Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1846-12-01

'--A4 1I-'A' ~ L w
tbs English ana Eastern paaars are ai~sa,s ing ,c-y
fully t..s discovery.
we mp p, = tint. Il at the nrcntion was 10 ..
ha.t secret: lat are given a. to the manner o.
preparing IT, 81. Wc COP, the following from the EI
t.f5osc American
Professor Otto, Of Brunswick Germany, one Of the
gives ' 4'ao"tng directions Tor making the preplrl-
toa:
.l.or ,u.s.ag exploding cotton II, cata,a, vel
cleaned stfic n''-t be dipped highly concentrated
aci u sa!tr~tga. .aa l which as. i mat BIZ d,sI
ing ten ports r. sa9etre ana SIX parts OIL Of vriol
or sui l.ars aeI3;g then Pnt nto fresh water which,
IS often eengeI, AMI must b. taken loosen thor
ou@hiy the cotton, which, from Tbs process becomes
attte; after which, must ba wei! dried. Thus the
h.rtpt al'9Ie IS ~ state Of preparation for the gun
Professor Otto tilen dds
'Ihe effects OF this article atouish every body who
witness them ne smallest latntty eSpIodes with the
win 'iti.4rf on an anvil II put into gun, SIN Il
Ter quantity III weight w 90 Execution as gun
powder II is use precisely III the rs gun
POWDER ece Of paper beng necessary between it and
the BAL or sot. otefH4rN firing IGNITION Is n
WAYS certain from til explosion q percussion cap
rom another report tn sub eo:. tiae Profess
sor otto after ur1h lnyest oIs, take the follow
Ing extracts:
1t seems thlt no Other aeI thsn that procured bv
the dstiaon Of ten parts oi sItpetrc, aud parts 81
oil OF vtriol. viii confer upon cotton explosive
power. fvdr1tc Of Etrc acl4 saoetre sanrshydriat4
elssolgcs tie cotton. II good proper acid the cotton
becomes transparent, and the fibre injured Gis-
solved The aetd By aistiiatIon first procured
Cotton dipped into it Tor half a minute. and then quick
~ ressei between glass plates, boards, and washed
forwards until II IS e,ltiIey free FROM and
Using the acid Il sccon4 le inferior article ~ tnaio
bat after bag ased aud dried again dipped into
1pul necessarily judgments thu exploding quality
Cotton remain IN the acid longer than a hall
! minute Iilat ysIc.! has Laid LONG IS twelve
hours fonu TO be very explosive.
1T Is important that tn cotton b. well washed when
it's taken out q tie aeld; for i remains in it, salt
favor viii attach g It when dry, and when expo-
will leave anything Ntie dCfi The
explosion OF small ball Ii. article on a hita
china l the criterion to test its GOOD quality ,y II
flash like gunpouJe and leave dust behind il
II particle IS 1t cannot be guns. 1t
also appears to be necessary thai The cotton after havino
been dipped into the acid and pressed be immediate v
put INTO large quantity Of water. Ii the be put
into Insufficient quantity OF water it the cotton gets
heateG ana small quantities Of cotton also preier-
blc for II large At forms INTO nots 81 h.uIS green color
which firm, : BE- easily loose ned The
the prepared article resembles one IN its natural
state. the better ana mora poWeruli 1t - " It'll hs OF
G-Its Of rfdf-4-U graa equal to English ounce
balls Of inch dfalete driven through boards one
inch thick WITH gt4as, bullet driven from RI
He. distance Of - steps, into oak plank The
depth OF an ne' and 1ith four Or five grams etieetua
shots have been nade with towing pieces. The more
readily the cotton eNpo5r<, tn greater be tlken
ia handling ii.
Common guupovder for vhie this scoverv inten.
icd b" substitute 1t must he recoiIectei is conpo
So Of - parts OF ntr 10 of charcoal ANA Of sulphur
The sulphur readily gnites and charcoal gen
Grating sufficient heat solid nitre into gas
81 many times its buik-thus creating the explosive
force which drives the bullet from the gun The only
ate
raPidity through the mess 1t does not possess tn.
slightest ex losiye power
Now cotton. beng WOODY fibre, in extrernei,
minute state Of subdivision represents charcoal anot
form, and when dipped nitric acid and then miners
ell in water becomes pre grated with or in othe
words, 1t l. genuine gunpowLer, with its inamrnabl
nature ignition, Carbon charcoal for generan,
heat, aud nItre for explosion. lnasmuch i
probably carbon than charcoal and
known to furnish Xygen with raPiLity than nitr
itself these materials undoubtedly better calculated
to generate rapid and complete combustion tha
the materials which enter nto the composition Of gun
powder
Having thus given the reader an account OF the man
ncr in which the pso-vc is made. append motto,
Of soue exnerIncnts made with the War Office
few DAYS ayo, which the President and hIs Cabine
were present The preparation used that
President Polk BY Professor Shonben. The Jniol
SAYS
The envelope being unsealcd mass OF cotton Of
deeper yellow tinge than common. presented ltsefanc
weighing about 80 10 grains Col Tacott, the he
of the Ordinance Bureau, and Mr.. Robertson, Aneri-
can Consul Bremen, proceeded to make expert
nents a small quantity OF prepared Cotton lax
unon white sheet OF paper. When touched with anoth
r piece of paper fire, the Cotton instantly exploded
small volume OF smoke and leaving Sigh
stains with very small particles on the paper he bes
cunpowder was then exploded. II produced snok
and left larger stansthus showing that the combustion
was more complete the former than in the latter
4 small quanIty of cotton was then thrown
grains Of cunpo WIDER. bat both exploded together II
this respect well the stains upon paper.
failed. On Supplying the tongue these particles
which were left upon paper by combustion
ton alone. presented the alkaline tasteshow tina
the fluid IN which the cotion had been immersed
completely prepared portion of the potash from ih
had been deposited IN the vessel and IN dipping tbs
cotton had bib>d OF the aIkali,
OF the nitre itself.
Upon Gel Talcot,s putting q the cotton intc