The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-27 00:00:00

Mr. Nobel, the manufacturer of the nitro-glycerine
which exploded at Newcastle, writes a very interesting
letter to the Times with respect to the explosive character
of the compound. lie commences by saying that it is
high time that the public should know That nitro-glycerine
has won its battle over` the prejudices of the people of
several countries. Notably he instances Sweden and
Norway, in both of which countries it is freely carried by
rail, and has not led to a single accident. In Germany,
too, before the prohibition, thousands of parcels were
sent by rail without causing the least damage. On in-
quiry the writer finds that accidents only occurred
when the parcels were sent under wrong declara-
tions. • Whenever people convey explosive materials
the first thing they ought to know is its nature. With
regard to the minor accidents, Mr. Noble gives a list of
them which we subjoin. Looking over the list of those
minor accidents, of which the cause has been clearly ascer-
tained, which unfortunately with explosives is but rarely
the case, we are forced to admit that the substance has
been strangely abused. In five cases congealed nitro-
glycerine has been melted purposely over • the fire.
In three cases a red - hot poker has been inserted
into the oil in order to melt it. In one case a
man kept a cartridge with a percussion cap and
fuse affixed and lighted in his hand until it blew it off.
In one instance, a man stood watching the burning of a
fuse inserted into nitro-glycerine until it went off and hurt
him. In one case, a captain set fire to a sailing vessel
with a cargo of nitro-glycerine, and people went on
board to extinguish the fire, but saved themselves, seeing
what was the cargo, and the ship was eight hours on
fire before it blew up, which could not possibly have
been the case with gunFowder. In cne instance, two
workmen, while filling cartridges with nitro-glycerine at
the light of a tallow candle, set fire to some gunpowder
strewed on the floor, but found time to save themselves
and carry away considerable quantities of nitro-glycerine
before the explosion took place. In one case two leaky
canisters, full of nitro-glycerine, were soldered under con
tinual reports produced by the heating of drops leaking
out, but caused no accident. In one case a captain of
artillery was hammering on a shell filled with nitro-
glycerine until it exploded and killed him. In one
case a man took to greasing the wheels of his
waggon with nitro-glycerine, knowing what it was,
and it went all right tall it struck hard against some-
thing, and the wheels went to pieces. In one case it
was burnt in a lamp as an improvement on petroleum.
Mr. Noble urges that did we prohibit on the plea of acci-
dents, we should check the use of steam 'and fire,
which would be coming back to the days when igno-
rance and safety went hand in hand. Mr. Nobel then goes
on to say that it is nonsense to talk of substances which
are used in mines exploding by the scratch of a needle,
and cases have been known where parcels of nitro-glyce-
line dropping from a considerable height have been
smashed, and yet have not exploded. Mr. Nobel, from
these facts, comes to this conclusion : " Whenever an
article can be regularly manufactured it may be regularly
used, and accidents are only the result of inexperience—
the want or neglect of instruction." It is . admitted that
nitro-glycerine has its drawbacks, but Mr. Nobel considers
that most of the charges against it are made by persons
who have never seen it. He denies the truth of many
rumours as to its explosiVe qualities, and concludes with
contradicting the Northern Evening Express as to the
accident at Berlin.. He says:—" In these days every
mischief is charged to nitro-glycerine. Thus we read in
the Northern Evening Express that recently a box with
nitro-glycerine exploded at a railway station in the city
of Berlin, and that the simple act of placing it in the
van caused it to explode.' It is a proved and confirmed
fact that it was fulminate of mercury that exploded.
Last year somebody pretended that the mere contact with
oil of turpentine would cause nitro-glycerine to go off.
It has grown to be almost• a truism now, and yet there is
not a particle of truth in the whole story."

FIRE AT NEWCASTLE.—The Northern Evening
Express of Thursday reports a fire which occurred at
St. Anthony's, a village within the borough of New-
castle, about two miles east of the town. A co-operative
store was burnt down. The loss is estimated at 22,000.
The stock was insured for about V.,500. The members of
the store fear that the fire was caused by the wilful act of
some malicious person.

ALARM AT HAMPTON COURT PALACE.--111 conse-
quence of information which reached the officials in charge
of the Royal Palace at Hampton Court on Tuesday after-
noon, it was considered advisable to increase the number
of watchmen on the premises. Accordingly, most of the
gardeners employed were divided into parties, and patrols
were appointed to keep under view the principal ap-
proaches to the palace. Other men were stationed in the
courts and passages, and so a close watch was kept
throughout the night, it being so arranged that the patrols
met at some point or other at very short intery,als.
On Christmas morning a fresh body of men went on
duty, and the watch and guard were kept up through
the day. It is expected that the military guard will be
increased.