Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1883-03-22
VERY DANGEROUS.
Visit 60 n NItro-GlycSrine FRCtOry.-A
Place where Mems Ilves Are in
Constant Danger.

| Place where MEMS Lives Are in
Constant Danger.
Near the village of Tweed, Canada,
and at the waters edge of Stoco
Lake. Is a fair-sized, unpretentious,
Isolated wooden building, the appear
ance of which would cause n stranger
t) inquire why a good building was
erected in such an isolated locality,
and it was so closely guarded, as a
solitary Iwatchman, day and night the
year roun. cnecks the steps and in
uuires the business Of the curious as
they stray near. AS the eye passing
upwards reads "Nitro-glycerine factory
very dangerous" in big letters
above the door, the use for which
the building is intended and the
necessity for watchful care il ap-
parent. At the door were seen lying
iron casks sheeted inside with lead,
and in these casks are imported the
pure glycerine and mixed acids used
In the factory.
A cask Of mixed acid is hoisted by
machinery to the upper story and
dumped into mixing tub, in which
the mixing blades are turned by a
man who is stationed in tight box
and has in front Of him thermometer.
AS the glycerine runs into the acid a
vapor is engendered in which life is
scarcely supportable, hence the man
at the crank is stationed in a close box
The acid and glycerine in their admix-
ture rapidly heat, and the compound
has to be toned down by cold water or
ice; hence the greatest watchfulness
is necessary at this point AS the heat
is allowed to run up to 80 degrees, and
nitro-glycerine explodes at 90 degrees,
there remains but 10 degrees of heat
between the men and eternity or, as the
manager remarked, if the heat run up
to 90 degrees they would not have
time to pucker their mouths to say
"good-by."
1t is needless to say that, while the
work is going on, strangers are never
allowed to enter the building, as it is
necessary that every man should have
his individual attention at such times
upon his work. "Strict rules govern
our men," remarked the manager, "as
the least venture at experimenting
would leave no one to tell how the ac-
cident happened" The nitro-glycerine
thus manufactured has an explosive
force ten times greater than that of
blasting powder, and is used or very
heavy work, but we sell very little-i1
that shape, remarked the manager, as
it is run down a tunnel to the room
below, where it is manufactured into
dynamite, daulin or vigorite, all of
which have nitro-glycerine as their
basis, but are known by different
names to designate the degree of power.
AS rapidly as possible, the nitro
glycerineis mixed with charcoal, wood
pulp, or other mixtures, and reduced
into acommoditymore readily handled;
for although dynamite is understood
to be extremely dangerous to handle, it
is rammed into the cartridges with a
stick with as little apparent fear of the
result rs would be the case were the
substance so much dirt.
The cartridges are made to hold from
pound to two pounds each, and are
carefully packed each day and taken
to an isolated magazine owned by the
company. The output of the factory
is about 1000 pounds daily now, but
the owners expect to increase the
capacity to meet the requirements of a
rapidly increasing demand, as this is
the only factory of the kind in Ontario,
and the development of the mines has
rapidly increased the demand, as blast
ing with powder has been almost en-
tirely superseded by the use of dynam-
ite, which is not only more eficacious
but safer to handle. The manager re-
marked: 81 have to pay my men large
salaries, although the work is compara-
lively light, as a very slight accident
would put them out of the way of
drawing their salaries. have worked
at the business for the past five years,
and own mill in Algoma as well as
this one here, but in this business life
is the result of vigilance. > Manu-
e. 70