The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-22
STORE HOUSE FOR POWDER
The Government in Time of Peace
Laying Up Vast Quantities
For War. E
Nitre, An Essential Ingredient of
Powder, Not Produced In the
United States.
European Pessimism, With = Suggestion
Worthy OF CONFERENCE.-The Great
Picatinmy Powder Depot

Picatinmy Powder Depot.
Especial Correspondence of TIE INDEPENDENT
DOVER. N. j.. June Ii. 1S9O.-Everybody
knows of the sad and often ludicrous straits
to which the government of the late con-
1ederacy was put to provide the necessary
gunpowdcr for carrying on the war of the
rebellion. A very few outside of official
circles ever recognized the sore tax upon
our national government in the same all
essential provision. Fewer still ever give
thought to what could be depended upon in
this respect should some sudden outbreak
of great and prolonged foreign war in an
instant set us face to face with test of
our best national resources for defense or
aggression.
Because conditions might at any time
arise making the carrying out of foreign
war impossible from the lack Of the one
necessary article of gun powder. the pro-
portion of its ingredients in United States
military use-76 of nitre, IA. of charcoal,
and 10 of sulphur, so simple fact that the
ordinary reader smiles wisely at its repeti-
tion-takes on, refectively, grave and
serious Importance. We could never fall
short of charcoal. There are inexhaustible
sulphur mines within our own boundaries,
and though one of the most important ele-
ments of matter, sulphur must ever remain
one of the cheapest and most available
But while all are accustomed to boast of
our limltless natural resources, nitre or salt
petre, SO far as has been discovered, is not
one of them. To be able to fight, we must
have powder. To have powder, we must
have nitre to the extent of 76 per cent. of
its bulk. We must therefore have nitre or
turn Quakers and refuse to fight.
When the matter is presented just this
way. and just as it is, every citizen of the
United States must become seriously inter-
ested; and it is gratifying to feel that the
military authorities have for some time fully
realized the situation as it exists and have
quietly and effectively instituted measures
Of provision tia - against future fatal weak
recently directed to the subject by the re-
marks of French military attache in AL
giers, who said:
Your government ia at last becoming
wise and prudent in proper measures of pro-
lection against future dangerous exigen-
your country, with its certain rehexive in
fluence against monarchial institutions,
renders It Q shining mark for attempted
conquest by imperial powers which see In
republican greatness their own most fatal
weakness.
'It is no uncommon confidential Discus
sion in European military circles that Amer
lean pride might bear humbling. The en-
tire monarchial system and the preserva-
ton of titled and military official interests
are in. direct and deadly an
tagonism to all American progress
ENGLAND has old scores to settle
with you. Germany hates You for depict
hor v,nrrlnfinn 2noty1 10 ivyiH xyiA 1,
rage over the loss of all her American de-
Tendencies save Cuba, and the constant
menace of possible annexation of that
island by your country. And the Russian
Gar fairly wrlthes at tho universal public
indignation in the United States over his
devilish treatment of exiles in Siberia. The
tremendous increase of naval and other
armament by these powers may mean pro-
longed European war. It might mean
combined attempt by European powers, on
the slightest pretext of American offense, to
simultaneously destroy every city upon the
Atlantic and Pacific coast.
aside from this possible danger, there is,
and combined with it, danger nearer home.
The South American republics whose prog
ress and material increase has for the past
quarter century been almost al phenomenal
as your own. are plainly FESTIVE under North
American diplomatic dominance. This was
made made clear in countless ways during
the an-American congress. The develop
ment of these countries has been largely
due to English, Dutch, German and Spanish
capital. European statecraft has directed
this. 1t has also cultivated powerful ami
mosities against the United States. Once
let the latter make downright quarrel
over the Monroe doctrine attempt the an
nexation of Canada or Cuba, or in any man.
ner become extensively involved in South
American complications, and, many Euro
pean military authorities believe and Sc
cretly prophesy, every American port would
in fifteen days be as effectively closed as
though Theoretically sealed!'
Now this ia rank European pessimism,
militarist in the service of a friendly power.
But admitting that along this line of possi-
billty there is something worthy of reflec-
ton; indeed, supposing that relying upon
the disgraceful condition of our coast de-
lenses, and the ridiculous cipher our ina
w" represents in international influence,
combined foreign enemies would force
Just this sort of dilemma. Our ports in
the possession OF invaders, our very integral
cOheSlveneS6 endangered, and all recourse to
the remainder of the world destroyed, how
far would our characteristic national vanity,
boasting aud assertiveness go toward mend
ing the fatal folly of supineness concerning
sensible preparation against such annihila-
tive calamity. We have patriotism, oceans
of it. We have men, millions of them,
We have foundries. iron, steel, cannon,
small arms, commissaries and transporta-
ton. But all this would not avail if we
had no powder, or nitre for making pow
der; and considerations pretty close to
those limited at above have led our military
through our ordnance depart
ment, to adopt policy of gradual storage
OF both powder and nitre ON so vast a
scale, as will, in itself, carry at all times an
excellently rounded and most potent arpu-
ment against any foreign attempt at inva-
sion.
Previous to the discovery to the vast nitre
beds, in Peru, our chief source of supply
was in Germany, where the substance was
extensively manufactured from various
forms OF accomplishing organic matter, offal
and urine. and also in an Indifferent de-
gree, through the lixiation or iltering of
certain Soils Such earth ID found to some
extent in limestone caves in this country
Big Bone cave, in Tennessee. But this in
different supply, which ut times has forced
The value of powder to outrageous prices.
has been totally lost sight OF since the
South American nitrate beds were discoy-
cred, and the era of nitrate kiuQs,o one
of whom is now building won
aerful palace in England, began. Sew
sral hundred square miles of pure min
srAl saltpetre exist. and have for few wears
past been mined in the province Of Tarapa-
"a. Peru. The stuff in actually shoveied
out precisely as car Ia loaded with grading
from the bank of a railway gravel |
pit. 1t in estimated that these beds contain
4 sufficient supply of nitro for the use of
the entire world for period of upwards of
LOCO years! That 10 why all grades Of gun