Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-03-20
q GUNPUWDER.
More Used In Times of Peace Than
War ana In Building the Hoosac
Tunnel Than I'm tbe Rebellion.

From an exchange, in which 1t wet
evidently rot original, the following in
t1res!ips article on gunpowdsr is taken
"Tf ere Is popular delusien regarding
the amount Of guup0wer used in war
fare" said gentleman whose business
is the manufacture Of powder-makipg
machinery, and who has made hobby
| OF explosives. "As a matter of fact, -
| he continued, "muoh more powder is
| burned in times OF peace than in time oil
war. The average daily consumption OF
| powder in the United States ia 100 tons.
In battle in which 1000 men fired 90
rounds each, less than oDe.qusrter Of An
ordinary days quota Of powder would be
used. In the construction of the Hoossc
tunnel more powder WAS exploded than
in the war of the rebellion, and single
large coal mine will use almost as much.
Tba coal trade consumes more powder
than any other single interest. A
quantity is exported and the rest is used
in civil engineering, in the manufacture
Of pyrotechnios, TOR sporting and military
purposes, and by the government in firing
sisnals and saluies.
"The manufacture of POWDER" con-
tinued the explosive enthusiast, sis a
powder interest for rs years, and have
observed that IL Is associated with only
the best and highest types Of civilization.
Second rate nations cannot Manufacture
it successfully. Scientific and mechanical
ability Of a high order is required in
making frat class gunpowder. The came
is true Of firearms. The Chinese were
the first to use guppowder generally, and
they still make and u5e it extensively; but
Chinese powder is very crude compared
with that OF American or even OF English
manufacture.
"The Chinese formerly used powder IN
warfare in those villainous missiles called
stipkpots. A stinkpol hes the general
appearance OF oocosnut. The shell is OF
paper, and is filled with pitch and gun
powder. fuse is inserted at one end
and lighted. IN few seconds the mis-
siie explodes and the bnrning pitch lie
scattered in all directions. They float,
fuse end up, and, as 1t is almost impos-
sihls to extiuquish the fuse, you can
form some ides of the destruction they
were capable of causing when tossed
among the tlimsy 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 and
birthstone in equal quantities In the
cheaper grades OF blasting powder nitrate
of soda is su bstituted for ssltpetre. The
largest beds of saltpetre are in Hindustsn
and for a long time the English had
complete control over the saltpetre
market. The principal deposits of nitrate
Of soda are in Chill near the boundaries
Peru. Some years ago an experimenting
American discovered that when nitrate Of
soda which is obtained for less than a
cent a pound ip Chilli, is mixed with
muriate OF potash, which is procured at
a nominal expense 10 Germany, the
result is q complete change of their bases,
and the products are nitrate of potash,
or saltpetre, and muriate OF soda, or
common salt. Through this happy
discovery, two products, each many times
more valuable than the original
materials, were secured and the British
monopoly with it's exorbitant prices was
broken. The essential ingredient of
gunpowder, as of nitro-gly cerine and
several 9th explosives, is nitric acid.
"People are very apt to view with fear
and trembling the erection of powder
mill anywhere within half dozen miles
of their homes. They seem to regard it
as special dash in the face o. Provi-
dence, and firmly expect to hear OF the
utter snnihilstion OF every body and
everything connected with it. There is
never any sympathy expressed for
powder manufacturer whose property has
been destroyed by accident. Those who
would be profase i'll their manifest tations
l
body's flour mill ould never conceive a
similar feeling for a man whose powder
mill had been wrecked, and who had lost
the price of two or three Touring mills.
And yet the making of powder is as
legitimate business as the making of
wheat flour.
"The iact is, people unacqusinted with
the technicalitias of powder manufacture
are apt TO not consider certain points
which might cause them to modify their
fears OF powder mills. Now, many OF the
explosives manufactured aud sold as
powder are really not powder at all, but
preparations of nitroglyoerine. Giant
powder, Hecla powder, Hercules powder,
ELna powder, Atlas powder, and dozen
other well-kuown brands are nothing less
than nitro glycerine mixed with some
absorbent, such as earth, paper pulp, OF
tan bark, just as dynamite is. The
terrible explosions of powder mills Of
which we often read almost Invariably
o3cur at manufactures OF some of
the various glycsrine preparations.
The danger connected with the
manufacture Of genuine black powder ID
comparatively very small. Indeed, sta
tietics prove that the rate OF mortality in
powder manufacture is much lower than
among railroad engineers and coal
miners. | know Of au accident that
occurred in the west, where q keg OF
gunpowder in car load exploded, tear
ing the car to pieces and scattering the
other kegs over the ground. Afterwards
fully three-qu ,rters of the whole number
we've picked up intact. II they had con.
tanned any of the nitro glycerine prepar-
atoms the whole cargo would have been
exploded by the shock.
1.-THE Oldest American firm msnufAc-
turing eunpowder has besn in ex stence
nearly 30 years, during which time its
name has not changed Its founders
were Frenohmen. 1t is not partnership
nor orporstion-simply family, 1t
is worth probably $50, COO, 900. The sons
are educated to vafious occupations or
professions in which they will be of use
to the company. AT the age OF u they
are taken into the business, bat must
sign agreements binding them to never
ask for division Of the proceeds or
estate. During their lives they are given
all the money they require, ard at their
deaths the widows are handsomely pen
stoned until they re-msrry. Some of
the young men become civil engi-
neers, some chemists, some law
yers. A famous American admiral
was of the family. Au employe is rarely
discharged except for fiagrant irccmpe.
tencs, and al his death his widow ia psn-
stoned, and his childrsD, II intelligent
aud capable brought up to follow in their
fathers footsteps. For years this family
or community held complste control OF
the powder market, and succeeded in
crushing every new powder MAJ ufac.
turer. Once during the late war they
prof ssed that their miils We're insdt quate
to their orders, and made what appeared
to b. veIy ia!r contract with rival
manufacturer, by which he agreed 10