Final Details

           Itwasthe22ndofNovember;thedeparturewastotakeplaceintendays.Oneoperationaloneremainedtobeaccomplishedtobringalltoahappytermination;anoperationdelicateandperilous,requiringinfiniteprecautions,andagainstthesuccessofwhichCaptainNichollhadlaidhisthirdbet.Itwas,infact,nothinglessthantheloadingoftheColumbiad,andtheintroductionintoitof400,000poundsofgun-cotton.Nichollhadthought,notperhapswithoutreason,thatthehandlingofsuchformidablequantitiesofpyroxylewould,inallprobability,involveagravecatastrophe;andatanyrate,thatthisimmensemassofeminentlyinflammablematterwouldinevitablyignitewhensubmittedtothepressureoftheprojectile.

           TherewereindeeddangersaccruingasbeforefromthecarelessnessoftheAmericans,butBarbicanehadsethisheartonsuccess,andtookallpossibleprecautions.Inthefirstplace,hewasverycarefulastothetransportationofthegun-cottontoStonesHill.Hehaditconveyedinsmallquantities,carefullypackedinsealedcases.ThesewerebroughtbyrailfromTampaTowntothecamp,andfromthenceweretakentotheColumbiadbybarefootedworkmen,whodepositedthemintheirplacesbymeansofcranesplacedattheorificeofthecannon.Nosteam-enginewaspermittedtowork,andeveryfirewasextinguishedwithintwomilesoftheworks.

           EveninNovembertheyfearedtoworkbyday,lestthesun’sraysactingonthegun-cottonmightleadtounhappyresults.