Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1876-10-10
MIscELLAREous.
HOW GONPOWDBR IS MADE
a HOUSE wuEnE MEN NEVER LAuGu.

a HOUSE WHERE MEN NEVER LAUGH.
How do you think You would like to live.
tearing every moment 10 be bloRu up;
not daring to speak loud. t. jar anything, ion
fear ot starting an EXPULSION which would
send you IN an Instant TO the other word
You d"n't think it would be very pleasant
We'll, 1t 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, Us
il were all that the world may have Cunpow
der. You easily guess that those men GO
about very quietly aud never laugh
fou know that gunpnwder Is very danger.
Gus IN gun, or near a fire, hut perhaps you
don't know thar 1t is equally dangerous ali
through the process of making. A powder
mill Is a fearful place to visit. and strangers
are very seldom allowed 10 60 into one They
are bull. far from the town, in the woods, and
each branch Of the work is done in u separate
building These houses are quite distance
from each other. that if one blows IN IL
won't blow mp tn" res, The lower parts Of
the buildings are made very strong while the
roofs are verg lightly set on. So that il it ex-
podcs only the roof will suffer But in spite
ol every ere, sometimes a whole settlement
of the powder mills 90 of almost in an instant,
and every vostigc ot the work Of years will be
swept away in a few seconds.
Bot though you feel like holding your
breath to onk at it, it is really very inter-
esting process to see. 1t is made. perhaps
you know, Of charcoal. saItpe,re and hrim-
stnuc. Ench of these articles is prGpEred IN
= house by itself; and 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 10 this bed
and under the s'ope, are put tic three fear
tul ingredients of gunpowder. There they
are thoroughly mixed and ground together.
This is very dangerous operation, he
cause If the stone In contact with it's
i:on bed, it is very apt to strike fire, and
the mercst suspicion of spark would set off
the whole The materials arc spread three
or four inches thick in the bed tho wheel,
which goes by water power ia started. and
every man leaves the place. The door is shut
and the machinery left to do its terrible work
alone When it has run long enough. the
mill is stopped, and tho men come back. The
operation leaves the powder in hard Jumps or
cakes
The next house il where these cakes Nre
broken into grains, and, of course, is quite a.
dangerous nt the last one But the men can't
90 away from this. they are obliged 10 attend
to it every moment; aud YOU may he sure no
laugh or joke is ever heard within its walls
Every one who goes in has to take 81 hia
boots and put on rubbers, because one grain
OF tue dangerous powder. crushed by the
b'o', would explore he whole in an instant
The hror of thus house is covered with
leather. and is made perfectly black with tho
dust Of the eunpowder. 1t c0utaius a set OF
slcves, each one smaller than the last. througl,
which the powder is stted and an immense
ground and labouDg mil, where II is ground
up. while the men shovel it in with wooden
shove!S The machinery makes great deal
Of noise. but the men are silent, as in ether
houses. The reck css crashing of the ma
chincry even seems to give greater horror.
and one is very glad tn ret out of that house
The glazing house comes next Glazrng
's done by mixing black lead with the puw-
der. to give it q black aud shiny look The
powder Is put into barrels. which revolve for
several hours. That poIishcs the grains by
their. rubbing together The black lead is
pus with them and they rcvoive several honra
more OF course the dust fires from all these
operations and the workmeu, silent Ike he
rest, laok ike very black negroes working in
the tlackcsr # powder in n room whose waIls
and g rors are bscker than the rest, if posi-
bic II has a very singular look to a stranger.
and added TO the horrible silence, makes one
feel as if the whole world had gone into mourn,
ing Often, the guupowder, revolving so
rapidly in the barrels. gets very hot 50 this
too. Is dangerous operation.
The drying house Is the next on the list,
and there the eunPowder Is hested on wooden
t'sy~ Ii l. very hot, and no w"rkmeu stay
there from there it goes To the packing.
house and l. put up in barrels kcg- aud can
nIsters
Sately through all these houses, it goes a,
last to the store house. One teel. like draw
ing long breath TO see the fearful stpf -.tely
packed away ont uf the hands If men 10 ti.Is
v-rv curIou> house
You've heard of things being a. dry a. a
p"wrer house. bc, y"u woutdD, think rhi-
hon-e :" very dry 1t Is sln"-' embed5cd IN
water. The rooi Is "ne big tank fnlI of water
Did you ever hear # vster roof before ?
ius'ead Of steps to en IN there are shallow
tanks of water. through which every one musr
walk to the door
In none of these powder houses is any Iighr
ever allowed exeepr sunlight The wages arc
good the days work Is short, ending alway.
at three ur fonr o'clock But the men have
serious look that makes one think every
moment of the dagger. and glad to get away
! Though curiosity may take q man once tc