The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-01-18
rade, we would haul it in from the maga-

trade, we would haul it in from the maga-
zine.
1T was too expensive to make the trip
for one or two boxes, SO full load was
always brought in. A load usually con-
tained about 40 or 80 boxes. Each box
weighs 80 pounds. This was stored in tho
warehouse, except what was required to
20 fill the order for which the trip was
made, which might be ono box or 10.
Then orders were filled from the stock at
the warehouse as long as that lasted.
There were three grades of powder car
rled in stock, the "a sticks, 30 per cent,
the Is, 40 per cent. and the IL inch, 40
per cent. The u inch sticks we're sold
for use in hand drilling, and the ! Il inch
for mines where machines were used.
The largest stock was the Is, 40,' as it is
called.
whenever the warehouse stock was
not sufficient to fill an order a trip was
made to the magazine fos a load of the
particular kind of which we were short at
the warehouse. In this way, we would
sometimes have five to 10 boxes of each of
the three kinds in the warehouse. The
warehouse was a large, corrugated iron
building, about so feet by 90 as nearly as
can judge. In the northwest corner of
this building was small room partitione
off, about OKLA feet. In this room was
stored whatever powder was kept in the
warehouse. Around the north and west
sides of this little room were stacked sew
eral thousand wrought-iron 'rabble
heads,' pieces of iron y inch by 4X6
inches, used for heads OF skimming tools
| in smelters. They were of a size which
was once used, but which had become un-
marketable, as they were smaller than
those now in use. They had been piled
around the powder to protect il from
bullet, should any be fired against tho
building, and were considered to afford
full protection.
"In tho northeast corner of the build
! ing was another room about 10 feet
| square, used by the warehouseman as an
| Office. In the room nearly in the center
was stove of the pattern known as n
/ cannon stove. Coal was used in this as
| fuel. South from this Office room were
stored the stoves on the floor and on the
deck south of the powder room was stored
waste, pipe covering and other mis-
| cellaneous stores. Under this deck were
similar articles. In the space between
/ these two decks were two heavy beams,
about 10 feot from the floor. against
which was leaned the iron of all descrip-
! llOuS WHICH was CdIT4eu III SlOChs against
the east slde of the powder room was
| built a rack for sheet iron.
'As to the average amounts of powder
| which was kept in the warehouse, 1t is
| difficult to make an accurate estimate. 1t
sometimes ran as high as 10 boxes and at
/ other times would run as low as five boxes.
] don't remember any time when it was
less than five. Concerning the amount
/ which was in the warehouse at the time
of the explosion Tuesday night, can say
nothing, as / had not been there for some
time. The figures / have given are those
| which prevailed when l was employed at
the warehouse, and form a conservative
estimate. There would frequently be or
ders for five or 10 pounds al the ware
house and the warehouse man would then
open a box, SO that there was OCCASION
ally an open box in the powder room"