The Opelousas courier., 1897-10-02
A POWDER DEPOT.
Uncle Sans Gunpowder Stored in
New Jersey.
Five Capacious Magazines Filled
With Explosives.

In these days OF wars and rumors
OF wars, when the periodicals of the
country are filled with descriptive
articles and illustrations concerning
Or fleets, forts and other fighting
equipment, it seems strange that the
Il thing absolutely essential to their
practical use, the gunpowder, has
been lost sight OF.
Let it not be supposed that Uncle
Sam buys his gunpowder as occasion
requires. On the contrary, he has
enough of it constantly in reserve to
blow a good sized ~tmk out Of the
world, and it isetStored ".:ithin easy
distance of New York city.
The reS>son for this &C Imperative
nea,asawto our metropolis is that,
when wanted at all, H%Hlnpowder is
something that is usually wanted in a
hurry, and furthermore, New York is
a convenient shipping poillt.
1t is in New Jersey, way up in the
northern part of Morris county, in the
Berkshire valley of the Green Pond
range OF mountains, some four or five
miles from Dover that one must 90 to
find this deadly hoard of powder.
The natives all call the place by its
old Indian name of Picatinny, and the
government reservation the Picatinny
powder magazines; but it is spoken of
officially as the United States govern
ment powder depot. The tract of
land comprises some 1000 acres, 800
of which are set apart for the use of
the navy. 1t was acquired in 1880. A
large sum of money has been spent
upon it, but the improvements planned
will not be fully carried out for years
to come, if eve
The entrance to the grounds is
through a massive iron gateway, the
posts of which we're constructed from
old cannon From the gateway one
%traverses a rounded, well-kept road
way, with rows of shade trees npon
either side for some little distance.
The buildings are without exception
painted i'll q dull grayish blue, in ord
er to prevent the almost ininitesimal
possibility of undue warmth from the
sun. They present a most cherries
appearance to the artistic eye.
All, with the one exception of the
superintendent house, are con-
structed of iron and brick, and look
as if destined to outlast the ages.
But it is the long, low-lying struc-
lures dotted here and there about the
valley that appeal most strongly to
our Imagination. They are at some
distance apart, as a %precaution against
the chance of blowing n another up
in the event Of an explosion, and are
built entirely of iron, steel and brick,
and are considered to be fire, water
and lightning proof. They are fitted
with drowning-out, lightning, fire and
other appliances, and in all of the if
teen years Of their continuous use no
serious accident has been recorded
there.
There are five of these magazines,
and they vary from 200 to $50 feet in
by about fifty feet in breadth.
As they are sunk into the ground to
some depth their height inside is con
siderably greater than a casual OBJ
server would imagine.
1t would be unwise to publish how
much explosive material is kept cor.
on hand within this peaceful
and figures would convey but
information to the lay mind,
but our citizens can rest assured that,
in addition to the ships, men and
money ready, Uncle Sam has handy
An all-sufic ient supply of that very
necessary adjunct to modern warfare
-gunpowder. New York Recorder.