The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-01
rIoArrNvr,s poWDER DEpor
Pieturssuse suFrsundipEr. but Vet Sapch War
R~nateFtnl Foupd There.

hAnteFtnt foupo Nhcres
DOVER, NJ. j.. Feb. 2s.-Four miles up tho val.
ley from this city a private road leads north
ward from tho Rcrkshirc Valley road at Spiccr-
town and brings up abruptly at n pair OF huge
iron gates. the four posts OF which arc con.
dcmncd cannon set in masonry and capped with
round shot a size too large for thom. This is the
entrance to the Government powder depot. and
the place is known rs Picatinny.
A dozen years ago or more the Ordnance Do
part1ent secured permission from the Now
Jersey Legislature to purchase o tract In this
neighborhood for the storage of gunpowdcr.
The property covered about 1000 acres, includ-
ing a lake nearly n mile long. n ruined iron
forge, a lofty and precipitous mountain peak,
from which the place took its name, and sew
oral farInhousos. besides n beautiful level
tract OF upland and meadow, with a wide and
swift brook running its whole length. There
was much woodland, and across the track near
its middle ran tho highway from Rockaway
through Mount Hope to the upper end OF Lake
Hopatcong, which Is only four or FIVE miles
from the powder depot. fhc road Is still main
tanned as q public highway, and the Government
through the iron gates to the Dover road. Plans
were made for building ten huge magazines
and six OF them have been erected. They are
scattered over the tact at long distances from
one another, and are safeguarded from light
ming. by wire cables running from upright rods
vi LILO " DlHttS suIh u uONhl Ill NCl
ground. Each magazine is 800 feet long and
so feet wide and built OF brick and native gran
fte,, of which the mountains on one side OF tho
valley are formed.
Besides the magazines there arc workshops,
n pretty guardhousc, and fire engine house. q
handsome office building with unused living
apartments for the commandant, roomy sta
bles, and q railroad station. for there is q rail-
road running along the edge Of the tract. with
spurs leading to several Of the magazines.
Then there Is a cottage occupied by n caretakcr
and 8 veral little scattered cabins and old farm
hnnAnl nra nflsttn InI - Tim ~ .hH Th,an
buildings are all on the plain. while perched on
the side hi on the east Of the tract arc the
Gated by the Navy Department a few years ago.
a portion of Picatinny reservation was turned
over TO the navy and a number Of buildings were
erected upon n clearing above the railroad for
the storage OF explosives ana the filling OF shells.
These were put in charge OF q gunner and Ave
assistants, who have been leading a monotonous
away, two carloads Of shells last week. and IL
in years. At the same time the Ordnance De-
partment received three carloads OF powder
said to have come from San Francisco:
is none at Picatinny. Four OF tho big maya.
zines contain no powder and two are filed
with black powder in loo.pound bal rels bearing
dates indicating that IL was intended for use in
the rebellion. Much Of it is marked 1862.
Some is spherical or pebble powder, and more is
being slightly smaller than coffee. Nobody out
side OF the depots is supposed to know how much
OAA - - HSNA NSSS bA1 ~
would be another good guess to state that much
OF it is so old that ito resurrect q Revolutionary
toke) IL it got a1re half OF It would burn up be-
fore the fire engines at the depot could get steam
up and put it out.
One of the big magazines contains tons of
birthstone and s%altpetre in cases. This belonged
to The Government during the late war, and was
stored at Watervliet arsenal, but was removed
from there when the room was wanted for
manufacturing purposes. 1t Is probable that
II cost originally about four times what 1t is
worth to-day, and that the interest lost upon the
money amounts to several times the present
value of the mass.
The Government powder depot is In charge of
Col. A. 4. Burlington. who pays frequent visits
to the place. There is no military detachment
there, nor has there been need for any. A clerk
takes care of the books. u superintendent looks
after the shipments and cares for the magazines
in use. a stableman looks after the horses, and
there are several mechanics pretty constantly
employed, while watchmen patrol the grounds
nigh: and day TO keep of tramps, gunners.
anglers. and poachers. The tract is about 300
feet above the sea. and is almost surrounded by
low mountains or high hills. The railroad
which traverses IT joins the New York and Sus-
Guehanna with branches of the Central and the
Delaware Lackawanna and Western. One
train Is all there is on this road, and it runs
eig hteen miles in about six hours.
Ptcatinny has strategic points of advantage
in case OF an attack by an enemy. Few places
in the State offer better means of resisting an
attack from any direction. No attempt has
been made to fortify 1t. however, and It's pres
ent armament consists Of three or four rifles, o
dozen revolvers. and q couple Of shotguns.