The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-28
AN ISLAND OF EXPLOSIVES.
Where the Navy Stores its Gun
powder.
From the NelU York Times.


From the NeU York Times.
More than one hundred tons of gun
powder are stored in three magazines on
small island in the bay but two miles from
New York city, and within eight hundred
yards of the Communipaw docks at Jersey
City. The island is known as Ellis Island,
and is three acres aud half in size, with
rough, rocky back on all sides.
1t has been in use as a powder depot for
the navy department for nearly thirty
years, and all the buildings on the island, of
which there are eleven, are of plain, old
fashioned appearance, although they are
said to be still sound and good for many
years future service. The main buildi lg is
circular in form and is built close to the
waters edge on the northern extremity,
facing New York. 1t is a somewhat strag-
gllng-looking building from the outside,
being irregular in hight and painted a
bright yellow, but ms de the greater por-
tion Of the 100 tons of powder now on the
island is housed and inspected daily.
There are two kinds of powder in the
magazines. The prismatic powder, which of
there is 1905 pounds, or about sixty
five tons, is packed in small square boxes,
and the common cannon powder, of which
there is 200 barrels or about forty-two
tons, Is stored away in barrels, as there is
less danger of combustion from this grade
Of powder than from the other Inside the
magazine, where the powder is kept, the
cases aud barrels are carefully ranged in
rows along the walls, and daily examina-
ton of the condition of the combuStbles is
made On fair days the magazines are
opened and aired, but great care is taken
to exclude the damp.
No one is allowed to enter the powder
magazines without having first removed his
nd fhoY, haT - -,
handle anything during his inspection of
the great storerooms, while vigilant watch
is kept to see that he observes the COM
ma IDS properly.
Besides the circular storeroom there are
two others, standing near the center of the
island, which contain powder. Then there
is large building, half workroom and half
storeroom, for cartridges and gun cotton.
In this building force of three men is en-
ployed in preparing the ammunition for
war ships. In this workroom there are
half dozen kinds of gun charges. There
are the one, three, and six-pound shells for
the Hotchkiss breech-loading gun, and the
five, six, aud eight-pound shells for larger
cannon. Some of these shells are plain,
while others have steel tips, and their
shapes vary according to the make of the
gnn to which they belong.
One of the most interesting of these
charges is for the siX-inch rifle BORE The
charge is composed of numerous small
pieces of compressed powder of a peculiar
six-sided shape. The man employed in
making the charge begins by placing a
round piece of board before him on which
are painted figures exactly resembling
the bits of compressed powder used.
He then inserts an iron rod in the
center of the board, after which he at
| taches the powder to it by round holes
| bored through the center of each piece.
When the first pile is made ne begins to
build the blocks up around it until he has
a column of a circular form about five
inches in thickness. A cotton bag is then
| placed over the charge to keep it in place,
| the iron rod is removed, and the bag is IN
cased in copper cylinder until used. This
is the most complex and difficult charge
used in the navy department
Two of the buildings on the island are
| residences AMI the remainder are used as
workshops and magazines. All are painted
| bright yellow. The residence of Gunner
Smith, who is in charge of the magazine, is
a commodious brick structure, two stories
in hight, facing the entrance to the bay.
Near the main magazine stands an engine
| house, containing a stationary engine
| capable of throwing water to any part of
the island. A hose and reel are attached to
the engine house, and the flow of water can
be conducted 10 any part of the island with
little delay. Owing to the close proximity
of Jersey City, a close lookout is kept for
| sparks coming from that place.
The regular force of watchmen in charge
| of the magazines numbers four, but there
are now eight men on the island, not count
| ing Gunner Smith. This increase is due to
the vast amount of work required to load
| the shells for the men -of-war that are soon
to sail. The empty shells are sent to Ellis
Island from the projectile DEPOT on Cover
nr1s lei ed oil. 4hA 10, 49, r.
done in the shops adjoining the magazines
This is due to the fact that all the incoming
ships leave their ammunition on Ellis
| Island before entering the harbor and do
| not take on any ammunition again until
they are on the point of leaving the bay.
| Every facility for fastening the work of
loading ship is to be found on the island
| There is small railway leading from all
the principal buildings to the wharf, on
which the powder and shells can be con-
veyed more quickly and safely than by
| hand. A small pier, projecting into the
sea, affords landing for the smaller steamers
and sailing vessels.
The contents of the magazines at present
are principally powder, gun-cotton and tor
pedoeS. Although the island is 50 near
! Jersey City and New York, it is not cas-
of access. In the first place, it is necessary
to gam permission TO land on the island,
and then it is necessary to find some sort of
a craft to convey you there. After spend
ing an afternoon in searching for the proper
officer to whom to apply for pass, and
then undergoing chilly submerston while
venturing out in a small sailing vessel, with
| the intention of gaining the island before
dusk, the pleasure gained by contempla-
ton of the plain-looking buildings on the
island would scarcely overbalance the perils
encountered.
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