Danville, PA as in past years has a celebration called the Iron heritage Festival a very nice event on its past. However, was just reading about the recreation of an explosion at the then Black Powder Mill in Danville.

An excerpt from the article...

Two of the more anticipated events this year, according to Hause, are the hot air balloon rides on July 18 at Danville Middle School and the black powder detonation on July 19 at the original site of Danville's powder mill behind Geisinger Medical Center along Powder Mill Road.
The black powder project is the latest experiment derived by Van Wagner, a Danville native and local historian, and his faithful volunteers, who have spent each year of the festival adding their own special touch to the heritage festival.
The group has done several living history recreations over the years, such as handcrafting an early 19th century log raft and floating it down the Susquehanna River, as well as setting up a week-long charcoal-making campsite last year to showcase the authentic process of turning wood into charcoal.
That same homemade charcoal will be used again this year to make black powder.
"Since black powder was one of the key ingredients behind the iron industry, we figured that would be a neat thing to try," Wagner said. "If you couldn't blast loose the iron ore, limestone and coal; there wouldn't be iron."
Wagner, a science teacher at Lewisburg Area High School, researched how to make black powder and tested the process at his Danville home. From the successful experiments, Wagner is now eagerly looking forward to putting the practice to use for the festival.
"We will lead a hike up to the site where we believe the mill was and have a short discussion on the techniques used then, and then detonate the powder, " Wagner said. "It doesn't matter what age you are, there is something special about fireworks

This seems a little scary to me making and setting off black powder to resemble an explosion...I wonder how big they plan the explosion to be along with making black powder. Hope the insurance policy is good... a link to the complete article

http://www.dailyitem.com/0100_news/l...yword=topstory
__________________

You know I herd somewhere, "You just can't fix stupid." Windows, windows, who's still got glass in their windows?

One may wonder from where reenactors get such an ill percieved reputation.  

--Last edited by grumpydave on 2008-05-21 11:41:23 --

Quote :

GrumpyDave wrote : You know I herd somewhere, "You just can't fix stupid." Windows, windows, who's still got glass in their windows?

Grumpy,

A lot depends on how much Black Powder they are planning to make and how they are making it. Making a small quantity by hand isn't very dangerous. Making a bunch is. There's a reason Dupont's rolling mills had one wood wall facing the Brandywine Creek!  
 

Quote :

Bill wrote :   Grumpy, A lot depends on how much Black Powder they are planning to make and how they are making it. Making a small quantity by hand isn't very dangerous. Making a bunch is. There's a reason Dupont's rolling mills had one wood wall facing the Brandywine Creek!

I called the Iron Heritage Festival as I was very concerned about any accidents happening. The plan was to make quite a few pounds of blackpowder and have multiple demos of how it was used in the iron ore business. It was not being used in any weapon etc. I also told them about contacting the festival insurance carrier for coverage if anything should happen and most likley the increase in cost of insurance. They will meet as a committe to discuss the situation.

Civil War and Rev War renactors are already there doing the firing demo thing and at least IMHO the demo at the powder mill actually using black powder is not needed and perhaps just a good talk on the history of the mill and its relationship to the town's history which I think is already being done.

I feel better that I least I brought this to their attention.