Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-01
Tube Prevent. Accidents.


| dropped down a wooden tube. The tube is
! open here and there to let the air circulate
freely. The hot shot in falling will often
| swerve to one side and beat against the
sides. About one-third of the shot dropped
| is ruined by this or by being beaten out Of
shape in striking the water. The only re-
cent Improvement in making shot is in driv-
| ing blast of iced air up the tube through
which the shot falls. Thus shorter fall
will harden the shot; but as the chilled air
is costly the tall tower Is just as valuable
as ever.
The holes in the colander do not regulate
! the size of the shot absolutely, for six or
more sizes of shot will often be secured
from the same pouring. More or less
shortening will make the drops larger or
smaller through the same hole. Thus lead
nearly pure will hold on longer before fall
ing and make larger drops Lead with
much shortening will drop rapidly and thus
form tiny pellets. For the very smallest
bird shot the lead is heated and dropped
| from about two-thirds the way up the
tower.
Twelve tons of lead is a days pour
From this eight tons of perfect shot will
be secured. AS the pellets are lifted from
the bottom of the shot well they are run
through machine filled with multitude
of round holes Of different sizes which
sort the shot, turning the imperfect ones
back to be melted over
Business Not Dangerous.
Some say the shot business is danger
ous.' said Engineer Tracey, but have
been at work in this tower for thirty five
years and 1 defy you to find healthier
| man. 1t is like painters collie Men take
the real disease over the bar and the fumes
from lead cause it to develop. The trace
of arsenic is SO faint that it would hurt no
one. There Is an ancient country receipt
for boils You boil milk in a handful of
shot and drink it. 1t Is a dangerous re-
ceipt, as one Is apt to be poisoned. The re-
cetpt Is founded in reason, however, as 1t
Is the arsenic that cures the boils. The
countrymen do not know this they could
get the arsenic pure at a drug store.
"a like receipt Is the one for cold. Boil
q rifle charge of gunpowder in milk, and
drink 1t. 1t makes horrid mess, but the
idea is to get the sulphur. Many chew
shot, to get the arsenic for their COM
! plexion."
spOoky Climb.
A reporter the other day toiled up the
towers spiral stairway to the very top, all
alone. 1t was a dismal climb. for dust CT
ages lay deep on every hand. The walls
are spattered with lead A high wind made
the structure swing gently. AT the top one
could hear as through megaphone strange
noises from far below, where the lead mill
was grooming over its huge crusts Of tough
dough. A flock Of gulls flew nearly against
the windows as they sped over from the
North river.
The view was superb, and seemingly linz
itless Far below the yard of the Tombs
and the fatal place Of the gallows were to
be seen as distinctly as of yore. AS the
visitor sat on the dais from which the pei
lets of death are poured, the half silence
was suddenly broken by loud scream. He
started. half hoping to see ghost with
which to embellish his story, but 1t was
only the wheel of pulley overhead that
complained as the workmen tugged al it's
rope nearly two hundred feet below The
wind grew wilder, and the tower swayed
more and more The reporter eelt shivery,
as If seated inside the muzzle Of cam
non through which shell was about to
be fired; so he climbed down.