Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-07-13
WORKING AT CITY POINT.

A number of York county carpen-
ters have secured work during the
past few weeks in the big powder
making town of City Point, Va, a
short distance out from Petersburg
and Richmond, Va, and among them
is Mr.. ]. T. Parish Of Yorkville.
Mr.. Parish was home last week on
a few days sick leave, having been
upset somewhat as the result OF an
injection Of anti-typhoid fever serum,
required Of everybody as precaution
against susceptibility to fever, and
while here he told reporter for The
Enquirer something about the re-
markable mushroom city in which he
is working.
city Point" as the place Is called,
is an old municipality that figured
prominently at times in the opera
tions around Richmond during the
Civil war, but 1t was never Of a great
deal of importance commercially. 1t
is within ten or twelve miles Of Pc
tersburg, and the original population
Is less than 1000; but during the past
six weeks the population has increas-
ed to fifteen thousand or more and
two other distinct towns have grown
up, Hopewell and DUPONT City.
The DuPonts have purchased sever
al thousand. =, acres, that slope back
from the river, built a high fence
around it, erected several powder
making plants, and are rushing work
on others. Gun cotton is now being
turned out in immense quantities, and
additional powder works are being
erected regardless Of expense.
The population includes a mixture
of Americans and foreigners, mostly
Italians, Greeks, Portuguese, French
and Hungarians, but no Germans. II
seems that the Germans are not well
come unless they are naturalized
American citizens, and but few OF
them apply.
There is a little army Of policemen
in and around the town, and these
keep the closest guard. No man Is
admitted without proper credentials;
drunk men are turned away and II a
man has as much as quart OF whisky
about his person he must give 1t up
before being allowed to go inside.
Mr.. Parish says the average wage
scale for carpenters Is 40 cents an
hour, and that seems to be the gener-
al price for most skilled labor. The
work that would ordinarily fall to ne
groes Is performed by Hungarians and
Italians.
There are big hospitals in connec-
ton with the works and they are fill
ed with patients who are being hurt
from time to time by explosions. Mr..
Parish was unable to give an accurate
description of the manufacture Of gum
cotton; but he said it was very dan
gerous. The cotton is first washed as
clean as possible, dried and then soak
ed in acid. After that 1t Is rinsed
out, and then there is a further dry
ing process. during which most or the
accidents occur. The drying Is done
by revolving the cotton on large spin
dies, and under certain conditions the
revolving rings" give warning OF an
impending explosion. Under such
conditions the men run out Of the
house and wait results. Sometimes
explosions take place without warn
ing and in the hospital are men with
their hands burned off or their eyes
burned out. Occasionally they are
killed outright.
AS to where the finished gun cotton
goes is not definitely known. The
powder company has its own boats
and keeps it's own counsel. 1t Is COM
monty understood that the daily out
put Of gun cotton at present Is about
225,0OO pounds, and 1t Is thought that
when the entire plant is In operation
according to present plans the output
will be over a million pounds day.
It is believed that the United States
government is taking most Of the gun
cotton that is being made now; but
also that much Of it is being shipped
to the allies.
Mr.. Parish says that money Is plen-
tiful around the place, and the men
spend their wages quite freely.