The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1873-09-25
How GunpOwder is Made.

| ihe u i've leaTlUp every lDOmeut to Ue
blown up-none fearing to speak aloud
for fear of starting an explosion that
would send you in an instant to the
other world?
You don't think it would be very
pleasant? Well, it isn't! Yet hun
dreds of men live in lust that state
work, receive pay, and live year after
year in the very sight of death, as it
were-al!, that the world may have guu
powder! You can easily guess that
these men 60 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 powdermil is fearful place
to visit, and strangers are 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 separate build
ing. These houses are quite distance
| from each other, so that if one blows up,
it won't blow the rest. Then the lower
parts of the building are made very
strong, while the roofs are very lightly
set on: so that if it explodes only the
roof will suffer. But, in spite of every
care sometimes whole settlement of the
powder mills will 60 off almost in an in
slant, and every vestge of the toll Of
years will be swept away iu second
But, though you feel like holding your
breath to look at it, it is really very in-
teresting process to see. 1t is mode
perhaps you know-of charcoal, salt.
petre aud birthstone. Each Of these arti
cles is prepared in house by itself; but
the house where they are mixed is the
first terrible one. In this building is an
immense mill stone, rolling round and
round in an iron bed, and under the stone
are put the three fearful Ingredients of
gunpowder. There they are thoroughly
mixed and ground together. This is
very dangerous operation, because if the
stone comes in contact with its iron
bed it is very apt to strike
fire, and the morest suspicion Of
a spark would set off the whole. The
materials are spread three or four inches
in the bed, the wheel, which goes by
water power, is started, aud every man
leaves the place. The door is shut, and
the machinery is left to do its terrible
enough, the mill is stopped and the men
come back. This operation leaves the pow
der 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't 60 away from this. They are obliged
to attend to it every moment and you may
be sure not laugh nor a 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 dangerous powder crushed
by boot would explode the whole in an
instant.
The floor of this is covered with leather,
and is made perfectly black by the dust
of the gunpowder. 1t contains set Of
sievcs, each smaller than the last, through
which the powder is sifted, and an i'm
mense grouad and laboring mill, where
it is ground up, while men shovel it in
wooden shovels The machinery makes
great deal of noise, but the men are
silent, as in the other houses. The reck
less crashing of the machinery even seems
to give greater horror, and one is very
glad to get out of that house.
The stoving room is next on the list,
and there the gunpowder is heated on
wooden trays. 1t is very hot, and no
workmen stay there. From there it
goes to the packing house, where it is
put in barrels, kegs aud cauisters.
Lastly, through all these houses, it goes
at last to the storehouse. One feels like
drawinga long breath to see the fearful
stuff safely packed away out of the hands
OF men, in the curious house.
You've heard of things being as dry as
powder house, but you would not think
this house very dry. 1t is almost i'm
bedded in water Did you ever hear Of
a water roof before? Instead of steps to
90 u, there are shallow 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 and the days work is
short-ending always at three or four
o'clock But the men have serious
look, that makes one think every moment
of danger, and glad to get away.-Ameri