The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1895-06-25
RISKY BUSINESS.
MUCH PERIL CONNECTco WITH
MAKING GUNPOWDER.
Various Processes OF Manufncturiu.;
the Explosive -Ingrc dicuts Used
How the Powder is CakcI
and Classified.
THE fr.t process in The pow

Oii AuAl llllAluR OF tue lutgfe-
{. dieuts. The charcoal aud
sulphur are put together in the right
proportiory and thoroughly pulverized
by placing them in swiftly revolving
barrels or drums with number Of
small iron cannon balls In rubbing
against the sides OF the barrel and he.
ing ground between the balls tue mix
ture becomes homogeneous and very
fine. 1t Is then taken out aud the
proper amount of sal5peter Is nd,lel.
Again the charge goes TO the drums,
this time copper or zinc balls being
substitute for iron, because they nre
much less likely to ignite the powder.
After having been role | for several
hours the workmeu take the mass out,
and inter moisteniug 1T l little to pre-
vent accidents, they carry it away in
II ginSerly fashion TO tho crushing
mills or ''wheel houses, aS they are
called.
wheel house is built with due
Difference to the explosive nature of
the powder. Seemingly every oppor.
tunity is given it to blow everything
to atoms. On three sides OF the
building, which Is twenty feet square,
there are enormously strong stone
walls varying i'll thickness from thirsy-
six to sixty inches. TIE fourth side
ana the root are constructed of light
boards so that If the powder "goos
OF il will do rs little harm rs pos.
sible. Inside OF the Enclosure stand
the grin ling mills. They consist OF
large basins, not unlike small foun-
tains with sloping sides, usually made
of smooth limestone. From the center
n shaft rises and fasteus to the axle OF
II huge stone wheel or "chnser,"
weighing twentY-four tons. The ma
chinery for operating the shaft is
usually hidden away underground
where it will be uninjured in case of
an explosion.
When the powder has been spread
over the bottom of the basin AMI
moistened n little the great chaser be-
gins to rumble around over it, crunch
ing and kneauing ii rs woman would
knead her dough. At one side of the
wheel there ia II busy little mechanical
device, made all of wool, add known
to the worlmen rs 'plow," which
roots up the powder after the wheel
brushes it down. 1t may be imagined
that the workmen spend as little time
i'll the place as possible. There is no
telling what moment the whole thing
will blow up. They stand just around
the corner of the stone wall and dodge
in from time to time softly in their
rubber boots-nnd moisten up the
charge. In case of an explosion there
is nu automatic device which will let
whole tank OF water down over the
wheels, thus helping to extinguish the
flames.
When the mass is uniform in com
position-and the time necessarily
varies from eight to sixteen hours -
the "mill-cake, rs it is now called, is
removed and carried 10 the "brcak-
ing-down' machine by means Of an
endless canvas belt having strips of
leather scwed across it. Here it
passes between two sets Of copper
rollers arranged so TINT they will
spriug apart if the pressure is too
great between them II shifts from
the lower end of the machine like fine
dust or ''menl into trucks in which
it is trunjlcl away to the powder
press, and ordinary hydraulic press, in
which the power can be absolutely
controlled by movement Of the fin
ger
The meal is stacked into The form
of Il grent cheese two or three feet in
diameter and three or four feet high.
consisting OF LAYERS Of powder one to
two inches thick, separated by disks
OF copper or yulcuuite. Then the pis-
ton begins to strain upward out OF the
water. aud tho powder j. reduced
nearly oue-hllf in thickness, the cakes
being dnrk gray, hard aud lu,terlcss,
strongly resembling u boys slute
without n frame. The degree OF pres.
sure given is one Of the most impor.
tant considerations in the process OF
powder manufacture. the ultimate
density of the powder being dcter-
Mined by it, and this in turn deter.
mining the rate oil combustion. By
merely varying the degree OF pressure
the powder may be mule either VIC.
leutly explosive or mild an casv ia
it's action
The cakos Of powder nra now cur
ricd along ON canvas bolt to- tho.
corning or granulntiug mlshjua This
consists of q series OF copper rollers
separated by screens OF varying sizes
of meshes After being crushed
through the first set of rolls the finest
powder falls through the screen nul
the rest is shaken ON down to the sec.
ond set aud $50 ON to the end, where
the powder pours from the various
screens into trucks Tho grains thus
obtained nro sharply angular and re-.
1uiro rounding au smoothing to pre-
vent their fine edges from being ground
into dust by the wear Ot handling mud
transportation. While still moist
from the coruiug machines the grluu.
lated powder is put into rolling bur
rcls or "tumbcrs." where it is re-.
volvcd from six To- twcnty-rour hours
Tho friction of grain upon grain wears
&c perfectly smooth. Sometimes the
glaziul is heightened by the addition
OF % minute quantity OF graphite. n
tablespoonful OF which will implrt its
peculiar lustre TO half ton of the
powder
The last operation, dryingor "stov.
ing, takes place IN long, low room
npufnI ft, fuu,f.a~nFrs-. 100 a.