, 1890-06-26

small arms, commisssries and
transportation. Certainly, num-
berless and incalculable, But
All this would not avail II we had
no powder, or nItre for making
powder; and considerations pretty
ciore To those hinted at above have
LED our military authorities, through
our ordinance department., to adopt
policy of gradual storage of both
powder and nttre on 80 vast a scale
ms VIII, IN itself, carry at all times
an excellently rounded and most
potent argument against any foreign
attempt at INVASION.
Previous to the discovery of the
vnst nitro beds In Peru, our chief
source OF supply was In Germany,
whcrc the substance was extensively
manufactured from various forms OF
accompanying organic matter from
onnl and urine, aud also in an in
different degree, through the lixivia-
ton or filtering of different soils.
Such earth Ia found to some extent
IN limestone caves In this country,
notably IN Mammoth cave, Ken
lucky, and Big Bone cave, In Ten
nessee. But this indifferent supply,
which nt times has forced the value
o. powder to outrageous prices, has
been totally lost sight OF since the
south American nitrate-beds were
ulscovereu, and the era OF
',s'hFs. ua,'F. one OF whom
rs now building wonderful
palace In England, began.
several hundred square miles of
pure mineral saltpeter exist, and
nave Tor few years past been
IninoA In fh.. ,.rc,,ts ~. :. m. - -. 49,,
In Peru. Tho stuff is actually shov-
eled out precisely as u car IL loaded
with grading material from the
bank OF = railway gravel.pit. 1t is
estimated that these beds contain
a sufficient supply of nitre for the
use of the entire world for a period
Of upwards of 1000 years! That Is
why all grades of glinpowder are
purchasablc 30 cheaply to-day, and
never can again become expensive,
'unless foreign complications should
result In closing our ports. Our
government is simply providently
taking advantage of favorable
conditions to secure and
store such quantities as will render
us Independent of any exigency pos
stble for human care to forestall.
Nine million pounds have already
been purchased at prices ranging
from IL to 8 cents per pound, and
each year hereafter other millions of
pounds will he added TO the tremed-
GUS quantity already in hand.
In tho latter part of the seventies
the wisdom of provision for some
such great powder and nitre reserve
became so patent to the authorities
at Washington that 1t was decided
that one should be established at or
near the Atlantic seaboard. The
question Of exact location then
presented many difficulties. Con-
tinguity to land and naval
necessities, "a point of sufii-
cient natural stragotic situation
to render 1t defenslble, means of
transportation and quick communi-
cation, and above all site suffi-
cicntly removed from the actual sea-
coast to eliminate the ravuging
effects of sea air humidity upon
stores. had all to be taken into ac-
count. Southwestern Connecticut,
New York, Eastern
New Jersey, and Long Island We're
all thoroughly explored by repre-
of the ordnance depart
ment, and "a site 700 feet above the
sea level was at last selected in the
elevated Picatinny valley lying in
the Appalachian mountain chain, in
Northeastern New Jersey Here II
tract of 5000 acres was pur-
chased, and In 1880 the New 1
Jersey legislature sanctioned |
the sale Of the land to the |
The tract is about
forty 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. Kittatinny |
or Blue Mountain range, called the
In New York state. |
looms along Northern New Jersey,
the Delaware ut Delaware 1
Water Gimp. The highland range
of lesser hills, spur of which ter
inmates in the noted Palisades of
the Hudson, hugs this closely on
the east, forming a number of
stream-threaded, picturesque val
leys. The almost precipitous red
escarpment of one
of the broken spurs of this
highland range, Picatinny peak,
forms the western wall of
valley, hiding TO
the west that dream OF valleys,
ever winsome Berkshire.
mountain and Hickory
hill, two huge granite knobs, shut
In Picatinny valley on the east.
Lake Hoptucong, IA fishers para
disc, CLEANS along the southern
point OF the valley. Green pond /
iluke), 1000 feet above the sea, SHIN |
lners in its upland reaches; and Mid
die Forge pond, lake OF no mean |
tceming with bass and |
covered with lily-pads and |
with vcrdure and bios |
,oms, sets like N cleaning sapphire |
in the center of the tract itself. Ten /
wears ago the Picatinny valley was
an almost unbroken wilderness. a |
single wagon road, older than the |
OF our country, skirted |
II Mt the foot of the mountains, on |
the east. Half way from Dover TO |
the present gigantic powder ware
house known as the United States |
Powder Depot, on another
Did colonial road, Is the little hamlet
Of Spicertown. From this point the
has constructed, and |
n splendid road two |
miles In length. This threads along |
4 gentle depression of the bases of
The Copperas mountain and Hickory |
hill. so that the grounds are almost |
hidden from view, until, on ascending |
4 trifiinx grade, the entrance is I'M
before you; and the entire
portion OF the valley owned by the |