The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-09-16
Storage OF Gunpowder.

(From the Daily Pacific Commercial Advertiser. J
We have been requested by the Chief En-
gineer of the Fire Department 10 call attention
to the law regulating the storage of powder,
which appears to have been much neglected. BY
an Act of the Assembly, passed many years ago,
and which now forms Chapter LXIV. of the
Penal Code, the Minister Of the Interior was
authorised to make such regulations for the
storing, keeping, and transportation of gum
powder as he might think requisite for the
public safety. A penalty of not less than $50
or not more than 500 is imposed upon those
whs violate regulations made under the sanction
of this enactment. In pursuance of the authority
conferred upon him by this Act the Minister Of
the Interior made and published certain regula-
ton which remain in force to this day. These
were gaZetted in January, 1868, and it would be
we'll if they were re-published in some form or
other for the information of all concerned. The
gist of the regulations is contained in their
second section, which reads as follows -:
"2nd. Any person keeping, storing, or having
ten pounds of gunpowder (the limit fixed by
the LIST regulation or less than that guam
tity in any one place, except the Government
Powder Magazine, shall keep the same in an air
tight metallic vessel, which shall be marked with
she word gunpowder " in plain Roman letters not
less than three inches in height and of proper
tionate width, and shall be kept at all times con-
spicuously in view near the entrance of the pre-
misses where kept, and convenient for removal
therefrom."
These regulations were suitable to the time
at which they were framed. They received very
careful attention before they were finally pub
lished. In the main they are still good, and
applicable to the purposes which they were in
tended to provide for. The trade in gunpowder is,
however, SO much larger than it was in 1868 that
some modification of the regulations in respect
of the quantity allowed to be stored in any one
place is perhaps necessary. In 1865. although
no one could keep more than ten pounds of
powder anywhere outside the powder magazine,
the trade was so small that il was only about half
a dozen times in the year that the magazine was
opened for the delivery of powder. OF late
years q consumption of gunpOwder has sprung
up which was then unknown. Every rice planta-
ton is now q customer of the powder merchant.
Either for shooting rice birds and other feathered
enemies of the crop, or for making a noise to
brighten them away, a daily consumption Of
powder goes on, and the dealers find a supply of
ten pounds at a time involves a constant and
expensive recourse to the magazine, the
carriage being as costly for q single small
key as for O large quantity. This has
led to some disregard of the law in regard
to quantity to be kept on hand; and this diff
Guilty has been enhanced by a circumstance
which must have been overlooked when the re-
~gulation was made. No manufacturers of powder
put the article up in 10lb. packages. The uni
versal rule in England and America is that the
kegs contain either %, 1917 or 81 pounds. Only
the smallest size therefore, of the original pack
ages comes within the regulation, and the maxi
mum quantity is reduced to little more than half
the regulation allowance. In this respect the
dealer needs relief, and, as the Minister of the
Interior has full power to amend the regulations
we have no doubt that on the proper representa-
tons being made, they will receive attention.
We happen TO know that the Police authori-
ties have given the matter some attention, and
concur in the view we now express.
That part of the regulations however, which
insists on powder being kept in a special recep-
tacle, and a particular place ought, to be com
piled with most willingly by all who have to
keep gunpowder in store. 1t is a most sensible
and valuable regulation, and is more calculated
to protect the public from the risk attached to
the presence of gunpowder in the town than
any restriction of quantities can be. II it is at
tended to strictly the fireman or the policeman
who first reaches the scene of a fire will know
at once where to find any powder that may be in
the neighborhood of the confagratiOn, and his
first duty and first anxiety will be to see that it
is Withdrawn from risk of explosion. In the
case of its being impossible to get at the powder
in a building which is in flames, its exact posi-
ton will, at anyrate, be known, and precautions
in regard to the inevitable explosion can be
taken. If this part of the regulations be strictly
carried out an increase in the quantity of powder
allowed to be kept in store-say % pounds, the
usual limit elsewhere - might be safely con-
ceded. At the same time we must express the
opinion that such an article ought not to be
kept at any time in a store, but should find its
place in some ont building. A fire, otherwise
easily put out may be rendered the cause of
great destruction of property by the proximity
of gunpowder to the flames.