The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-04-27 00:00:00

April 27, 1847.

of ton had been increased to eight ounces, and the depth
of the blast-hole had been doubled, it would have torn up
the firmly-bound bed of stone to a proportionately greater
extent ; this would not have been the case with a qua-
drupled charge of gunpowder, as the effect of that would
merely have been to project the stone it ruptured to a
greater distance.—Another experiment was the insertion
of four ounces of cotton in a hole bored six feet deep in
hard blue clay : from this, scarcely a particle was thrown
from the surface, and the perceptible effect was a consi-
derable expansion of the soil at the edge of the cutting :
to have blasted the clay with gunpowder, 31bs would have
been requisite. Other experiments followed, wherein the
force of equal quantities of cotton and powder was tested
the results invariably showed that the cotton loosened and
rendered workable by far the largest masses of rock : the
powder threw up the fragments of stone to an immense-
height, and as one powder-blast exploded after another,
they gave a vivid idea of the mode in which missiles are
projected from the crater of a volcano.—The workmen on
the line (of whom there are nearly a hundred at this cut-
ting) seemed to think that the effects of the gun-cotton'
were far superior to those produced by the use of gun-
powder, and much less dangerous ; and in this opinion
one of the engineers present coincided. The testing oc-
cupied nearly three hours, and was viewed by a few
_gen-
tlemen from Stamford and the neighbourhood, who, dur-
ing the preparation of the experiments, were hospitably
and liberally entertained by Mr. F. Whincup, of Greeston
House.—lt was stated that no less than twenty tons of
gunpowder have been used weekly for blasting purposes
on the different lines of railway now in the course of con-
struction in this country. The gun-cotton is inclosed in
tubes of various sizes according to a known weight, though
it is sometimes used in a loose state, as was the case with
some of the experiments on Tuesday last.—At a recent
trial of the gun-cotton in some beds of millstone grit of a
close quartzose character, on the Manchester and Hud-
dersfield railway, an eminent engineer gave it as his _opi-
nion that, when the miners shall gain confidence in its
use and give it fair play, it will exhibit a power at least six
times that of blasting-powder, and will ensure a safety
and rapidity of action which could not be derived from
powder.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

CHESTER SPRING MEETING

" To begin at the beginning," I shall start with the
Gvosvenor Stakes, on Tuesday, (which has four races on
the list,) in which five horses are engaged. If Mr—Green
thinks that his Princess Alice is the best of his lot,: she
will have to be very smart on her " pins" if she can beat
Burlesque. One or the other will win ; the latter for
choice.

The Chesterfield Handicap will rest between AliwaL
St. Leon, the Horn of Chase, and Dipthong. Aliwai
shall be my winner.
The Two Years' Old Stakes will be confined to Bever-
lac and the Stinger. The latter, I think, will just barely
win ; but it is said Glen Saddel wi

finish first. He
lay ; but I connot have him for my pick. The ground
for this race is the place to pick the winner.
SweePstakes of five Sons.—SrUuggler Bill will have no
difficulty in stowing away. _ _

WE-DNES DM(
The Corinthian Stakes has 6 nominations, Pantaca
The Roper's Daughter, and Fair Rosamond are the best
I anticipate they will come in as I have placed them
Next comes the great event of attra
pitating hearts will soon discover the
alone can chronicle with exactness.
THE CUP
has an acceptance unprecedented, out of which I expect
to see thirty or more contend for it. Should the pre-
sent delightful weather continue, there will be some
considerable changes, but shod it happen to tumble
down to wet, then the spirit or speculation will be rife
upon the elder class of competitors.
Sweetmeat is the first on the list. His past perform-
ances have been good, but I doubt if he can carry the
weight of Bst. 121 b. and win.
Inheritress is in with a much better weight, and will
take a deal of beating.
Dulcet, at present- the first favourite, is certainly well
performed, but his victories have only been over second-

Many pal

secret, which time

Mendicant is well bred, but if not in better form than
when she ran at Liverpool, she may as well be kept at
home. Report says she is in rare fettle.
Annandale, by the same sire, one year old(
same weight, ought to beat her

and the

Surely

St. Laivrenceis determined to try once more
this will be his last attempt.
Newcourt, if his temper be all right, will be a stupid
customer to settle upon should he win. _ _ _ _

The two Queens are good ones ; but for either of them
to have the least chance it must be wet weather. Prin-
cess Alice's chance will be governed by the previous day's
running. Lord Saltoun is a very game little horse.
Tntrepid is too well known to need any comment from
me. Gwalior is of the same school.

Tom Tough, Master Downes, and Mickey Free will
help to swell the field ; but of their winning I think it i 5
very doubtful.

liateliffe, should he not be one of those that are nob-
bled, I should think has a good chance ; but it is very'
dubious how the land may lay with him.
Maid of Lyme and Plaudit are two good mares ; but I
doubt much if either a ill be the first to pass the post.
Roderick can yet run well, but he is rather too old.
TheM Magnet
b
et heb
asable to
been running
him.
inga good deal this year, but
Ratcliffe must
Sylvanus has recently come into the market
he be as good as Tom 'rough remains to be
Farthing Candle has a good ellen:-
none in my opinion.
The Lamb will yet prove a very quiet sul
Probable that it may not stnrf •, whether

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n England;

of his ability