Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1846-11-27
Explosive Cotton.

The discovery of this new and powerful explo-
sivc agent is likely, if all accounts be true, to
introduce new process and new materials lin
part) for the manufacture of Powder. 1t is at
tracing good deal of attention among scientif-
ic men,and several experiments, which have been
tried at Washington and elsewhere, appear to
have resulted in establishing the importance and
practical usefulness of the discovery. We find
the following account of the composition of the
explosive cotton in the N. Y Erpning Post. 1t
is furnished by Professor Otto, a German, who
claims the, merit of having made the discovery
though this claim is disputed by Prof. Schon-
bein, VI. Bottnger, and others -
at seems that no other acid than that procured by
the dstaton of ten parts of sapere and six parts of
oil OF vlitrol will confer upon raw cotton its explosive
power Hydriae OF nitric acid salpetersdurehydridt)
dssoves the cotton. In good proper acid, the cotton
becomes transparent and the fibre is not injured or
dissolved. The acid by dstilaon first produced is
best Cotton dipped into It for halt minute, and then
quickly pressed between glass plates, boards, and
washed afterwards until it is entirely free from acid
and subsequently, dried produces a superior exploding
article. Using the acid second time, an inferior ar
tice is made but if after having been washed and
dried it is again dipped into the acid it becomes
c,llent A repetition OF the manipulation necessarily
augmen's the exploding quality.
Cotton may even reninn IN the acid longer than
half a minute. That which has laid in it so long as
twelve hours, wasfound to be very exi osve. Its i'm
ken out of the acid any remains in liza so!pets
flavor will attach to it when dry, and when exploding
will leave every thing white acid tincture. The
vivid explosion OF a small ball of the article on white
china plate the criterion to test its good quality by
1t must flash like gunpowder and leave no dust behind
1t. II particle cannot be used i'll guns
1t also appears to be necessary that the cotton, after
having been dipped into the acid and pressed, be I'M
medlaiey pu, INTO large quantity OF water 1t the
cotton be put into insufficient quantity OF water, i,
(the cotton gets heated and small quantities of cotton
are also preferable for, if large, it forms into knots Of
blush green color, which firm not TO be ca
silly oosened The more the procured article
bles the one in its natural state, the better and NOR,
powerful II u.s. With Baths or 6-fhs OF n gran-iSt
! grams equal to an English ounce balls of l-3 inch d
amctcr were driven through boards one inch thick
With six grams bullet driven from rifle, at
r distance OF 40 steps, into All oak plank to the dept
=, OF an inch and with four five grams etectual shot
- have been made with fowlng pieces The more rea
y he cotton eXpodes the greater the care to be Ia
. ken III handling it."
3" Professor Schonben Mt an experiment made in pres
ence OF one of the editors OF the Times, tested SOM
gun cotton which had been immersed in water sixt
days and found as good as when perfectly fresh, ate
IT hiving been dried
The Washington Union in which we find this ex
tract, furnishes an account OF some experiments mad
he with SchonDelns cotton, at the War Office:
10 1he President was present, with three OF the mem
u bers OF his cabinet lie produced the packet, whc
sc Professor Schonben had sent by Mr. Robertson, til
American consul at Bremen, to be opened only in tn
presence of the President The envelop being unsea
ed. mass OF cotton, OF deeper yellow tngc tina
common, presented tsei-nnd weighing about siXt
or seventy grains. Col Talcott, the head OF the Oh
W dnancc Bureau, and Mr.. Robertson, proceeded t
, make some experiments. A small quantity OF tn
prepared cotton laid upon white sheet OF pape
w men touched with annother piece OF paper, on iir
We the cotton nstantaneousy exploded produced sma
TO voumu oisnoke and leaving slight stains with yer
te small particles on the paper The best gunpowd,
he then exploded 1t produced more smoke and lie
OF ger stainsthus showing that the combustion WI
d, more complete in the former than in the latter
A small quantity OF cotton was then thrown SON
IT, grains OF gunpowdcr, but both exploded together
TINS respect as well as the stains upon the paper Il
rb test failed On applying to the tongue these particle
- which were left upon paper by the combustion OF co
lr- ton alone 1t presented the alkaline tastcsiiowir
9, that the fluid in which the cotton had been mmers,
" not completely prepareda portion OF the pota:
oil from the nitrc had been deposited in the vessel and
nc dipping the cotton into it it had imblbed some OF Il
- akali, of the nltre itself.
les Upon Col Talcotts putting of the cotton in
Ia gun, with cap on, an explosion took place wi
' comparatively little noise. On loading the gun
mt ond time, with about ten grains OF the cotton, WI
- of papcr upon il. and "a ball md nnnth"r wad rn.
m them, the gam was fired with smart NOSE IL W
res discharged from the upper window OF the War OHIO
and aimed at the Navy Office, about forty yards d
- tant The ball was found about eight yards from /
ost basement of the Navy Office, from which it had
, coiled after making smart indentaton IN the sto
u wall and so great was the force with which II HI
Eat gone and reboInled, that when it picked up
was found considerably tlattcncd and smashed.
Ii is evident however, that the cotton was 7
prepared i'll the best manner. Mr. Robertson is abe
to have a certain quantity OF the raw material Is
y-iive pounds manufactured in the most scic
his tine manner, and further experiments are TO be
at the arsenal with the delicate machinery which
at the force OF gunpowder We shall take care that the
lie experiments shall be duly reported.