Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1873-08-21
Helena, Montana, Thursday, August IL, 1873
How GunPOWder is Madeira House
Where Men Never Laugh.

"ACEC Ac NeVcT A0u&As
| How do you think you would like to live
fearing every moment to be blown up, none
daring to speak aloud to jar anything fo1
fear of starting an explosion that would send
you in an instant to the other world?
You don't think it would be verv pleas
ant? Well, it isn't yet hundreds of men
live in just that state-work. receive paw,
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 danger.
Gus in gun or near the fire, but perhaps you
don't know that it is equally dangerous all
through the process of making A powder
mill is fearful place to visit, and strangers
are very 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 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
roof will suffer. But, in 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
oWCpG away III q SCSOuS.
But, though you feel like holding your
breath to look at it, it is really very inter-
esting process to see. 1t is made, perhaps
you know, of charcoal, saltpetre, birthstone
Each of these articles are 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 ingredi-
ents of gunpowder. There they are thorough
ly mixed and ground together. This is a
very dangerous operation. because if the
stone comes in contact with it's iron bed it is
very apt to strike fire and the merest suspici-
ons of 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, 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. The operation
leaves the powder in hard Jumps or cakes
The next house is where the cakes are
broken in grains, and of course is quite as
60 away from this. they are obliged to attend
to it every moment, and you may be sure not
a 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 dangerous powder, crushed by the |
boot, would explode the whole in an instant. |
The floor of the house is covered with |
leather, and is made perfectly black by the |
dust of the gunpowder. It contains a set |
Of sieves, each one smaller than the last,
through which the powder is sifted, and an
immense ground and labo1ing mill, where
it is ground up, while men shovel it in wood
en- shovels. The machinery makes a great
deal of nOise but the men are silent. as in
the other houses. The reckless crashing of
The machinery ever seems to give greater
horror, and one is very glad to get out of
hat house.
The slowing room is next on the list, and
here the gunpowder is heated on wooden
rays. 1t is very hot and no workmen stay
here. From there it goes to the packing
house, where it is put in barrels, kegs and
,anisters.
Lastly, through all these houses, it goes at
asst to the storehouse. One feels like draw
ng long breath to see the fearful stuff
afely packed away out of the hands of men,
n this curious house.
You've heard of things being as dry as a
powder house, but you would not think this
louse very dry. 1t is almost imbeded in
vater. Did you ever hear of water roof
efore? Instead of steps to 60 in there are
hallow tanks of water, through which every
ne must walk to the door.
In none of these powder houses is any
ght ever allowed, except sunlight. The
RACES are good, the days work is short,
nding always al 3 ORA o'clock. But the
len have serious look, that makes one
hink every moment of the danger, and glad ]
} get away.-Anae'scan Sportsman.
THE Canadian papers publish the following
s the text to a petition to the Governor