The Store House
After the nitro was manufactured at the NG House, it was sent down along a rubber lined trough down to the next step in the process - neutralization and storage. Here the nitro was washed with a solution of sodium carbonate to further stabilize it for storage and transportation. From there the neutralized nitro would be stored in a series of tanks until it was needed. All this happened in what Atlas called the Store House, otherwise known as the neutralizer house.
Like all the “contaminated” buildings at Atlas, the Store House was also dismantled and burned to destroy any residual nitro. Today very little remains of the old gal, except for the dirt mounds that once surrounded her. Here is a short section of retaining wall, now partially buried by dirt. In front of it is a wood frame for an exhaust duct. The duct was used to help expel the headache inducing nitro vapors.
Inside the pit that was once the store house we find just a few artifacts, most of which are grouped together in the photo above. A brick wall still stands along with a water shut-off valve (to the upper right) and what appears to be a vent cowling that would of sat on the building’s roof. (at the bottom of the photo)
Here’s another brick wall found within the remains. This one is much larger. Not sure what this was for, but it seems to thin to be a foundation for any type of machine.
Once there would of been a tunnel and notch in the earth berm surrounding the NG Store to allow the nitro to flow into the building from the NG House. While the long line of wood posts that once supported the trough still run up to the berm, (as seen above) the entrance has since collapsed.
What didn’t collapse was the exit for that nitro. This wood framed tunnel was once the starting point for something called the “angel walk”, where nitroglycerin was transported down to the next stage of production. But no trough was used this time - people were used instead.
Nitro would be loaded onto small pushcarts, which would then be pushed by hand slowly through this tunnel and out along a series of raised wooden walkways to the next step of production. Though partially more stable thanks to neutralization, the nitro was still extremely jumpy. One major bump or sharp jerk could set the entire cart off. One wrong move and you’d be one with the angels - thus the name “angel walk”.