The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-01-13
Gveniisa State So,ttnaL.
MONDAY EvEN'G. JAN. ID, 1873.
How GunpOwdcr il NADIA House
where Men Never Laugh.

How Gunpowslcr IL NADIA House
where Mem Never Laugi'.
How dow do think you would like to
live fearing every moment to be blown up?
none daring to speak loud to jar anything,
for fear of starting an explosion that woald
send YOU in an instant to the other world?
You don't think it would be very pleas
ant? Well, it isn't, yet hundreds Of men
live in Just that state-work, receive 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 dan
gerous in gun, or near fire, but perhaps
you don't know that it is equally danger
GUS 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 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 on, SO that if it
explodes only the roofwill suffer. But, in
spite of every care, sometimes whole set
Element of the powder-mills will go off al
most in an instant, and every vestige of
the toll of years will be swept away in a
few seconds.
But, though you feel like holding your
breath to look at it, it is really a very in
teresting process to see. 1t is made, per-
haps you know, of charcoal, saltpetre,
and birthstone. Each Of these articles is
prepared in house by itself, but the house
where they are mixed is the first terrible
one. In this building is an immense
milestone, 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 opera
ton, because if the stone comes in contact
with its iron bed it is very apt to strike
fire, and the nerest suspicion of spark
would set off the whole. The
materials are spread three or four inches
thick in the bed 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 go 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't go away from this !; they are
obliged to attend to 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 the danger
Gus 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 gunpowder. 1t contains set
of sieyes, 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 shoyels. The machinery makes
great deal of noise, but the men are silent,
as in the other houses. The reckless crash
ing of the machinery even seems to give
greater horror, and one is very glad to get
out of that house.
The clearinghouse is the 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 pac1ing-house, and il is put up in
barrels, kegs and canisters.
Safely through all these houses, it goes
at last to the storehouse. One feels like
drawing long breath to see the fearful
stuff safely 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 this
house very dry. 1t is almost imbedded in
water. The roof is one big tank, kept full
of water. Did you ever hear of water
roof before? Instead of steps to 60 in,
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 a serious look,
that makes one think every moment of the
danger, and glad to get away.-Anler7ca'
Sportsman,