The Dillon tribune., 1886-12-31

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for bottom. Upon the bottom is place,
a sheet Of flannel. On this a layer Of com
mon salt thoroughly d,ied is spread. Owe
this again is another sheet Of flannel
The upper sheet catches the dirt and tn,
salt retains the water. Running into tn
tank under the filters is pure anhydrou
nitro glycerine. 1t is clear as crystal will
a slight amber tinge. The product Of eact
run is about one thousand pounds.
The mex; building to visit is the mixing
house about eighty yards distant. 1t Il
built into the side of the hill with heavy
earthen entertainments bulk;esded witt
timber on three sides Of it. Tie nitro
gIycerine is carried to this house along
plank wali;. One man does all the carry
ing-two buckets at tine suspended
from the ends of stick across his shout
ders. Entering the mixing house, he
mounts low flight Of steps and empties
his buckets into wooden tank mounted
on small car. This car runs along the
back wall the full length Of the room.
The powder is mixed in large oblong
wooden watts lined with lead. These are
set in row across the room and in rear
Of them runs the nitro-glycerine car. The
operation Of mixing dynamite appears to
be very simple, though it requires both
skill and experience to attain the best re-.
suits. The dry materials are weighed out
and placed In the vat after being run
through a sieve. This is necessary to
guard against the accidental presence Of
nails, matches and other dangerous things
in the powder. When all the ingredients
are in the vat, they are mixed with wooden
shovels till thoroughly Incorporated.
Then the dry mixture is spread out and
the nitro glycerine is run into the vat
through rubber hose. This is distributed
as evenly as possible over the whole sur.
face. Then the wooden shovels are again
brought into requisition-the powder 5e.
ing turned and shovcled from one end to
the other. This is repeated several times
till the mass begins to look pretty uniform,
when a coarse sieve is placed across the
vat and The mixing is finished BY rubbing
the whole mass through the sieve.
The next building is the packing house,
to which the powder is conveyed on
wooden tramway. Like the mixing house,
this is built into the side of the hill with
heavy projecting embankments on three
sides Of it. 1t is much larger than the
mixing house with tables running along
the sides where the packers sit. Packing
:;'e powder is very simple operation
The paper case or shell is held on the end
ola funnel into which the powder is raled
from hod placed in front Of each man.
A hard wood stick is used to ram il down.
Men become very expert at this work in
short time. In Europe this work is gen
orally done by women and the record
seems to show that they are much safer
packers than men. In some factories, on
account Of the danger, the packing is done
In small huts separated by wide interval.
or protected by entertainments and in
which only one or two hands work. In
others it is thought safer to keep all the
hands together under the eye Of trusted
foreman.
The cartridges are collected as fast as
packed and carried to the box room, where
they are weighed and packed in wooden
cases containing 50, IS or 10 pounds each.
The other buildings on this side Of the
hill are the unagazine-to which a tram.
way takes the completed powder and the
house, where the paper shells are
made. These are rolled and pasted m
sticks. Boys are generally employed tor
the work and become very dextrous at it.
To make them moisture proof they are
dipped in pot Of melted paraf1in