if 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 or, 40 that if it explodes only
the roof will suffer. But, in spite of
every care. sometimes a whole settlem. Mt
of the powder mills will go off almost in
an instant, and every vestige of the toll
of years will be swept away in few
seconds
/ But though you feel like holding your
breath to look at it, it is really an inter-
esting process to see 1t is made. perhaps
you know. of charcoal. saltpelre, and
birthstone. Each of these articles is pre-
pared in house by itself, but the house
where they are mixed is the first terrible
one. In this building is an immense
millston., rolling round and round in an
iron bed. and under TIE stone are put the
three fearful ingredients of gunpowder.
They are thoroughly mixed and ground
together. This is very dangerous oper-
alton. because if the stone comes in con-
tact with its iron bed it is very apt to
strike fire. and the merest suspicion of
spark would set off the whole The ma
terials are spread three or four inches
thick in TIE bed the wheel, which coca
by water power, is started, and every
man leaves the place The door is shut
and the machinery left to do its own ter
rible work alone. When it has run long
enough the mill is stopped and the men
come back. This operation leaves the
gunpowder in hard Jumps or cakes.
The next house is wGere the cakes are
broken into grains, and OF course is quite
as dangerous as the last ore. But the
men can't 60 away from this; they are
obliged to attend 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 that dan
gerous 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 gu:powder. 1t contains
set of sieves, 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 shovel5 The ma.
chinery 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 slowing house is the next on the
list, and there the gunpowder is heated or
wooden trays. 1t is very bot, 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 Iouses it goes at last to
the storehouse. One feels like drawing
long breath to see the fearful stuff packed
away out of the hands of men in this
curious house You've heard of things
being as dry as a powder house. but you
wouldn't think Ills house very dry. 1t
is almost imbedded in water The roof rs
one big tank, kept full of water. Did
you ever hear of water roof before 2
Instead of steps to go in there are shall
low tanks Of water, through which every
one must walk to the door.
In none of these powder houses is any
light ever allowed except sunlight. The
wages are good the dsy s work is short,
ending always at three or four O'Clock
But the men have serious look, that
makes one thinl; every moment of the
danger, and glad. 20 get away. Though
curiosity may take : man once to visit a
powder mill, he ht5 no desire to 90 the
second time, and he feels ali the rest of
his life that for once he has been very
near DEATH L-
A VERMONT family had last winter