True Democrat. (Paulding, Miss.) 1845-18??, 1846-11-11
GUNPowDER SUPERSEDED


Cotton tcO.thirds has been made by cee.
brated German chemist, native ofhe city of
Frankfort and simultaneously by chemist of
the city Of Basic, both of whom directed their
experiments to the same object
Cotton, long known to possess explosive
properties, it is know ascertainad and conceded
BY all the scientific men in Germany, is much
superior and less costly than gunpowder, for
every use Of which the latter is susceptible.
The monk and his murderous discovery are
thrown into the shade That which we
have given exclusively to the spinning.wheel,
70 the factor and his thousand looms, will here.
after be shared with the chemist who by the
power OF omnipotent science, will transmute
It into the most terrible instrument of death
Cotton, our staple production, shall henceforth
be fatal to life in greater degree than it has
! previously been one Of its comforts 1t will
clcthe and it will kill-two strange extremes
in the application ola plant apparently so in
nocuous and harmlessl Bullet u.s. to the facts,
as graphically given by the intelligent Euro.
pean correspondent of the Washington Union
He says:
Upon my arrival in this city frankfort
| on-the Main) was invited by friend
distinguished member of the German
Diet, to dine with him, and not declining
his hospitality, met with and was pre-.
sented to Profession BaItger, who, it is but
proper TO remark, is distinguished for his
! attainmrntS, and who has charge of the
public laboratory as chemical lecturer.
Before the separation of the party, Profess
sor took from each of his waistcoat
pockets paper containing raw cotton; a
small portion of that which was in one
he placed in sheet of white paper, and
near it some gunpowder in another paper.
He touched them at the same moment
with the burning end ola cigar, and with
hequicknesS OF Iightning's blast the cotton
was consumed without smoke, or odor, or
even the slightest stain upon the snow.
white sheet Of foolscap; while the igni-
ton of the gunpowder seemed to be slow,
although of the best quality, and the pa
per was burnt and colored, and the room
filled with smoke. He then took a small
quantity ofgunpowder, and placing ii up
on paper, entirely covered it with prepar-
ed cotton from another paper. Touching
the cotton with the blaze of a match, it ex-
ploded without burning the gunpowder
Subsequently, at my apartments, he eX-
ploded cotton on the palm of my hand
without my feeling the sensation Of heat,
such was the remarkable rapidity of its
igniting.
A short time. il is stated by the inven.
tors, is only required for the preparation
Of the article, and the process is so exceed
ingly simple that it can be manufactured !
by common laborerS, and wthoNt any
danger whatever of combustion. 1t can
be fit for use in a few hours after the cot
ton is taken from the bale, and without |
the aid of machinery !; and il may be tho
roughly saturated with water without af- /
fecling its properties injuriously. As SOON
rs re dried, it is again fit for use. There
is nothing 10 opprehend from spontaneous
combustion, nor will it ignite by friction
in its transportation, or in the loading of
firearms, or become inhamed upper tenn
perature Of 200 deg. CleSiuS. Ii will
NutSli hlSi ClltlSl llbtil a DldLt u a cpulhs
The fact has been ascerlancd, from re-
peated experiments, that the forty.eighth
part ofan ounce of the prepared cotton
will prope bullet from an American RI
fle as far and as fast as the twelfth part Of
an ounce Of gunpowder. The sixteenth
part ofan ounce will drive a three-quaTter
ounce ball distance Of sixteen hundred
PAGES Moreover the barrel never requires
Forty shots without intermis-
sion had been made, and witboutany per
ceptible accumulation Of filth, while the
gun was throughout entirely free from
heat In firing 3-pounder the result
was the same in this respect. The exper-
iments in blasting rock with prepared
cotton have also been eminently success
iul. AT Basic a large block of granite,
measuring 240 cubic feet, was blown mp
Dy four ounces, which could not have been
effected with less than two pounds Of su-
peror gunpowder.
Last week, the power Of the article was
tested al meeting OF the British lScieniif-
ic Association-an association composed (
Of the most profoundly learned indIvidu-
ais in Europe they were amazed
with what was accomplished Sir J.
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