Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-11-26
Explosive Gun Cotton.

In the first OF the French revolution there great
alarm the culote patriots Of Paris The salt
Peire taied-ihere prospect Of the armies being
short OF powderand these worthy philanthopsts
fair be banked in their humane attempts TO CON
fer tho blessings OF Freedom upon Europe the mouth
Of the cannon In that dilemma the OF the great
Chemist, Gay Lussac put requisition he made
enough ntre OF the bones in the catacombs blow up
all the thrones in the world, and the phlanthops
Staying, before, the of humanity and the
rights of
Now, il Gay Lussae had only known that by soaking
sawdust chips shavings. other cheap combustbe
in strong solution OF salt and suphuric acid
stance answering all the purposes OF powder have
been obtained what rafting among the dry might
have been spared One twentieth part of that which he
extracted from the "bones Of his buried ancestors would
have been all sufficient.
We make these remarks n preliminary to the intro
ducuOn OF the following statement:
Prom Journal Commerce.
"CorroN- Observation-Disclosures Schoenbein's grants of
rights for the sale OF his explosive composition though
paid for they may have secured fortune himself
destined prove oe value the parties intended be
privileged. Whatever may be the method Of Schoen-
beins PREPARATION since the letter OF Professor Otto
composition Of powder longer any
But later experiments demonstrate that
by means essential ingredient in tho explosive sub
destined 10 replace gunpowder. At
Of the French Academy of Sciences NJ Peouze learned
chemist who has devoted much time the composition Of
decorating substances showed that nearly all vegetable
productions possessed the properties with
this respect. German DOCTOR finding dear,
discovered less expensive substitute for in wood sha-
Wings and saw dust which, prepared in the
with the cotton, acquired the explosive properties and
became applicable all the of gunpowder
Ii has been demonstrated by TPermen that the
method Of rendering explosive the proposed substance
soak it in highly concentrated nitric acid, mixture
OF nitric and suphuric acid in equal quantities Prof Otto
has addressed the Academy receipts for the prepa
ration of explosive substances.
NJ PelOuze prepared Illuminating paper. From sheet
soaked twenty minutes in nitric then washed and
dned he put piece weighing % English grains into
pistol, from which he herewith ball through plank
the distance OF twenyseve yards, aud ball struck
the wall behind the board with much force become
nauened.
A correspondent at Lyme Regis. Mr.. George Warine
points old record which shows that gancoton IL
altogether invention. "None OF those chemists
who profess be discoveries Of the have acted
ngenuousy they have stated that the method prepar
ing it has originated entirely with them. When found
the method given IN your paFer that nitric acid the
agent employed remembered having read OF a similar
process and result; and referring chemical
da book found the following entry made six
years ago. "Aruhcia Bitter prepared by dgesung ind
co. silk, &C.. in nitric acid) is crysalzabo, burns like
| gunpowder and detonates when struck with hammer
| Brande, p. 925"-Ensltsh paper.
In connexon with this subject beg leave call the
attention Of sportsmen, and the public IN general the
suboined letter Of Mr. Tyrer, well known all over Viz
gina as a with superior in his line. a gentleman
informed yesterday that he had Just witnessed third
series of experiments by Mr.. Tyrer, with revolving pis
to equally satisfactory with those alluded his letter
Mr. Tyrer told him there danger in the gun
cotton than in powder, and that the only reason
why the pistol exploded former OCCASION was its be
ing overloaded. similar accident would have resulted
from a similar of gunpowder. lie impresses the ne
cessy OF fixing the charge Of cotton in the gun such
that particle Of air get it, as other
explosion will take place. or the greatest
care be taken in putting down the wad.
Mr. Tyrer thinks the only thing be determined now
with regard the cotton, is, whether it will keep that IT,
whether will retain its explosive power for any length Of
time, after being exposed to light, &c. II it will, he
thinks eventually suPplant gunpowder entirely.
| TO he EdItgrs Of ne HAg.
GESrLENEN--Cn Tuesday, presence gentlemen
the Explosive Cotton by
AS the fun satisfaction Il them
trial was carrying pound NJ The dis
yards The load gains Of
The ball perforated hard pine plnks inch
Thickness and afterwards through fene 10
Ia order
roughly OF strength Of thu newly invented pow
der. afterwards tried the rifle the target
h.nirtd yards.
The equally SATISFACTORY The bail
/ striking the target and p"rforating both planks
convinced from experiment.
that Explosive Cotton wn shoot with qu
| RunpIvdsT while only fourth Win
load for THIS - great advantage bat possesses
OF greater importance Il rapidly
rendering almost b and no Of
behind with scarcely m1zzi-
clean before fred The
gun all much less than powder every re
| spee, consider i superior a. Funpowdsr
| Yours respectfully, THOs TYRRR
| NOV Maker Redoou.i v,