The age-herald., 1898-06-05
UNKNOWN HEROES OF THE VAR.

 piled to those substances, solid or liquid. which upon appli ation of heat CT sh ok are converted either by combustion or de- composition into gases having many times the volume of the original substance. A low explosive, like gunpowder, in which one can be exploded by Ignition. Further, the rate of this combustion can be regu- lated by mechanical treatment. Thus, black gunpowder goes off quickly, like a flash, whereas brown gunpowder burns as slowly as punk. Gunpowder is me- chanical mixture, as are all low explosives; but high explosives, with which this arr ticle has to deal, are chemical compounds.
 Gunpowder is the best known representa- tion of the former, nitro glycerine of the latter. High explosives are ussd where shattering and rending effects are to be produced, and they can be packed so as to explode only by what is called detonation- that is, by so suddenly shocking or healing the surrounding explosive that the mass is instantly chemically changed into gases many times greater than the original volume of the explosive, and this was in it's efforts to escape rips, tears, destroys, annihilates anything and everything around or about it. The havoc 1t can work Is terrific and is irresistible.
 Grea Secrecy
 The owners of the powder works do not want their men to become too friendly with the outside world, for this would in- terfere with the careful performance of the,r work. Visitors are never allowed ln their powder factories and were the men to be subjected to callers it would interfere with the discipline of their work.
 When the men are killed or when acci- dent happens to them the matter Is kept very secret.
 If A man is injured the company's own physician takes care of him; If he Is Killed his body Is carried outside for the coroner
 ~J,ax, ha fc of caring for him is done by the company own undertaken. The famil 'es are doctored by the company's own physician and re- hairs to the houses are carried on py ' e worknen employed by the p wder com. pany. People who enter this army ol heroes must shut. himself up from the world as completely as monk rem ms fellows The men live In way ol great self-sacriice, made happy only by their own contentment.
 The black prismatic powder, the brown prismatic powder, the pebble powder and fbe fine grained powder for rifles must be handled by him daily as other men hanuie bricks. and back of him stands another man making another kind or poWoer Win each grain ready to explode and send the worker into eternity.
 The men who make the HOO pound pro- tectiles for the 13-inch guns know that they hold in their hands a bursting charge which is warranted to throw distance or twelve miles, and that were those to ex- plode in their hands they would be hurried backward with a force which, 1,50o yards away, would penetrate twenty-tfre rec incnes of solid steel
 Once upon a time one of the Duponts, owners of the Dupont powder works, was carried off by terrific explosion which was so violent that after all had quie ed down the body of MT. Dupont could not be found After a long search 1t was, dis int hQan. of sight. and covered by four feet of solid sand.
 Notwithstandir the danger O. the work the powder factories are running day and night and new worlmen. friends of the d hands, are being added daily. After twen- ty-four hours work they become deathiy sick and must stop for day or two, but they pick up their task again and go bravely on. Their pay Is small, but ther heroism is great.