The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-18
A GOVERNMENT FOURTH OF JULY.
Exploding Shells and bombs Left
Over from the War.
PhiladeIphia Telegraph

Philadelphia Telegraph.
The United States government, or as
much of its War Department as is domi-
ciled at the Frankfort arsenal, is having d
continuous Fourth of July; and the thirty
eight priyates of the United States army at
the Frankfort arsenal don't like it. Neither
do the peaceful residents of Bridesburg.
Neither does Colonel Whittemore, the com
handing officer of the arsenal. Neither
does anybody else. But it's government
orders that the Fourth of July must go on.
The commanding officer of the arsenal has
a couple of strains upon his mind, and that
is two to many for days when the thermom
eters are in the nineties. One strain is his
continuous Fourth of July, which consists
in exploding some 10000 bombs and shells
that were left over from the war of the re-
bellion. The rebellion having been ended be-
fore these shells could be utilized in convey
ing the admonitions of the government to
the recdlcitrant communities of the South,
they were all duly preserved with that care
for the custody of Stores-from penWipers
to battle ships--for which governments are
noted. As years passed the bombs became
more and more out OF the modern military
procession, until hnally the government
found 1t cost more than they were worth to
have able-bodied men standing around to
make sure that nobody came along
touched the bombs up with lucifer nlatcn
and blew Bridesburg into Kingdom Come.
The science of gunnery, on land and sea-
has so changed that these guns will never
be used in warfare orders were therefore
given to destroy them, either by unloading
them or firing their charges.
The unloading process was slow, for one
thing, and for another the wages paid men
for monkeying with this sort of bottled
judgment day are too low to bring many
candidates for employment. One man who
had a starving wife and eleven children to
support was offered work unloading bombs
and told the amount of remuneration.
That amt enough" said he.
How much do you think 1t is worth?"
he was asked.
'Oh. about 81, 600 900 a minute"
He was not hired. Instead the govern
ment instructed Colonel Whttemore to
blow up the bompshell surplus by, sections.
There are two kinds of the explosives in
the arsenal. One embraces the shells
loaded with bullets, containing one ounce
of powder the other includes the regular
bombs, containing seven ounces of powder.
On the arsenal grounds is a building con-
structed of bridge iron, known as the
bomb proof" 1T is probably the only
building in Philadelphia that will be abb
solutely safe if the city be ever besieged.
Every morning 400 shells were exploded in
blocks of one hundred inside the bomb
proof" Every evening two hundred have
been going off. The thirty-eight soldiers
! take turns carrying the shells into the
"bomb-proof' and piling them in two stacks
runs the length of the stacks and q fuse
connecting with the train protrudes from
the base of the building. The fuse is
bedded in pile of powder. and in the rear
of the building is an electric battery. The
battery sets fire TO the powder. which fires
the fuse which fires the train. which fires
the shells. which raise particular hades.
The soldiers say that the temperature in
the "bomb-proof' when they are carrying
the shells inside is 22S degrees Fahrenheit
which is probably lie; but they add that