The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-05-29 00:00:00

sr-cla sad •
SOCIETY OF ART5,,,,„..d.., s 4

The last meeting of the Chemical Section of this
society for the present session was held in London, on
Friday evening in last week, at the rooms in John-
street, Adelphi.
Professor F. A. Abel, F.R.S., presided, and a paper,
by Mr. Alfred Nobel, of Paris on the subject of
" Explosives " was read, in the absence of the author,
by the secretary of the section, Mr. T. Wills. The
paper commenced with a retrospective view of the
history of explosives invented from. time to time to
replace gunpowder in blasting operations. Con.;
nected with the use of ordinary gunpowder were:
many advantages which rendered it a matter of,
difficulty altogether to supersede it; yet it had cer-
tain defects, in view of palliating which a long series
of explosive materials bad ben introduced, most
of them having met with but indifferent success,
owing chiefly to the slowness of their action. A
novel class of explosives had been lately invented by
Dr. Hermann Sprengell, which if not likely at once to
be brought into practical use, presented in a scientific
sense, a peculiar and startling interest. The first
practical substitute for gunpowder had been gun-
cotton, introduced by Schonbein, in 1816. The idea
of employing this powerful substance had at one
time been almost abandoned, until the researches
of certain chemists—notably those of Professor Abel
—had revealed an easy means of rendering its use
perfectly safe. The most formidable revival which
gun-cotton had yet encountered was unquestion-
ably nitro-glycerine, invented by Sobrero almost
simultaneously with the production of the
former material. Though nitro-glycerine had met
with much opposition on account of the dangers said,
not without foundation, to attend its use, these
dangers had been much over-estimated, as shown on
examination of the circumstances attending many of
the accidents in which it had proved disastrous. The
embodiment of nitro-glycerine in the solid form of
dynamite had, however, after a long struggle with
public prejudice, led to its very extensive employment
as a blasting agent. A short description of subse-
quently discovered substances of a kindred nature here
followed, with a comparative statement of their
relative mechanical explosive powers ascertained
by means of scientifically conducted experi-
ments. From these it would appear that the
highest place on the list of practically employed
explosives is filled by nitro-glycerine. The application
of detonation to the discharge of blasting materials
was then brought under consideration, and some full
observations on the various sources of danger liable to
occur during the manufacture, transit, storage, and
use of nitro-glycerine and other explosives occupied
the remainder of the paper.
A discussion followed, in the course of which some
interesting remarks were made by the Chairman.
A vote of thanks to Mr. Nobel brought the meeting
to a close.
It was stated by the secretary that the success
which had for two years attended thae!tablishment of
the Chemical Section was such atiostify its being
rendered a permanency.,if4

la
"3110 T ,11-;.IE LE GRAPH PAPERThin - • , ,
.h/L2-1
The following interesting description of "Telegraph
Paper" is from The Times:—
The earliest forms of telegraph instruments possessed
a certain economy over those now in use. They were
non-recording, and therefore did not require to be fed
with endless supplies of paper like the more modern in-
ventions. At a comparatively early stage of telegraphic
history, however, paper began to be used for the pur-
pose of recording messages. The Bain instrument in
use some 20 years ago, or more, recorded its signals in
the shape of blue marks on chymically prepared paper;
and the original Morse instrument indented the signs
representing the alphabet on a narrow strip of paper
by means of a stile or pointer, and hence
the name which has always clung to it—the
"embosser." In these days of postal telegraph
paper enters very largely into both the sending
and receiving operations on the wires. The extended
use of the Wheatstone system has greatly increased
the consumption of paper; and it seems improbable
that, for some time to come at least, sounding or non-
recording instruments will be introduced to such an
extent as to materially alter the conditions in this re-
spect. Telegraphic paper is of three kinds— viz , that
used for the Morse, Wheatstone, and Hughes instru-
ments respectively. Morse paper, as it is called, is
that which is most in use, being equally adapted, so
far as recording messages is concerned, to the ordinary
Morse and Wheatstone instruments. This paper is
used in a narrow strip, about three-eighths of an inch
wide, and is of a greenish tint, so as to be less
trying to the sight of the operator than ordinary white
paper. It is usually wound on spindles about 4 feet
long and 8 inches in diameter, and afterwards cut into
rolls of the width required for the instrument—namely,
about three eighths of an inch. Of these spindles, each
containing upwards of thirty miles of paper, no fewer
than 350 per month, or upwards of 4,000 per annum,
are consumed in the postal telegraph service, through-
out the country; so that the total annual consump-
tion of the narrow strip must exceed 130,000 miles.
The paper coil is fitted to the instrument as occa-
sion requires, and is unwound by means of clock-
work whenever the apparatus is started to receiveq
a message. What is known as Wheatstoen
paper is employed exclusively in the sending 1
process of telegraphy. It is sometimes called punch- j
ing paper, because it is perforated full of large and
small holes, indicating the different signs in telegraphy'
before it is passed through the transmitting apparatus.
This paper is white and is of a rather stronger texture
than the ordinary Morse paper, besides being cut up'
into a slightly wider strip. The coils undergo a prepa-
ration in oil before being brought into use, in order
that the paper may be more readily acted upon by the
perforating machines; and for this purpose as many as
500 gallons of sweet oil are annually consumed in the
telegraph department. Nearly 7,COomiles of Wheatstone
paper are used in the postal system in the course of a
year; and this is obtained by cutting up into coils
upwards of 300 spindles of much the same dimensions
as those of the Morse paper. Until very recently all.
the paper used throughout the postal system was cut
and dressed in the telegraph department in London.,
The process, in which a steam engine and severallathea
of peculiar construction were employed, was a some-
what novel one, and often engaged the attentioif
of visitors—on one occasion that of the Emperor
of Brazil, who carried off, a ro I of paper as a memento
of his visit. A mile of Morse paper cut into
i .
the narrow strip required for the instrument only
weighs 21b. 30z., while a mile of Wheatstone paper is
nearly Wb. heavier. The Morse paper, after being
" written " or printed on, is called "slip," and after
being unwound from the instrument, and the signals
translated, k is rewound, labelled, and carefully filed
away, in case it should berequired forreference any time
within the three months during which it is the practice
of the Post Office to keep all messages. These slips
are a kind of "sword of Damocles" hanging over the
head of the unfortunate operator who may
chance to have made an error in the transmission
of a message, for it need scarcely be explained
that they disclose with unerring exactness 'whether
the blunder has been made by the sending or
receiving clerk. In a large office like that at St.
' Martin's-le-Grand many miles of these tape-like re-
ibords must be cor.stantly on hand, and if they could
only be placed side by side with the corresponding
messages sorted away in the vaults underneath they
might tell a curious tale. The same fate awaits both
the " slip" and the messagee, At the end of every',

ad

4 14. .

*WO it* MUM* 1114%.