The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-05-08
RISKY BUSINESS.
MUCH PERIL CONNECTED WITH
MAKING GUNPOWDER.
Various Processes Of Manufacturing
the Observation-Disclosures Used
How the Powder Is Caked
and Classified.

proportions 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 be-
ing ground between the balls the mix
ture becomes homogeneous and very
fine. It is then taken out and the
proper amount of saltpeter is added.
Again the charge goes to the drums,
this time copper or zinc balls being
substituted for iron, because they are
much less likely to ignite the powder.
After having been rolled for several
hours the workmen take the mass out,
and after moistening it little to pre-
vent accidents, they carry it away in
gingerly fashion to the crushing
mills or "wheel houses" as they are
called.
A 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 in thickness from thirty.
s.1,to sixty inches. The fourth side
and the roof are constructed OF light
boards 30 that if the powder "goes
off, it will do as little harm as pos.
sible. Inside of the inclosure stand
the grinding mills. They consist of
larEEs basins, not unlike small foun-
ta5ub 15th sloping sides, usually made
Icf e1too&h lim estone. From the center
xShxit f1ses md tastens to the axle OF
a hinge Btot6 Mheel or "chsser, !"
weighinR SMentYsfonr tons. The ma
schinery 3of opetkdn the shaft is
J1suAil hlddsu awkY underground
Hhiye Il viii be uniujured in case OF
an sxhf6ai6 IS q US ysss,s
When fhs QEdes hsy Been q
over the bottom on the k,ssig pnp @
moistened q fistls fho lEkeats chaee ~
gins to rumble around oyeR ~ En1ell.
inc and kneading it as a woman NQu14
knesd her dough. At one side 90 ee
wheel there ia a busy little kechanicaf
device, made all of wood, and known
to the workmen as a "plow," which
roots up the powder after the wheel
crushes it down. 1t may be imagined
that the workmen spend as little time
in 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 tlme-softly IN tneir
rubber boots-and moisten up the
charge. In case OF an explosion there
is an automatic device which Will let
whole TANK or water down over tne
wheels, thus helping TO e1tlngulsn Inc
flames.
When the mass ls uniform IN COM
position-and the time necessarily
varies from eight to sixteen hours
the "mill-cake," as it is now called, is
removed and carried to the "Dreak-
ing-down" machine by means of an
endless canvas belt having strips OF
leather sewed across 1t. Here 1t
passes between two sets OF copper
rollers arranged so that they will
spring apart if the pressure is too
great between them. 1t shifts from
the lower end OF the machine like fine
dust or "meal" into trucks in which
it is trundled away to the powder
press, and ordinary hydraulic press, IN
which the power can be absolutely
controlled by q movement OF the tin-
ger.
The meal is stacked into the form
of great 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 vulcanite. Then the pis-
ton begins to strain upward out of the
water, and the powder is reduced
nearly one-half in thickness, the cakes
being dark gray, hard and lusterless,
strongly resembling a boys slate
without 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 deter
n.ined by it, and this in turn deter
mining the rate OF combustion. BY
merely varying the degree OF pressure
the powder may be made either vio-
lently explosive or mild and easy In
it's action.