The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-11-01
POWDER INDUSTRY
 BEING DEVELOPED Big Plant In Jefferson County
 With Large Capital PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE Many HulldInss Being Erected and the Latest Approved Methods Being Elm Ployed--IsoIated Location MInIm-
 lzes Danger From Explosion.
PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE
BY cAssIus M. STANLEY.

There Is a certain fascination about be- ing conducted through a powder mill which does not attach to visit to any other sort of industrial plant. This fas- cination is in a large measure due, per haps, to the danger attending it and to the novelty in witnessing the process of powder manufacture.
 The only kind of powder that is manu- factured in the Birmingham district is blasting powder which differs from what is known as sporting powder only in the ingredients and the methods used in nc cooperating the various component chemicals.
 It is not generally known, perhaps, that powder mill consists of numer- ous buildings. Each stage in the man. ufacture of so dangerous an explosive is carried on in different building. These buildings are located at distances from each other varying from 200 to 500 feet
 The object in isolating them is, of course, to minimize the expense and the 1 loss of life in case of an explosion. If an explosion takes place, but one build ing is destroyed and 1t is hardly possi- ble for more than six men to lose their 1 lives, because there are never more than that number in a building at any one | time.
 | On the other hand, if the plant con- sisted of one immense building in which | all the work from converting the raw materials into finished product was car- ried on, in case of an explosion the whole building would probably be wrecked and the loss of life proportionate to the total number of men employed.
 As to Explosions.
 In well-regulated powder mills the men in charge figure on explosion every two years with a loss of life varying from one to six persons, and the com- plete destruction of the particular build- ing in which the explosion occurs.
 The Birmingham powder mill did not have an explosion for six years, and the past summer 1t had two within three months with a loss of six lives
 Blasting powder is made of charcoal, birthstone and nitrate of soda. The ef- fectiveness of the powder manufactured from these ingredients depends upon the proportions of the ingredients and the method of mixture These are the se- crets that powder companies jealously guard. Even if the chemist should tell layman the exact ingredients and their proportions, he might mix them and still the mixture would not explode at all be- cause SC much depends on the manner in which they are incorporated.
 Isolated Location. J k
 The Birmingham powder mills are To- cated in about as isolated a place as could be found in the Birmingham dis trict, and at the same time they have excellent railroad facilities, being near both the Louisville and Nashville and the Mary Lee road of the Alabama Con- soidated Coal and Iron company. They. are near what was formerly called Boyles Gap, are just this side of Sand Noun tain, and are about six miles northeast of Birmingham.
 The machinery of the plant Is all run by electricity supplied by a central pow CT house which also furnishes lights for all the buildings and grounds Near this power house are located the soda house and the mix house for the charcoal and birthstone. Tn the soda house the crude nitrate of soda is ground until 1t is as fine as flour. In the charcoal and brim- stone house, these two ingredients are pulverized and thoroughly mixed. Neith- CT the charcoal and birthstone mixture nor the nitrate of soda is explosive alone, but when the two mixtures are put to- gether, every precaution has to be taken.
 These mixtures are carried on tram ways from their respective houses to what is known as the incorporating mill They reach this building in a moist form but the pulp las an extraordinary fine