Sheffield Independent – Saturday 11 May 1889
Flameless Explosive Works at Denaby.
A series of interesting-looking buildings— some with an exterior of galvanised iron, and others composed of massive masonry surrounded by high mounds—have just been constructed at Denaby Main.
They occupy positions on land purchased from Mr. Fullerton, Lord of the manor, and the radius of the enclosed premises is about a mile. Some of the structures are on the slope of the hillside, and others lie in the wood.
These are the premises of the Flameless Explosives j Company, Limited. The company manufacture what is known as “Flameless securite,” and it is to supercede gunpowder for blasting operations in mines and elsewhere.
It is now being made in England for the first time, and is a matter of great interest to such a locality as South Yorkshire. The company have fully complied with the requirements of the Explosives Act, 1875, everything having been admirably carried out under the able supervision of Mr. Ernest Spon, associate member of the Institute of Civil Engineers.
The various premises embrace boiler shed and grinding mills — the boilers being of steel, and working at 80lb. pressure, while the chemicals are pounded in mills of a novel construction ; the only ones of the , kind in the country, and which are of German manufacture. There are sheds for the women employed in making the explosives into cartridges; and buildings where they, as well as the men, undress and put on special garb of wool serge prior to the daily commencing of operations, as required by the Act.
The storage magazine is licensed to contain ten tons of explosives— it is admirably fitted up, and will be lit by the electric light. There are also elaborately erected “expense ” magazines for the storage of cartridges. The magazines for the detonators are in the wood.
The high mounds round the magazines, are very a striking. They are at a height level with the eaves of the structures, and the object is to localise the effect of an explosion.
The chemical laboratory and the offices of the general manager— -Mr. A. T. Cocking, of Parkgate, are situate near the centre of the ground, and to the left are stores for inflammable substances, etc, elevated from the earth, running the whole extent of the ground is a tramway, supplied by the Decauville Portable Railway Company (France), by which means the chemicals and the cartridges can be conveniently removed from one spot to another, for transit and otherwise. It is expected that active operations will shortly be commenced.