The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-27

left j. group OF buildings and a hand
>ofsae dwelling aonSe With trees and shrub
asIy about L. Here she superintendent or
head watclmaa lives with has family.
Scattered here and there AT wide inter-
walls apart. ana apparently in no regular
order. are the Sevea silent slerperS for
whose beaeiie ali geis wide expanse and
profound solitude have been scared. Very
quiet and harmless they loek-duli lead
colcred brick buildings with red tiled roofs
and Fed iron shutters and sleoss-tiooys and
shutters partially thrown open III fair dry
weather that the air may get through the
buildings where the encased explosives are
stored. Water as we'll as IRE mas to ia
guarded against IN she storage ot powesir.
and 3agapfeSs Is water. tsae reason the
sigh saoansain region was selected was 70
get away from The mois;er AIR of a lower
level
The navy powder Is stored away aud
apart fronl that * The army. ard tho
buildings sire al painted the dirty muddy
yeile~ which fer some reason Ia tradition
al, With the navy They are in a set-ofr
tracs al so acres and on a mountain side
above the valley proper. \ branch of the
Morris toQnty railway runs into The
eryasion. cars are backed up 10 the mag
azines az various points. Two hours after
ammunition is put aboard them il may be
In New York If lhere is need OF 50 great
81 NH. .sSN NA<t sastftS aoN sfA titc
navy magazine. and carload after carload
OF them have hsen sent away since The
war scare began.
II IS Major Burlington. the inventor %
the disappearing gun carriage. which has
worked such a revolution in coast de-
lenses. who Is now in charge OF the Pie
catiu9y powder depot. Tie has been at
the post about IA year
Comparatively few people know THAI
there Is such al establishment as this re-
movable ammunition depository In exist
ence. AS for the country people whe live
in the vicinity the fact of the powder
magazines existence has 80 long been an
old story with them that they had prac-
tlcally lost all Interest il il until the re-
cent war exoitemen; came ON. hut now
the humblest mountaineer TO he found
within a radius of ten miles visibiy swells
with patriotic pride at the mere mention
of the great government depot They OBJ
viousiy feel that the temple OF Janus IL
right rs their doors, and that they have
a sort of personal responsibility fer tho
safe Keeping q the keys.
II is u matter of conviction among them
Just a the present moment that the woods
are allied with Spanish miscreants loaded
with explosive designs on the magazines.
The stranger * gl~.ed at with the eye OF
suspicion, and 10 ask the read 10 the gov
eminent reservation Is 70 o<en the door
30 Il rigid cross-examinatien.
II won't tell YOU no road 10 no reser-
walton nor nowhere else was the greet.
ing photographer. n mild. pale-faced.
dim little man, got from native out on 4
mountain road the other day. Il won't
tell you nothiU; | believe you're a gol-
darned Spanish spy. IL YOU are youll
never git out of these disgins alive. You
can bet your yaller hide on THAR
TO bee sure. this was an uncommonly
beliicose citizen. but the general atmos-
phere OF the country is impregnated with
the same sentiment. and any hapiess way
farer who comes at all near the Piccatinny
mountaineer's ideal OF the Spanish type
would certainly run the risk OF Disagree
able attention. on the reservation itself.
while there is of course. no relaxation OF
The usual vigilance. there are no indica-
tons whatever of any special anxiety.
The administration will not tell what is
being done. how many men are at work.
how many tons of explosives are In stor-
age-will not tell anything. IN fact. Ev-
erybady connected with the concern Is
blandiy silent. Silence, indeed. seems TO
he the presiding genius OF all the fateful
valley. 1t dominates everything to the
point almost OF n tangible presence. There
Is significant solemnity ahou. IT, It
means so much. IL Is SO particularly Inn
portant not To rouse those hushed ana
motionlesS seven Sieepers.