, 1873-09-28
HOW GUNPOWDER is MADE.


From tbs american Sportsman.
How do you think you would like to live feat
to speak aloud to jar anything. for fear Of start
stant to tic other world9
You don't think it would DO very ploasant7
that ntste-work receive pay. and live yonr after
year In tho very sight OF death, M it woro--ail
that the world may lavo gu,spowdor. You can
eaaily guesh that these mon 60 about quietly aud
never laugh.
You know that gunpowdor is very dangerous
in gun or nenr 4 lro, but porhapB yon don't
know that it ia equally dangerous nj through
tho process Of mixing. a powdor.lnin is a fonr-
ful place to visit, aud strangers arc very seldom
allowed to 60 into one. They are built far from
work iB dono in = Boparato building. TheBo
houses aro quito distance from each other, 80
that if ono blows up 1t won't blow up tho
rest. Then tho lower parts Of tho building arc
" sot on, 80 that il it oxpodos only tho roof will
suffer. but, in spite Of ovory caro- sometimes
whole settlement Of tho powtler-mills will so OF
almost in an Instant, and evory vestigo OF the
But, though you fool like holding your breath
to look at It, it is really very Interesting pro.
cess to Rec. It is matle perhaps you know, Of
charcoal, eaitpotro. aud brinsBtouo. Each Of
these artioles is proparod in houEe by itself,
but the houHo where they mixed iB tllo first
terrible ono. In this building IL an inamenso
uaillstone, rolling round and round III Oil iron
bed, aud under tho stone aro put the tllroe foar-
full Ingredients Of guupowder. There they arc
thoroughly n,ixod aud ground together. This
stone comos In contact with it's iron bed it IVORY
apt to strike fro, hnd tho 1nereat suspicion Of 4
spark would set of tho whole. Tho materials
are sprend three or four inches In tho bod ; tho
aud evory man leaves tho place. Tho door il
shut, aud tho machinery is left to do it's terTiblo
work alono. When It has run long enough, the
mill Ia stopped, and tho mon come hack. This
operation leaves tho powder in hard 1umps or
cnkes. ...
Tho ne1t house is whore the cakcB arc brokon
into grains. md Of courae il quito ns. dangerous
~ tho last ono. But tho men can't 70 away
from this. They arc obliged to attend to i
every moment, aud you 1nay bo sure not d laugh
or a joke il ever heard within lts walls. ~.
Every one who goea in has to take of biz
boots and pnt on 1llbbors, because ono grain oi
tho dAngorouh powder, crushed by the boot
would explode the whole in an instant.
The floor Of this house is covered with leather
aud ia made porfoct1y black by tho dust OF thtt
Eunpowder. It contains sot Of selves. eacl
one smaller than the last, through which the
powder ia H'fked, aud MI immonse ground anC
laboriug mill, whore it 10 ground up, while mot
shovel ii In wooden Bhogels. The machinery
silent, as in the other houses. Tho reckless
crashing Of tho machinery even seems to giyt
greater horror, and ono il very glad to get ou
Of that houHo.
The stoving room ia next On the list, and there
the gunpowdor IL heated on wooden trays. 1t II
very hot, and no Torkmou stay thero. From
there 1t COOS to tho packing house, whore it il
put III barrela kegs, aud canistors,
Lastly, through all these houses, It goes Al
laat to tho atorohouae. Ono feels like drawing
long breath to SEQ tho fearful Htur safely packet
away out Of tho hands Of men, in this curiout
house.
You've hoard Of things being as dry as
powder-houso, hut yon would not think thii
houso very dry. It ID almost jmbeGded In water
Did you over boar Of wator-roof beforo7 In
stead ct stops to 60 In, there arc shallow tank'
Of wAtor, through which everyone must walk tt
| tho door,
| In none OF thoea poudsr~houscH ia my lgh
over allowed, except sunlght. Tho wages arr
good; tho days work In short, ending always at
| or o'clock. Hus tho men hnva q serious look
that 1nakes one think every moment Of the dan
| gor, aud glad to get away.