Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-04-04
SOMETHING aHOUr GUNPOwDER
Much More burned in Times of Peace
> Hun In Gars-SOnic Figures.

"There is popular delusion regarding
the amount OF powder used in warfare"
said man to a New York Sun reporter.
'As a matter of fact much more powder
is burned III times of peace than in times
Of war The average daily consumption
of powder in the United States is 100 tons
la a battle i'll which 80, 600 men fired forty
rounds each, less than one-quarter Of au
ordinary days quota Of powder would be
used. In the construction of the Hoosac
tunnel more powder was exploded than in
the war of the rebellion, and q single large
coal mine will use almost as much. The
coal trde consumes more powder than any
other single interest. A quantity is ex-
ported and the rest is used in civil en-
gineerlng, in the manufacture of pyro-
technics, for sporting and military pur-
poses, and by the government in firing
signals and salutes.
"The manufacture of powder is a fine
art. have been identified with the powd-
er interest for twenty-five years, and l
have observed that it is associated with
only the best and highest types of civili-
zation. Second-rate nations cannot manu-
facture it successfully
1.-The Chinese formerly used powder in
warfare in those villainous missiles called
stinkpots A stinkpot has the general
appearance of n cocoanut. The shell is of
paper, and is filled wit pitcn and gun
pow der. A fuse is inserted at one end
and lighted. In few seconds the missile
eXplodes, and the burning pitch is scatter
ed in all directions. They float, fuse end
up, and, rs it is almost impossible to ex-
tinguish the fuse, you can form some idea
of the destruction they were capable OF
causing when tossed among the fiimsy
bamboo shipping of the Chinese.
"Gunpowder and the finest quality OF
blasting powder are made of three parts
OF saltpetre and one part of charcoal ant
birthstone in equal quantities. In the
cheaper grades OF blasting powder, nitrat,
of soda is substituted for saltpetre. I'll,
largest beds of saltpetre are in Hindustan
and for Il long time the English had com
plete control over the saltpetre market
The principal deposits of nitrate of sodl
, are in Chill, near the boundaries of Peru
Some years ago an experimenting Ameri
can discovered that when nitrate of soda
} which is obtained for less than cent
, pound III Chill, is mixed with muriate @
potash, which is procured at n nomina
| expense in Germany, the result is com
+ plete change of their bases, and the pro
ducts are nitrate Of potash, or saltpetrc
and muriate ii soda, or common salt
Through this happy discoye y two pro
ducts each many times more yaluabi
} than the original mate Ills, We e secured
- and the British monopoly withits exhorbit
ant prices was broken. The essential il
! gredient of gunpowder, as of nitro glycel
inc and several other explosives, is nitri
70 acid.
l "The oldest American firm manufactul
$ ing gunpowder has been in existence neal
I y ninety years, during which time il
a name has not changed. Itsfou1ders wer
. Frenchmen. 1t is not a partnership nc
3 n corporation-simp'y a family. IT
# worth probably $4,000, 900. The son
! are educated to various occupations {
! professions in which they will be of ut
= to the company. At the age Of 81 the
are taken into the business, but must sig
agreements binding them to never ask fc
a division of the proceeds or estat,
During their lives they are given all til
s money they require, and at their deatl
>. the widows are pensioned until they +,
- marry. Some OF the young men becom
10 10 civil engineers, some chemists, some lay
II yers. A famous American admiral was
the family. An employe is rarely di