The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-28 00:00:00

New Explosive Material.

The accident at the Wyoming Hotel on Sunday will
probably prove to be the announcement of the advent of
a now explosive material. We have heard so much during
the war of torpedoes and other infernal machines that the
community came naturally to the conclusion, on the first
account, that the mysterious box so long neglected in the
hotel-cue talntertnrirreFiniiiii-Of the destructive devices of
our enemies. But the statement of Leers that the box
contained specimens of "chemical oils," brought here with
a view to make money, and with no evil purpose, is in all
likelihood true. Leers brought the box from Hamburg,
which place he left in June. Some few months before that
a chemist of Hamburg, Mr. Alfred Nobel, announced the
discovery of a new blasting oil, which ho claimed would
supersede gunpowder for all ordinary explosive purposes.
Nobel's compound produces an explosion five times the
volume of gas produced by an equal weight of gunpowder,
and, as its inventor claims, has thirteen times the power. It
is a chemical compound of thirty-seven parts of nitric acid
with one of glycerine. This nitro-glycerine is a yellowish
oily fluid in appearance. It is not soluble in water nor
explosive in fire. It detonates under certain circumstances.
The accident in Greenwich-street answers in all respects
to an explosion of this material, especially in terrific power.
It is evident that the explosive material was a fluid; there
was some evolution of gas just before the explosion, giving
out an odour that was mistaken for that of hydrochloric
acid, and when the box was let fall on the street there was
a sufficient blow no doubt to explode a detonating com-
pound. Before the box was carried out flames issued from
it, and Nobel's nitro-glycerine will burn without ex-
ploding.
Nobel's compound, though without the immense force of
chloride of nitrogen, has been found to possess great power
in mining operations. Had General Grant at the time the
mine was run under the rebel works at Petersburg placed
in it a weight of this material equal to the weight of gun-
powder placed there the explosion would have simulated
an earthquake. He would have shaken down every fort
that stood between the two armies and every house in
Petersburg, and would have made himself felt through-
out the territory then held by the enemy. It is difficult
to say what might have become of the two armies. This
chemical discovery is one more of the secrets of nature
secured by science; and it is still safe to say that we aro
only on the threshold of discovery in this direction. Gun-
powder, nitro-glycerine, and chloride of nitrogen stand
perhaps as only A B C in the ascending series of explo-
sive forces with which the great operations of nature have
been wrought. By their aid wo may dimly guess at the
powers whose explosion piled up such ranges of granite
as the Rocky Mountains, the Andes and the Alps ; at the
lesser powers that have torn open the mountains through
which great rivers, as the Hudson, flow to tho sea ; that
have "dusted down the domes" of cities like Lisbon, and
that require such vast vont holes and safely valves as
Vesuvius and Etna. By considering the earth as ono
grand chemical laboratory, with forces of unknown and un-
imagined power operating within it according to fixed laws,
we can gain a better conception than in any other way of
of the operations of nature that have most astonished the
world, that have been most regarded as impenetrable mys-
teries, and that have been most used by superstition to
darken the human mind.-21'er York 11(rgltl.

A CANADIAN VIEW OF FENIANISII.—We question
(says the Toronto Globe) whether anything so irredeemably
ridiculous as the Fenian conventions and congresses in
the United States ever attracted so much attention. Day
by day the proceedings of the convention, or such a sum-
mary as the leaders choose to furnish, come over the tele-
graph wires as though it was interesting news. Some
men can hold conventions for objects possible of Otain-
ment, and pass comparatively unnoticed. But by virtue
of its very craziness the Fenian convention secured the at-
tention of the whole continent. " When I talk seriously
to you," said a parson to his hearers, "you fall asleep ;
but were Ito bring a fool here to talk nonsense, you would
be all attention." That parson would think his view of
human nature confirmed if he witnessed the amount of at-
tention given to the Fenians who aro "exhibiting" before
the American public. For surely never before did silly
people do such silly things as did the Fenian delegates in
their recent deliberations—that is, if their proceedings can
be properly called deliberations.. What a fine touch of the
absurd it was to hold "secret" sessions—just as though
Fenian conspirators could ever keep secret any real mis-
chief which they might intend to attempt. On every pre-
vious occasion the informer has been as inevitable a cha-
racter in Irish rebellion as the rebel leaders themselves.
If a dozen men conspired to do a traitorous act, there was
always one of them to rush to the nearest representative
of the Government and betray the whole plot. What a
joke it is, at this time of day, for the loaders of this, the
most ridiculous of all attempts to revolutionise Ireland, to
pretend that it is worth their while to hold their meetings
in secret.

We look upon the American branch of the Fenian busi-
ness as comparatively harmless. Beyond cheating its
dupes out of their money, it can do little mischief. In-
deed, we think it may do good, by rendering more certain
the betrayal of the plots of the conspirators of Ireland,
though they aro perhaps sure enough to be betrayed in any
event. The Fenian leaders in the State have no notion of
risking their precious persons by attempting to invade
Ireland, and if they had serious intentions of that kind they
could never manage to carry them out. If they relied
upon American assistance they would bo disappointed—
for the native American has hardly any prejudices stronger
than those which ho feels against the class of people who
make up the Fenian Brotherhood. His best joke at their
expense is to compare them to the negroes, and to rank
both as low as possible in tho scale of humanity. One
might search Britain through without finding such bitter
contempt against those people as exists in the United States.
Fenianism in the States is comparatively harmless, because
it is never brought in contact with the object of its hate.
There is more chance of mischief from Fonianism in
British territory. In Ireland, for example, it might load to
outrages upon the loyal portion of the population, or to
the destruction of property.
The Memorial de la Loire states that the riband
manufactory is extending itself considerably in that de-
partment. A great number of weavers who were idlerin
are
fully employed since the conclusion of the civil wa
America. The manufacturers have received large orders
within the last week, and it is expected that the long
by
the
dull
season, of which the effects are experiencedstillh: improvement in
operative classes, is finally closed. T
trade is not only beneficial to the riband weavers but like-
wise to the lace makers. The wages of the weavers has
been increased one-third, and they look forward to a com-
paratively prosperous winter after four years of suffering.
ADVERTIBZIIIENT.I -Avoid medicines•. they always aggri.-
Tate chronic complaints, bat Du Barry's Delicious Healtl.-
Restoring Revalenta Arabica Food, which yields three times
nourishment of the best meat, saves fifty times its cost
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strong nerves, sound lungs, healthy liver, pure blood, re-
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agitation.—Cure No. 1,771. Lora Stuart de Decks. Lord
Lieutenant of Waterford. of many years' dyspepsia.—No.
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Jacobs, of extreme nervousness, indigestion, gatherings, low
spirits, and nervous fancies.—Cure No. 54,816. The 11ev. Jas,
'V. Campbell, Fakenham, Norfolk, "of indigestion and torpi-
dity of the liver, which had resists I all medical treatment."
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