The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1872-04-12
How Gunpowder is Made-A House
Where Men Never Laugh.

HOW 0unpowder 10 Made-A Hous
Where Mon Never Laugh.
How do you think you would like I
live, fearing every moment 10 be blow
up; not daring to speak loud, to jar any
thing, for fear Of starting an explosio
that woald send you in an instant to tn
other worldf
You don't think il would be pleasant
Well 1t isn't; yet hundreds of men liv
just in that state, work. and receive pa,
and live, year after year, in the yer,
sight Of death, as il were; oil that III
world may have gunpowder.
You can easily guess that those men g
very quietly, and never laugh.
You know that gunpowder is very dan
gerous in gun, or near fire, but per
haps you don't know that it is equally a,
dangerous all through the process of ma
king. A powder mill is a fearful place ID
visit, and strangers are very seldom al
lowed to enter one. They are built fal
from any town, and each branch of work
is done in scpcrate buildings. These
houses arc quite distance apart, so that
If one blows up, it won't blow up the rest
Then the lower part of the buildings are
made very strong, while the roof are
very lightly set on, so that if it explodes
only the roof will suffer. But inspite Of
every care sometimes a whole settlement
of the powder mills will go of almost in
an instant and every vestage of the work
Of years will be swept away in few sec.
onds;
But though you feel like holding your
breath to look at it, it is really n very
interesting process to sec. 1t is made,
perhaps you know of charcoal, saltpeter
and birthstone. Each Of these article is
prepared in house by itself; but the
house where they are mixed is the first
terrible one. In this building is an i'm
mense stone rolling round and round in
an iron bed. In this bed, and under the
stone are put the three fearful ingredi-
ence of gnnpowdcr. There they are
thoroughly mixed and ground together.
This isa very dangerous operation be-
cause if the stone comes in contact with
its iron bed it is very apt to strike fire
and the mercst suspicion of n spark
would set off the whole. The materials
are spead on three or four inches thick in
the bed: the wheel, which goes by water
power, is started, and every IN lcavs|
he place. The door is shut and the ma
,hinery is left to do its terrible work
,lone. When it has run long enough,
he mill is stopped and the men come
,ack. This operation leaves the powder
n Jumps or cakes.
The house is where these are broken
nto graine, and of course quite as dan
.erons as the last one. But the men
ant go away from this, they are obliged
o tend to it every moment; and you may |
'e sure no laugh or joke is ever heard in
Is walls. Every one who goes in has to
axe of his boots and put on rubbers be
ause one grain of the dangerous powder
rushed by the boot would explode the
'hole in an instant.
The floor of this house is covered with
Gather, and is made perfectly black by
he dust of the gunpowder. 1t contains
set Of selves, each one smaller than the
lst through which the powder is sifted
nd immense ground and laboring mill, |
here it is ground up while men shovel
in with wooden shovels. The machin-
ry makes a great deal of noise. but the
zen are silent, as in the other house.
he reckless crashing of the machinery
ven seems to give greater horror. one is
cry glad to get out of that house.
You have heard of things being as
ry rs powder house, but you wouldn't l
link this house very dry. 1t is almost
nbedded in water. The roof is one big A.,
nix full ofwater. Did you ever hear of (
water roof beforey Instead of having
cps to go in there are shallow tanks of !
atcr, through which every one must
ak to the door. II
In none ofthese powder houses there is {
sver any light allowed except sunlight. I
he wages are good the days work is A.,
Iort, ending always at three or four G
clock. But the men have a serious /
ok, that makes one think every moment
the danger and glad to get away.
Though curiosity may take man once
visit a powder mill he has no desire to I
sit il again; and he feels all the rest of i
$ life that for once he has been very =
ar death.-Amerioan Sportman. I
Serving at Table.
The habit that obtains, in many fami- .