The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1877-06-26

The mode Of making guDpowder Is
nowadays about the same everywhere.
The saltpeter, the charcoal. aRd the
sulphur all must be gronnd very tinely.
Among rude tribes IN Asia,-as in old
times, the grinding Is done by women
and children, who pound the ingred-
tents with wooden pestlcs IN wooden
mortars, and often finish by blowing
up the entire family, house aud all. In
other places they pass n crank-shaft
through barrel and fix IL in frame.
This barrel they partly Oil with what
they wish W. ptlveriIe, and aise With q
uuantity OF brass or wooden balls. BY
turning the crank rapidly tho balls and
| the material are both rolled around
| from side 10 eide, and finally the grind
| ing is effected. Next they mix the three
J together in proper proportions, spread
| ing il on wooden table, turning II
with wooden paddles. and rolling IT
with wooden rollers; then they put u
back into the wooden mortar or tub
and pound il again, any blow, just as
likely IA not, being the last they will
live 10 give. III they and the powder
survive this, they then spread u on .
cloth ia the sun 20 dry. and II 1t don't
blow up before they can gather u TO-
gether again, the husbands and fathers
loi these brave women and children
soon have plenty Of powder have
been told OF lady, brought up IN the
East Indies, whose most vivid remem'
brance OF her early life was the blow
ipg up of native" family by sucl
means. But in tho modern powder
mills there are deep. circular trougb'
Of stoue orfron, around and around ~
which travel pondcfous wheels. Met
with wooden shovels keep the mHteria
under the rollers. where It is thorough
ly crushed.
. When enough Of each Ingredient j
really TO make batch of powder. the.
weigh it-About 70 parts OF saltpeter
Is Of charcoal, and 10 OF sulph ar
These proportions, however, var.
somewhat. depending upon what th
powder is TO bo uset for, and th
strength required.
The weighed.out Ingredients mus
Bov-be mixed. Usually, the charcoa
and sulphur are put together hrst J
revolving barrels, ia which are loos
sisc, brass OF copper balls; and who
this is completed, the salipeter IS ad
ded. and the rolling process Is repe.te
iitiiil the whole is well intermiwgIcc
IN some mills the three ingredients al
put in the barrels and mixed ia on
operation; but this mode is attende
with greater risk.
All 4bis. however, Is mere stirriDl
Tho real mixing mrst be done nnd'
great pressure.
Nov begins the greatest DANCE
The stirred up material ara taken
another shed, called the ''incopors
log min, where there are more ~lee
= anu troughs; bat. instead of men Mi
e s.iovels, there are wooden and copp
1r ! scrspers attached 10 the macnineI
y " that follow the vhcels and keep "a
mixture IN place. The Ingredients n
placed m tie trough, tba wheels siai
\ 81, aud the men lock the doors rnd 3
away. Hour after hour, around ~
\ aronnd in tho dark. oil sI"n- rntnb
those mighty wheeis. 50 long a. q
little scrapers attend n their bushes
evenly spreaiing the mixture three
Tour inchss deep 10 Che bottom Of q
trough. all will he we'll: bnt il anythil
goes wrong -puff-bang that h q
end Of that mill. IL the crushil
wheels and the Iron bottom uf q
I. trough should happen 90 touch. I
:, chances are they would "strike hrt
but the cushion of powder between
supposed 10 prevent this. ~ Nichol
for July.