The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-12
THE GREAT POWDER DEPOT.
In a Sequestered New Jersey Nook,
where Uncle Sam stores His Ann
muuftfOn.
From the New York Herald.

From the New York Herald.
Uncle Sam selected New Jersey as the
state in which to keep his powder dry, and
it took a year before a suitable place could
be found. First of all. the location must
be one easy of access TO and not far re-
mote from the great center of trade, New
York city. From New York city a means
Of reaching any part of the earth can be
secured, il it can be secured at all, and
in the event of war the United States
might want to send powder to very remote
spot to protect her interests.
That was the reason why the powder
depot must necessarily be located near
New York city. Another requisite was
that the spot must be some distance from
any thickly populated district, for the
sake of safety in case of an explosion. And
still another, and a very important con-
sideration, was that the tract of land on
which the powder depot was to be placed
must be of sufficient acreage to permit Of
the growth of the great storage depot,
should necessity demand it.
1t was in 1S70-seVenteen years ago-that
the experts deputized by Uncle Sam to
find a suitable location for his main pow
der depot began their search. Place after
place was visited and looked over, bur
every one lacked some essential point.
Some were too far away from railway
line, others in too close proximity to towns
or villages and not a few would have been
excellent locations had there been suffi-
cient land
But late in 1880 an ideal spot was found
away up in the northern portion of Morris
county, nestled in a picturesque valley,
known as the Berkshire valley, in the
Green Pond range of jagged mountains,
about five miles from Dover. This is
where Uncle Sam keeps his powder dry.
The tract of land comprised 1900 acres
when purchased, but 300 acres were set off
few years ago for the use of the navy
department. At the head of the tract, to
the north, Picatinny lake, into which
the Jagged peaks of Picatinny Mountain
are mirrored, lies between two miniature
hills. 1t is a cold spring lake, and the
woods, in many parts consisting of the
heavy, first-grown timber, run down the
hill-slopes to the waters edge. A great
dam keeps back the water, which would
otherwise flow over the lower portion OF
the valley, where the buildings are To-
Gated. The water flows over the dam
when the lake rises to a sufficient hight
and a lazy black-bottomed river coils
itself like serpent through the eastern
part of the valley.
The entrance to the government pow
der depot could never be mistaken for
anything than an entrance to govern
ment property. Great, massive iron gates
bar the way, and these gates look all the
more formidable because they swing from
posts which were improVised from old
cannon. But the gates open easily, even
a child could swing them, so perfect are
the bearings.
once through the gates, a beautifully
rounded and well-kept road stretches out
through the valley to the north for q
quarter of a mile. On each side of the
road are double rows of shade trees, one
of sugar maple and one OF elm on either
side. These trees are Sroung yet not
having been planted more than fifteer
years, and they do not give a great dea
of shade but in ten years or more the
tops of the trees will meet above, and the
suns rays will never find it's way through
the foliage to the road beneath. Between
this road, which enters the west side Of
the tract and the hill shat bounds the
eastern side, stretches the fertile meadow
land on which everything necessary tC
the farmers existence can be raised.
The buildings. with the exception O
the superintendent house, are made o.
structures, but cold and statTesque il
design. They are painted a fl-igid drab
almost suggestive of blue, and even in tn,
summer time these buildings make on
SILVER to look at them.
An enormous amount of work has beer
done already by the government, but tn,
plans, which are as yet only about hal
carried out, will not be pushed toward
completion until further appropriation
are made for the purpose by con gress
And there is no certainty when the ppro
priation will find its way to the elle!
beneath the shadow of the Picat TIM,
mountain.
The main office building where one MAJ
now has a room fitted up, is almost a
void of interior furnishings. The guar
house is used only as a place to keep tn
fire engine and other fire extinguishing
apparatus The ordnance department has
contemplated sending a commanding of.
heer and two or three soldiers to the
powder depot, and would, in that event
erect barracks and suitable quarters.
The only cheerful building about the
place is the superintendent house Mar
ion f. Cook is the superintendent stout
and sturdy man of As. about five feet sis
inches tall, with quick, elastic step anC
commanding presence. The house which
the government has given him to live il
IS commodious and convenient in every
way, but it is painted the same frigid col
or which characterizes the other buildings
But the magazines, those long, ral1isl
scattered all through the little valley
they are the buildings which one looki
upon with decided feeling OF respect
There are five of these magazines. eacl
200 feet in length and 50 feet in width By
about 40 feet in hight. 1t is in these tina
the powder of the United States is stored
The magazines are 500 yards apart. Thi