Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1879-02-19
How Gunpowder Is Made.
A House Where Men Never lauqh.

How do You think NOu would lii,
TO live fearing every nrninent to IL.
blown up, none daring 10 SPEAK
alond to jar anything Tor tear oi
starting an explosion that woufd
send YOU in an instant To the other
worlai
You don't think il would be- very
pleaAni' Well, it is'1t, Yet hun
dr.tls Of men live IN just thar state
work, "rcriNc pay, hnd nv" lrdI
after year IN rl. very sight al death,
rs it wrrc-all, that The world may
have gHHp0ader. lod mty easily
guess that these n"u 10 about
quietly aud never Laugh.
You know that guurow der il very
dangerous in IA gan or near u iir,..
but, perhaps, Nou don't know that
ii Is equally dangerous all thinogl
the process OF making. 4 powder
mill Is II fearful piirl' Ia visit, AMI
Strangers are very >rlrlnm allnnrd
TO 20 INTO one. They ate butt fal
from any town, III he wuo,,S, and
each branch of won't is done in Il
separate binding. These houses
are quite Il distance from each other.
80 that if one blows up it won't
blow mp the rest. Then ;he iaWrt
parts ct the building are made VERY
strong, while the ROOTS ale NrI,
lightly SET on, 50 that ii II exploit.
only the roofs viii >uitcr. Bat, Ia
spite OF every care, suInriinrS Il
whole settlement ot the powder
mills will go oii almost IT. an ttt>ttt,t.
and every \c>ilgr oi the toll ui
years will he swept away IN sec.
ond.
But, though You feel like holding
your breath 10 look IL it. il is icallN
very Interesting process To sec.
IL Is made, 10 rhaps you know ut
charcoal, SaltpclIr and birthstone.
Each OF these articles j. plrplr.l
in il house 10y itself, but the house
where they are mlNrd il the ills
terrible one. In this building was
an immense milestone; rolling round
and round III an iron bed, and uu
der the stone are put the three, ir.u
FIJI ingredients al gHHpoW,lcf.
There they are thoroughly miNrd
and ground together.
This Is Il very dangerous opera
ton, because il the stone comes in
contact with its iron bed il is Vrr\
apt to strike fire, and the mric>t
suspicious of Il spark would set Oh
the whole. The materials are spread
three or tour inches on the bed: the
whole, which goes by water power.
is started. and every man leaves ~,
place The door is shut, and the
machinery is left 10 do its Terrible
work alone. When it has run Dong
enough the mill is stopped, and the
men come bnck. This OPERATION
leaves the powder in hard humps or
cakes.
The next house is where the cakes
are broken into grains, and at cuurS,.
IL quite AZ dangerous as the last one.
But the men can't get away from
This; they are obliged Ia attend to u
every minute, and Nou may bc sure
moi 4 laugh or a joke is ever heard
within the walls.
Every one who goes in has TO take
on his boots and put on rubbcrs, be
cause one grain Of thc dangerous
powder, crushed by the boot. would
explode the whole in AN instant.
The floor OF this house Is covered
with leather, aud is made perfect,
black by the dust of the gunpovdrr.
1t contains n set of sleeves, each ON.
smaller than the last, through Which
the powder in siftrd, and an iumcns,
ground and laboring mill, where il
IL ground up. while men shovel il in
wooden shoyels. The machinery
makes q great deal OF noise, but the
uson are silent. a. In other honses.
- rssklsss crashing q tAs nsaAiu,