The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-07-26
The Late Explosion.

Explosion OF satpetre, or g explosion" as applied
~ clange N matter IS differently understood by
inherent men Lexicographers give various defini-
uons without conveying any clear or concise idea
OF ihe word The writers ON chemical science are
not more explicit, when, as is often the case sex
ploslon y or instantaneous combustion ar. ay
anonymously used. A large MAJORITY az men snnnoss.
liiht deonation, such ~ Is caused by combustion of
gunpoWder IN cannon, is essential To constitute an
eAPossioh II we can arrive AT general understand
ing OF the word Explosion" and If we adm, Ia,
Croker " Warren's store was DESTROYED nv An exnl,
son. then we have facts enough shaw that The exIo
sion caused by saltpetre and not by gunpowasr
aud that such an explosion could nor be caused by
gunpOwder unless IN greatly damaged state
Defamation is not always the result OF an explosion.
as is shown in firing gunpowder in open space A
suitable explanation of"exposion" may be an nstan-
taneous change OF matter from solid TO gaseous
state, III firing gunpowder-or from gaseous TO a
solid state, as in the formation of water The force
OF an explosion is the sudden increase Of bulk of
matter IN assuming the gaseous form, which in gun
powder amounts TO several hundred times, and IN
water to nearly two thousand times. The former
dlsengagng nitrogen, and the latter hydrogen and
oxygen the hydrogen alone forming 1925 times the
bulk of the water.
Salpeme forms about rs per cent ofbest gnnpowder
and 80 per cent OF the most powerful Illuminating
powder. In one case, sub-carbonate OF potash and
sulphur, and IN the other sulphur and carbon small
quantities are added to assist combustion. Now it
is easy to show that enough of these last named
substances to cause explosion, were with the seve-
hempen sacks and DOORS floors, and other wood
work, would furnish carbon, and then there would
be sufficient heat TO decomposc the water and set
free the hydrogen, which is good substitute
for the sulphur, and the three together would form
tolerabe gunpowder.
But without the sacks, the wood. or the water,
there was ample matter to foam powerful explo-
sye powder. II is conceded that a quantity OF shell
lac was stored with the saltpetre. Shelac is gum
from the coccus lacca, and contains nnety-one per
cent OF highly iniiammabe resin, and at a high
temperature Is equal 10 sulphur aid in combus-
ton. Lac resin gives IN one hundred parts hydro
gen, eight, oxygen twenty-five and cdIbon slxtyfive
Here then we have together the nire, the carbon,
and I'm the resinous properties OF the LACY substl-
tute for the sulphur, the three items which consti-
tnte gnnpowder. True, they are not SO intimately
mixed, or IN the exact proportion required for mo-
dern warfare, and therefore the combustion could
not be as perfect or as instantaneous, and hence,
less force and less defamation, but longer continu-
ance, and the flame rising TO greater height on ac
count of the imperfect combustion. Gunpowder in
perfect state would have exploded more ns,anta-
neously or quicker, and have broken more glass,
have thrown down more buildings, gwen greater
detonation, but less flame and instead OF increasing
would, probably, have extinguished the fire by the
quick and perfect combustion.
In confirmation of the explosive nature ofsaltpetre,
we may examine the details Of the burning and
blowing up of three American vessels-one school,
ner loaded with saltpetre, lying at the 6hari in Bos
ton--and more recently the ship Virginia, OF New
buryport, loaded with hnseed and saltpetre, which
blew up near Calcutta, 9th May last.
The ship Harold, of and for Boston from Calcutta
Oct 20, 1899, So days out, in lat 80 s. long. rs 25
W., was found to be on fire in the forward part
(where large quantity of llnseed was slowed and
most probably by spontaneous ignition The boats
were launched and provisioned, and all hands en-
barked but before the ollyboat was cast loose the
fire reached the salpete in the main hold, and the
ship blew up-the flame rising to great height and
from the description gwen of the scene, it pre-
cisely similar to the explosion OF Crocker& Warren 5
store. Those in the ioy-boat Jumped overheard,
and Mr.. Bell of N. H., Henry Parkman, Henry Err
wing, 5. =. Nash, LIST mate, and seaman, all Of
Boston, were drowned. Capt. Howes, Mr. Austin,
supercargo, Blunt, 2d mate, and II seamen, after
seven days in the longboet landed thirty miles north
Of Pernambuco. The cargo consisted of 37i4
bags saltpetre, As chests indigo, III bales COW,
goat and buffalo hides, al bags gnger, ~ bales cot
ION goods, l7i5 bags hnseed, 2S6 bales and 436 bun
dies gunny bags, 30 bales gunny cloth, 40 bales
hemp, and 200 boxes teel oil.
Among the passengers lost, was the writer's high
ly esteemed friend. The details are, therefore,
wildly in mind-and surely the cargo, like the
store referred to, comprised all the elements of the
best formed gunpowder G.