The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-10-03
How GunpOwder is Made-A House
where Men Never Laugh.

How do you think you would like to
live fearing every moment to be blown
up, none daring to speak aloud on jar
anything, for fear of starting an explo-
sion that would send you in an instant
to the other world?
aiYou don't think it would be very
pleasant Well, it isn't, yet hundreds
of men live in just that state-work, re-
ceive pay, and live year after year in the
very sight of death, as it were-all that
the world may have gunpowder. You
can easily guess that these men go about
quietly and never laugh.
You know that gunpowder is very
dangerous in gun or near fire, but
perhaps you don't know that it is equally
dangerous all through the process of
making. A powder-mill is a fearful place
to visit, and strangers are very seldom
allowed to go into one. They are built
far from any town, in the woods, and
each branch of the work is done in
separate. building. These houses are
quite distance from each other, so that
ii one blows up it won't blow up the
rest. Then the lower parts of the build
ing are made very strong, while the roofs
are very lightly set on, SO that if it ex-
plodes only the roof will suffer. But,
III spite of every care, sometimes whole
settlement of the powder-mills will go
off almost in an instant, and every vestige
of the toll of years will be swept away
in cloud
But, though you feel like holding your
breath to look at it, it is really a very
interesting process to see. 1t is made,
,,arha,,c knaur e oho
and birthstone. Each of these articles
is prepared III house by itself, but the
house where they are mixed is the first
terrible one. In this building is an i'm
mense milestone, rolling round and
round in an iron bed, and under the
stone are put the three fearful ingredi-
ents of gunpowder There they are
thoroughly mixed and ground together.
This is very dangerous operation, be-
cause if the stone comes in contact with
it's iron bed il is very apt to strike fire,
and the merest suspicion of q spark
would set off the whole. The materials
are spread three to four inches in the
bed I; the wheel, which goes by water
power, is started, and every man leaves
the place. The door is shut, and the
machinery is left to do its terrible work
alone. When it has 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 is where the cakes are
broken into grains, and of course is
quite as dangerous as the last one. But
the men can go away from this. They
are obliged to attend to it every moment
and you may be sure not q laugh or
joke is ever heard within its walls.
Every one who goes in has to take of
his boots and put on rubbers, becaus,
one grain of the dangerous powder
crushed by the boot, would explode tn,
whole In an instant.
The floor of this house is covered will
leather, and is made perfectly black b,
the dust OF the gunpowder. 1t contain
q set of sleeves, each one smaller thar
the last, through which the powder wa
sifted, and an immense ground am
laboring mill, where it is ground up
while men shovel it in wooden shovels
The machinery makes great deal o
noise, but the men are silent, as in tn
other houses. The reckless crashing o
the machinery even seems to give great
er horror, and one is very glad to ge
out of that house.
The stoving-room is next on the list
and there the gunpowder is heated O
wooden trays. 1t is very hot, and II
workmen stay there. From there
goes to the packing-house, where it
put in barrels, kegs and canisters.
Lastly, through all these houses,
goes at last to the storehouse. On
feels like drawing long breath to sc
the fearful stuff safely packed away on
of the hands of men, in this curiou
house.
You've heard of things being as dry O
powder house, but you would NJ
think this house very dry. 1t is almos
imbedded in water. Did you ever hes
of WATERPROOF before? Instead
steps to go IN, there are shallow tank
of water, through which everyone mu
walk to the door.
In none of these powder-houses is an
light ever allowed, except sunlight. III
wages are good; the days work is shor
always ending at or o'clock. Bl
the men have n serious look that max,