Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-21

and inter reserve became so patent to the au-
thorities at Washington, that it was decided
one should be established at or near the
Atlantic seaboard.
THE PIcATINNY VALLEY.
A site, zoo feet above the sea level, was at
last selected in the elevated Picatinny Val
lev living in the Appalachian Mountain
chain in Northeastern New Jersey. Here a
splendid tract of 1900 acres was purchased,
and in 1880 the New Jersey Legislature
sanctioned the sale of the land to the Gov
ernment. The tract is about 40 miles from
New York City, and lies four miles north
of the lovely little city of Dover, which
nestles between the most beautiful OF North
Jersey hills. The Kittatinny or Blue
Mountain range, called the Shawangunk in
New York State, looms along Northern
New Jersey, crossing the Delaware at Del
aware Water Gap. The Highland range of
lesser hills, q spur OF which terminates in
the noted Palisades of the Hudson. hugs
this closely on the east forming q number
of stream-threaded, picturesque valleys.
The almost precipitous red conglomerate
escarpment of one of the broken spurs of
this Highland Range, Picatinny Peak,
forms the western wall OF PIcatinny Valley,
hiding to the west that dream of valleys,
beautiful, ever winsome Berkshire. Cop
peras Mountain and Hickory Hill, two
huge granite knobs, shut in Picatlnny Val
lev on the east Lake Hoptacong. fishers
paradise, CLEANS along the southern point OF
the valley. Green Pond (lake), 1000 feet
above the sea. shimmers in its upland
reaches; and Middle Forge Pond. lake of
no mean dimensions, teeming with bass and
pickerel, covered with lily pads and bor-
dered with verdure and blossoms, sets like a
cleaning sapphire in the center of the tract
itself. Ten years ago the Picatinny Valley
was an almost unbroken wilderness. A sim
gle wagon road, older than the independence
Of our country, skirted it at the foot Of the
mountains on the east.
PICTURESQUE AND BEAUTIFUL.
Half way from Dover to the present
gigantic powder house now known as the y.
S. Picatinny Powder Depot, on another old
colonial road, is the little namlet of Spicer-
town. From this point the Government has
constructed, and maintains, a splendid road
two miles in length. This threads along a
gentle depression of the bases of Copperas
Mountain and Hickory Hill, so that the
grounds are almost hidden from view, until,
in ascending trifing grade, the entrance
is Immediately before you; and the entire
portion OF the valley owned by the Govern
ment is brought to view.
To the south the grassy valley breaks
away, line OF waving green against the
walls of precipitous hills. To the right,
where you pause before entering the grounds,
wooded hills rise almost sheer above you for
between 500 and 600 feet. Opposite,
Picatinny Peak circles to the north and
south, rising in perpendicular ragged mass
es like a natural wall from the almost level
plain. Ones eve instantly comprehends
the strategic and defensible advantages
which have been secured; for from each of
at least 30 eminences, any one OF which
cannot stand upward of two miles from all
the others, such artillery could be planted
as would command every rood of the depot
grounds as we'll as any near approach to
them from the south, or to the horseshoe
shaped encircling crests of half-mountain
hills. One cannot but at the same time re-
feet that any foreign enemy could enter
and by rapid use o! the railway, or even by
forced march, possess, fortify and defend
for his own use this gigantic store against
our own most desperate valor; and, finally,
with half dozen we'll directed shells, eI-
plode and destroy every vestige of the Plea
tinny depot.
STRIkING ORNAMENTS,
The entrance to the grounds along the
Government road is guarded by immense
iron gates. Their design is striking and
unique. Huge cannon form the four posts
supporting the gates. Their breeches rest
in immense granite blocks, and cannon balls
placed on their muzzles form most suggest
i've caps; while the splendid wrought iron
gates are paneled and emblszoned with the
insignia of the Ordnance Department, con-
sisting of crossed cannon and cannon balls.
To the left of this imposing entrance a
massive granite wall sweeps straight across
the narrow valley from base to base OF
mountains. The view across the enclosed
level plain is a singular blending of natural
beauty and forbidding austerity.
1t was at first intended to erect ten maga-
zines within the grounds, but the number
was subsequently limited to five, so that
each could be placed at least half mile
from any other, in order to reduce the dam
ger from explosion. The first was built in
18S0-81, under the direction of Major F, II.
Parker, of the Ordnance Corps, then in
charge. -Four are completed and in use
for storage, while the massive founda-
tions for the fifth are already in. They are
practically alike, and the dimensions of each
are 200x50 feet. The central piers and
foundations are of granite, quarried from
the near mountain sides; and the 24inch
walls above are hollow and provided with
apertures for free circulation of air during
a few hours of sunny days. The ceilings
are low, of corrugated iron, laid on wrought
iron trusses. forming low attics above. The
interiors-hoors, walls, ceilings, iron door
frames and supporting iron pillars-are all
sheathed as perfectly as ships deck with
rallaxr uhila earh Drouided with
solid inside shutters of pine, and two outer
sets of solid wrought iron shutters. Those
of the doors, and of the ventilators which
open from the outside, are lined with half
an inch of soft rubber.
PROPERTY CAREFULLY GUARDED.
All the magazines are protected from
lightning in the most thorough manner, one
being provided with an aerial network of
conductors on lofty poles carrying cables
and forming a continuous circuit above and
around the entire building. No human be-
ing is permitted to enter a magazine unless
barefooted or with rubbers over his boots or
shoes. Side tracks from the Morris County
Railroad run to each magazine, and every
barrel OF powder is handled on rubber-cov-
cred skids, or trucks with wheels tired with
soft rubber. Once within the magazines
there are only the seemingly endless tiers Of
barrels of powder, or boxes of inter, the pol
ished ceilings, sides and floor in view; but
no one can escape the sense of awe at the re-
hection of what one little spark in such a
place could unloose. Nearly $500, 600 has
been expended upon the depot. About
1,250, 900 pounds of powder, chiefly of an
experimental variety, and 5000, 900 of the
total of 5000, 900 pounds of inter now pos
sessed by the United States, are stored in
this magnificent depot for the Atlantic sea-
board. And yet there is but one keeper and
three or four laborers to protect these, under