New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-29

shove eli into bags with a wooden scoop the bags
loudcl upon wagon ard drawn to the drying
house. TO lie ihc roughly dried Here 1t IS spread out
IN wooden frames about three feet long by hitccn
Inches wide, with canvas DO toms. to the depth OF
al inch or so. After all the days charge Is thus
prepared and the frames placed in racks, leaving
space between each for the circulation OF Dir, tho
room Is closed tightly and hot air from furnace
I'm another bu ding n short distance sway Is turned
In. The temperature Of the room soon becomes as
high as Is consistent with safety ana Is Kept at thS
point until the powder is perfectly dry The process
Of powdermaing Is now completed and all That
remains to be done Is 10 take II 10 pacEng mouse,
where II is run through a series Of sleeves OF dltereht
Sizes which separates the various sizes and
drops them into bins from which 1t Is put
into cans kegs or barrels required. and stored
I'm the magazine shipped directly to It's destnaloh'
About three months after began work at the mills
had been helping In the packing house one aay
and was to 90 directly there the next morning lot
another days work. While was at bredhiast Just
at OF late fall day, there came terrific eN-
poslen and almost simultaneously with the repJrt a
pane of glass from the window near the table struck
me alongside my face. Rushing out OF the doQr' we
saw u heavy column OF white smoke rising In the ar
from where the packing house had stooa ana .ne
tree tops in the vicinity full Of blazing powder
bags presenting weird sight in the early dawn. was
soon at the ruins with crowd Of felow-worknen ana
people from the Vicinity and scene OF utter wreck
and devastation met our gaze. Not even stone OF
the foundation of the old building was LEFT In place
but instead hole deep enough for cellar iah been
scoopcd out OF tie solid ground. The keChouse had
been wrecked by the shock and flying debris ana the
kegs stewn around promscuouslv The man
I'm charge of the packing house were nowhere 70 pc
found and searching party was quickly ORGANIZED 10
fragments Of his body, which were scattered all over
nelghborng hill side and gathered up in peach
basket for the coroncr's Inspection.
The last explosion that occurred during my eNpe-
rience as n powder monkey had au uncanny incident,
or forevarrinc some persons would cal II, con
nected with it, that has always been a subject OF much
curiosity To me. have never been believer IN me
stIpa
II. evening In early Jun" started out
for stroll after supper a;d on my return about I'D
o'clock | had to n bridge over n stream con
o the MIL ponds. The corning min WIS
iiiu1 ed behind n hluf about 800 feet from the road
Leaving only tho I. ak OF the roof visible from the
soon undrcs,pd aud swimming around In the pond
After hid drcd ~ mis- climbed out on me brlnge
and was lcsurey dressing my ~clf, when CHANGING I"
glance IN the direction OF the corning mnl, slranEe
sight met my gaze. There perched upon the peak oi
The roof was Crinning skull. the bony conformation
1T up With a bright. phosphorcsc'nt light, ana tne
vacant cavities ut the eyes. ana mouth perfectly
black gazing nj me with It's blank, unWnlng stare !
looked M il .Or time I'm establishment, then nm
preached within short distance OF if: but stlll II
remained with tho steady, baleful stare. felt
not really fchtrnod a feeling Of took possession
OF me- ard turning ! went slowly home looking tack
now and then sim Erinnng after me. About
halfpast O'Clock the next morning the corning mill
exploded followed Immediately by It's near neighbor.
the Glazing mill! II The explosion had occurred shortly
after the loss Of lie would have been large ms
It the custom OF the man who carted the powder
from the mill TO begin his day work nj the
glazing mill. and usually thnre were five or SIX, ana
sometimes more gathered there ahout that hour every
morning But the fOrv-ive minutes time saved the
The pond, in which had been bathing the night De
fore was drained and fra gmcnt n his body were found
bunt and ready to operations handed in my
Z signaiiJn