The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-17
TONS OF HIDDEN POWDER.

for Use In Emergencies
From the New York Herald.
President Clevelands last message to
congress has set a great many persons
to thinking that a war with England Is
imminent This may or II may not pe
so. Time will demonstrate the propa-
biIities of war with the mother couh-
try. but in the meantime United states
citizens are wondering where Uncie
Sam keeps his powder dry
Uncle Sam selected New Jersey as
the state in which to keep his powder
dry and IL took a year be1ore d sun
able place could be found.
First of all, the location must De one
easy of access to and not far remote
from the great center of trade. New
York From New York city means
of reaching any part OF the eartn Cal
be secured, If 1t can be secured at ali;
and in the event of war the Uniteo
States might want to send powder 10
very remote spots to protect her inter-
ests That was the reason why the
powder depot must necessarily be loca-
ted near New York city. Another re-
uuisite 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, ana
a very important consideration. was
| rhat the tract of land on which the
powder depot was to be placed must De
| of sufficient acreage to permit OF the
| growth of the great storage depot
should necessity demand 1t.
1t was In 1871 years ago-that the
experts deputized by Uncle Sam to find
| a suitable location for his main powder
depot began their search. Place after
place was visited and looked over but
! every one lacked some essential point
| Some were too far away from railway
line, others in too close proximity 70
4 LIN arf a fax
have been excellent locations had there
been sufficient land. But late in 1880 an
| ideal SPOT was found away up in the
| northern portion of Morris county nest
led in a picturesque valley, known as
the Berkshire valley, In the Green Pond
miles from Dover. This Is where Uncle
Sam keeps his powder dry.
The place was known as Picatinny,
| an Indain name, which means divided
| mountains, and for some years the &C
| copied name by the government was
the Picatinny powder depot but hnally
name, and now the place is known to
the government as the United States
government powder depot. But the old
| Indian name, about which the
| Indian romances and the tales
of the Middle Forge are clus-
tered, will always stick to the
place, and the natives, for years to
| COIne, VIII IOAci W ~ ~ NAA~ A~~~NNANAs
powder depot.
The old Middle Forge works were in
operation back as far as 140 years ago,
and the remains of the massive old
timbers and an occasional bit OF heavy
shafting or a broken wheel are still
visible under the great trees that shad-
ed the workmen, who at that day
forged the nails with which the houses
for miles around were built. 1t is his
torical spot and abounds in Indian leg
ends and wild tales of the early settlers
in northern New Jersey. The tract OF
land comprised 1900 acres when pur-
| chased, but 300 acres were set OFF a Few
years ago for the use of the navy de-
partment. At the head of the tract TO
the north, Ptcatinny lake, into which
the Jagged peaks OF Picatinny noun
tain are mirrored lies between two
miniature hills. 1t is a cold spring
lake, and the woods in many parts, con-
| sisting of the heavy first growth tim
ber ran down the hill slopes to the wa
.J ter's edge. A great dam keeps back the
| water which would otherwise flow over
| the lower portion of the valley where
the buildings are located. The water
flows over the dam when the lake rises
to a sufficient height, and a lazy, black
, bottomed river coils itself like a SER
| pent through the eastern part of the
valley.
The entrance to the government pow
der depot could never be mistaken fol
anything than an entrance to govern
ment property. Great, massive iror
gates bar the way and these gates looh
} 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 per-
; feet are the bearings.
The buildings, with the exception OF
the superintendent house, are made
Il - gw-~.~ Aolr n 70 he n N
tial structures. but cold and statuesqut
5 I'm design. They are painted frigit
drab, almost suggestive of blue. anc
even In the Summer time these build
e ings MAKE sore shiver to look at them
An enormous amount of work has
: been done already by the government
but the plans, which ere as yet only
about half carried out, will not b,
pushed toward completion until furthei
| appropriations are made for the pur
| pose by congress And there Is no GER
tainty when the appropriation will finS
its way to the valley beneath the shad
| ow of the Picatinny mountain.
I The main Office building. where on
man now has a room fitted up, is al
: | most devoid of interior Furnishings
: The guard house is used only as a plac
to keep the fire engine and other FIR
= extinguishing apparatus. The ordnanc
= department has contemplated sendinl
a a commanding officer and two or tire
: soldiers TO the powder depot. an
q would. in that event. erect barracks an
a | suitable quarters.
= The magazines are 500 yards apart
3 This separation Is made as a precau
& ton, for. In the event of one magazin
n blowing up, the others would be SUI
n ficient distance away to insure thei
s safety They are built entirely of iror
s steel and brick. and are supposed TO b
n fire, water and lightning proof. TIL
a most approved lightning arresters ar
N placed on the magazines. and no acc
z dents have ever yet occurred from an
e. of the elements.
N A New and Light Metal.
Te The metal glucinium. hitherto