Weekly national intelligencer., 1846-11-21
THE EXPLOSIVE COTTON.

We have already published an explanation of the
process by which the new explosive is made, from
Professor OTro, who made the discovery simulta-
neously with ScH0NBErN, BoTTGER, and French
man-so that there are four claimants TO the merit
oft. But whether the process is the same in all
cases we cannot say SCH0NBEIN took out patents
for his discovery in several nations: but OTTo more
generously tells us all he knows on the subject.
Here is an extract from one of his reports, which
goes into details
h seems that no other acid than that procured by the
dlaton Of ten parts of satpee and parts of oil of vi
trio will confer upon cotton its explosive power Hy
dnate OF nitric acid dissoyes the
ton In good proper acid the cotton becomes transparent
and the fibre is not injured dissolved The acid by ds-
aon first procured is best Cotton dipped into il for half
mnue and then quickly pressed between glass plates
boards, and washed afterwards until it is entirely free from
acid, and subsequently dried produces superior exploding
article Using the acid secoad time, an inferior article is
made but if afe having been washed and dred it again
dipped into the acid, becomes excellent repetition Of
the manipulation necessarily augments the exploding quality
"Coon may even remain in the acid longer than half
minute That which has laid in II long twelve hours
found to be very explosive II is important that tie
ton be well washed when taken of the acid for if
any remains in it, salpee flavor will attach il when dry
and when exploding will leave any thing white acid
tncure The vivid explosion Of small ball Of the article
white china plate the criterion its good quality BY 1t
must flash like gunpowder and leave dust behind it, II
particle is it cannot be used in guns 1t also ap
pears 10 be necessary that The coon after having dipped
into the acid and pressed be Immediately put into large
quantity Of water. If the cotton be put into insufficient
quantity Of water, it (the coon) gets heated and small
quantities of cotton also preferable for, large forms
into knots of bluhg color, which firm
be easily oosened The the prepared article resembles
the in its natural state the better and powerful il
IS With 54ths 64hs of gran-4S0 grams equal to
English ouncebas of 3 inch diameter driven through
boards inch thick With six grams bullet driven
from rifle distance Of forty five steps, into oak plank
to the depth Of inch and with four five grans eectual
shots have been made with fowng pieces The readily
the cotton explodes the greater The be hand
ling it."
Professor Sch0nben experiment made in presence of
of the editors of the Times tested gun-coon which
had been immersed in water sry days. and found good
when perfectly fresh, after having been ded-Er Post
Common gunpowder, for which this discovery intended
to be substitute is composed Of rs parts Of ntre Is Of
charcoal, and 10 Of sulphur. The sulphur readily gnes
and fires the charcoal generating sufficient heat to convert
the solid nire into gas Of many thousand times its bulk
thus creating the explosive force which drives the bullet from
the gum The only of the sulphur TO convey the flame
with greater rapidy through the It does possess
the slightest explosive power