Hagley Museum near Wilmington in New Castle County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Power of Powder
⎯⎯⎯
Press House Operations

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 30, 2023

1. Power of Powder / Press House Operations Marker

Inscription.
Power of Powder When gunpowder ignites it becomes an expanding gas that generates a tremendous amount of force. If the gas is contained in an enclosed space it can blow apart its container as it expands. One ounce of gunpowder has enough force to hurl a 24 pound iron ball more than 225 yards. It is estimated that in the explosion of 1920 between 50,000 and 75,000 pounds of powder ignited. The force of the blast caused major structural damage throughout the site. The resulting shockwave was felt in Northern Delaware, Southern New Jersey, and Philadelphia.

Press House Operations In the Press House, damp powder from the roll mills was compacted into flat, square cakes. The increased density from the compression under hydraulic pressure gave the gunpowder greater explosive force. After the powder cakes were removed from the press chamber, they were broken into smaller pieces and transferred to the corning mill for further processing. To learn more about this process, visit the Press House indicated on your map, 2/10th of a mile upstream.

[Caption:]
A powder press under construction in DuPont's New Machine Shop at the Hagley Yard.

Erected by Hagley

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Museum.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1920.

Location. 39° 46.654′ N, 75° 34.498′ W. Marker is near Wilmington, Delaware, in New Castle County. It is in Hagley Museum. It is on Hagley Creek Road, on the left when traveling north. Marker is on the Hagley Museum grounds, reachable on foot or by tram after paying the entrance fee. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 200 Hagley Creek Road, Wilmington DE 19807, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Philadelphia.

It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic,

on the Delmarva Peninsula,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland

and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Missile Map of January 2, 1920 Explosion (here, next to this marker);

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 30, 2023

2. Power of Powder / Press House Operations Marker

Left marker

Explosion of 1920 (here, next to this marker); Lesmok Mills (within shouting distance of this marker); Leaving France / Arriving in America (within shouting distance of this marker); Éleuthère Irénée du Pont (within shouting distance of this marker); Victor du Pont (within shouting distance of this marker); Starting the DuPont Company (within shouting distance of this marker); The Hagley Story / The du Pont Story (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wilmington.

Also see . . .
1. Brandywine River Powder Mills. (Submitted on September 1, 2023, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
2. Hagley Museum and Library. (Submitted on September 1, 2023, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)

Iron Press Remnant from the 1920 Explosion image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 30, 2023

3. Iron Press Remnant from the 1920 Explosion

Next to the Power of Powder/Press House Ops Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on February 11, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 1, 2023, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 187 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 1, 2023, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.

Power of Powder⎯⎯⎯Press House Operations

Power of Powder
⎯⎯⎯
Press House Operations