The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-06-22

Is the guard-house, square brick building
with granite trimmings and heavy battlemented
walls IN which, apparently To render the place
easy OF destruction. there Is never any guard:
the engine-house containing iine engnr, and
NOBODY TO man II; he commandments office a
fine cuInmodous building with large offices Tor
the commandant. Major Frank Ii. Phlpps of the
Ordnance Department. who has been in charge
since August, 1887, and the depOps Chief clerk
Mr.. Robert w. Hughes; the eeper's house. the
stables. the Toulouse and the workmen's quar-
ters These with the powder magazines them
selves and the tall flagstaff and regulation flag
flying ftom Its head, comprise everything within
the entire valley to suggest the tremendous i'm
port OF Its occupancy.
THE MAGAZINES.
II was at first intended to erect ten magazines
within The grounds, but the number was subse-
quently limited to tve so that each could be
placed at last half mile from any other in
order 10 reduce the danger from explosion. The
first was built in 1SS0-S1 under the direction or
Major r. ii. Parker of the Ordnance Corps then
In charge Four are completed ard in use for
storage, while the massive foundations for the
NTH are already In. They are practically alike,
and the dimensions OF each are 200X50 feet The
central piers and foundations are of granite,
quarfled from the near mountain sides, and tile
"a inch walls are hollow and provided with amer
lures I9r iIee circulation oil air during few
corrugated IRON, laid wrought iron
trusses, forming low attlcs above. The
Interiors - floors, walls, ceilings, iron door
frames and supporting iron pars-are all
sheathed as perfectly az 4 ships deck with vel
low pine; Willie each Is provided with two
shutters OF pine. aud two outer sells OF solid
wlOught-irOn shutters. Those OF the doors, and
OF the yentiaiors which open from the outside,
are lined with half an inch of soft rubber. ALI
The magazines are protected from lightning in
lie most thorough manner, Que being provided
with an aerial network OF eOnduc Ors on lofty
poles carrying cables and forming a continuous
circuit above aud around the entire bIilding-
No human being Is permitted to enter
magazine unless baTefOOted or with rub
Ders over his boots or shoes Side tracks
from the Morris County Railroad ran to
each magazine, and every barrel OF powder Is
handled on rubber-cOYered skids, or on trucks
with wheels tired with soft rubber. Once within
the magazines there are only the seemingly end
less tiers of barrels of powder, or boxes Of inter.
the polished ceilings. Sides aLd tuOrs in view;
but no one can escape the sense Of awe at The re-
hecllOn OF what one little spark In such place
have been expended upon the depot. About
1850, 600 pounds OF powder, chiefly OF AN eX-
perlmeLtal variety, and 100000 of the 9,OOO,-
900 pounds OF inter now possessed by the United
States are stored III This magnificent depot for
the Atlantic seabOaId And yet there is but
to protect these, under certain condi-
TONS priceless properties. PIcalnny Pow
der Depot should be made a regular army post
with artillery brIstling upon the heights, an ade
quate body OF Infantry encamped in The valley
below, and no human being, save under proper
authority and surveillance, should ever be per
mitted to enter the tract. As IL is. any person In
The pay oil foreign military secret service can
prowl about II; half dozen determined men
could take possession Of il, ana any one rampant
socialist or luminous crank could effect ls abso-
lutte annlhilatiou. Somebody at Washington has
demonstrated the highest character OF military
patriotism in the foresight necessary 20 its prOYi-
slOns. Who is The cflmlnally ldiOtic lattiOt at
Washington that is bidding through the grOssest
negligence. for its destruction?
copyrighted. EDGAR L. WAKENAS.