The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-11-22
NEW YORK HERALD.
aew York. sunday, November ~, Isfe.
New Discoveries-rhe Progress OF Science In
America-Our Tremendous Power for


New Discoveries-rhe Progress OF Science In
Amerlca-Our Tremendous Power for
Peace War.
When Professor Morse discovered a method to
make the lightning :" bearer of dispatches" and
even " common carrier of messages from nser-
chant TO merchant, and from tender wife in one
city to anxious spouse in another, people in the
exuberance Of their astonishment, believed that
the march of intellect could no further 60. But
quite as important discovery has lately been
made, il would appear, almost simultaneously, in
England, Germany and America. This discovery
consists in the fact that cotton, saturated in
nitric acid, possesses an explosive quality equal,
if not SUPERIOR 10 that of gunpowder
As usual, in such cases, there is quite number
ofclamants of the merit OF prior discovery. This
vexed question we are at present unprepared to
pass upon. II is with the grand and important
results necessarily accruing from the discovery,
that we have at present TO deal.
What is almost incredible about this gun.cotton
is, that the material is absolutely annihilated in
exploding. II gives out neither smoke nor odor,
but passes off in q mere flash, leaving behind no
residue. It detonates less loudly than gunpow-
der, and is not, we believe, inflammable exposed
TO an equal degree of temperature. 1t requires
the application of spark, but is as easily ex-
ploded when touched off. The cotton Is prepar.
ed by being saturated in highly concentrated
nitric acid, or in mixture of nitric and sulphuric
acid in equal quantities When afterwards
washed and dried, it will explode, and it matters
not how long it be soaked in water; it will, when
dried, be as strongly explosive as before.
We find that the red men of the forest, before
the advent of civilization, were acquainted with
mode of producing ignition. In an account of
voyage made to North America in the reign Of
Elizabeth, the following passage occurs
One day, while most of the men absent their
several duties multitude OF the natives show ed them
selves throwing dust upon their heads leapng and
ming like brute beasts having wizards their faces like
dogs faces, else their faces dogs faces indeed
We greatly feared lest they should set the ship fire.
for they would suddenly make fire whereat we much
marveed They came to windward of our ship and set
smokes but they came within reach of
shot shot at them and striking one of them in the
thigh, they all presently hed and them
more
The natives of New Guinea were also, in Capt.
Cooks time, acquainted with some mode of pro-
ducing fire, as will be seen by the following AK
tract:-
Three Indians rushed out OF a wood with hdeous
shout about the distance of 100 yards and they
towards the foremost threw something out of his
hand which burnt thy like gunpowder, but made
report. What these fires were we could not imagine
We saw fire and smoke resembling those of musket
and OF no longer duration.
Neither of these modes could have been by
friction as practiced by the Sandwich islanders;
ignition must have been produced by the use of
some preparation.
The preparation of this gun cotton is so simple
that tine material in its explosive state will cost
much less than gunpowder. 1t possesses so many
advantages over the latter, that il must
come into universal use. Not being liable 10
injury from damp other extraneous causes.
Giving out, in Combustion, neither smoke nor
odor, il viii be great deal better adapted to the
uses to which gunpowder is at present applied
The frequent discharge of artillery and mu sketry
in battle will not be attended, in the use of this
new explosive, with the inconvenience hitherto
experienced from the smoke which, as in the bat
tie of Resaca de la Palma, often conceals the hos
tile armies from each others view, and impedes
the necessary operations. In blasting rocks, too,
it can be used with greater facility and to more
advantages than gunpowder.
Such and so many being the advantages of
the new explosive, it must in very short period
supersede gunpowder altogether this will turn
the attention of the entire world to our cotton
growing States. Our Southern States can grow
cotton sufiient to supply any demand, however
large. The value of property in the South will
ries of Texas will soon become cotton fields for
Texas produces cotton equal in fineness of fibre,
TO any other State; and our country will become,
even in greater degree than heretofore, the mart
of the world, as well in that commodity which
destroys life, as in that which sustains it.
It is singular how rapidly this new discovery
has been taken up in this country In England,
its consideration is confined to few scientific
men and the ministers of war and marine. Here,
its use is canvassed and experimental upon,
from North to South, and from East to West. In.
dividual enterprise will soon bring it into unver-
5 al use; while in England and other countries of
Europe, the practical of the discovery will be
in the hands of the government alone.
1t is thus with other scientific discoveries
Steam has been brought into operation in this
country to an extent which in Europe has no par.
allel Our whole Atlantic coast, and great par,
Of the interior, presents an immense network OF
railroads, which is extending its meshes day by
day, until at length one can travel to any point oil
the compass by railroad, except where rivers in
tervene and what river of any note in the
United States is without its steamboat
Ii is thus also with the magnetic telegraph In
Europe, the governments for their own safety, as
well as for convenience, are obliged to maintain
teegraphs, but here they have been Instituted by
individual enterprise. They are stretching from
this point to the far West, to Canada, to New
Orleans, and in time will extend to the shores OF
the Pacific, thus bringing New York within
twelve days of China.
This is great country
MAGNETIC TKLEoRAPH.-We understand that
Messrs. Livingston Wells, OF Wall street, have
procured from Professor Morse the right TO con-