The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-10-31
From the Raleigh Standard.
GUN CoTToN-IMPoRTaN

The Washington Union Of Saturday last con.
tains some interesting statements in rela tion to the
discovery of Gun Cotton, TO which we alluded
last week. The European correspondent of the
Union says this article " will undoubtedly even,u
ate in the dlscontinuance of the use of gun now.
der! IL lh's should prove true, The demand Tor
cotton will be wonderfully augmented. The
Union says:
"The question comes M, whether. with these
experiment before us, so directly vouched for. as
they are, by one of our most intelligent citizens.
it does not become the duty of the War and NAVY
Departments to investigate the subject, and to in
slitute a series of experiments as soun as thew can
communicate with The authors or the paten,ee,
we say patentees, because we understand that
the first step has already been taken TO take out a
patent right in our Patent Office"
The European correspondent Of the Union.
writing from " Frankfort on the Maine, - avs
"Upon my arrival in this city I was invited by
p friend, a distinguished member Of the German
Diet, TO dine with him, and not declining his hos
pltaiity, l met and was presented To Professor
Baltger who it is but proper TO remark is dislin
guished for his attainmenis. and who has charue
"t the public laboratory as a chemical lecturer
Before the separation Of the party. Professor b.
TOOK from each OF his walslcoat pockets, a paper
containing some raw cotton; a NAL portion of
that which was IN one he placed upon a sheet of
whiie paper, and near 1t some gunpowder upon
uO'Hc Shcet. Il tOucneu lneGn at the same
moment with the burning end of a cigar. and with
the quickness Of the lightning's blast, the cotton
was consumed without smoke or odur, or ashes.
or even The slightest stain upon the snow white
sheet of foolscap; while the ignition of the GUN.
powder seemed to be slow, although of the bes,
quality, by which the paper was burnt and col.
ored, and The room filled with smoke. He tLen
took a small quantity of gunpowder and placed i,
upon paper. entirely covered with prepared cotton
from the other paper. Touching the cotton with
the blaze OFT match, IL exploded without burning
the gunpowder! subsequently, at my apartments,
he exploded cotton upon the palm of my hand.
without my feeling the sensation of heat, such
was the remarkable Tapidity of its ignitinq.
"a short time, it is stated by the inventors, is
only required for the preparation of the article. and
the process is so exceedingly simple that il can he
manufactured by common laborers, and wiihou,
any danger whatever OF combustion. II can be fl
for use in a few hours after the cotton is taken
from the bale, and without The aid cf machinery
and 1t may be thoroughly saturated with water
without affecting lis properties iniuriously. As
soon as re-dried, it is again fiji for use. There is
nothing TO apprebend To it from its spontaneous
combustion, nor willitignite by friction in its trans
portation, or IN the loading of fire arms, or be.
come infiamed under a temperature of 200 d.
Cieisus. IL will catch fire, either from a blaze or a
spark.
The fact has been asCeriained from reLeated
experiments, that the forty-eighM part ofan ounce
OF the prepared cotton, will prupel a bullet from an
American rife as far and as fast The t,celfh part of
an ounce gnnpowder. The sixteenth part of an
ounce will drive a three quarter ounce ball a dis.
lance OF sixteen hundred pacesl Moreover, the
oarrei never requires cleaning. Forty shots without
in'ermisslon have been made, and without any per-
cePtibie accumulation of filth, while the gun was
throughout entirely free from heat. In firing a g.
FOUNDER, the result was the same in this respect.
The experiments in blasting rocks with prepare
cotton have also been eminenlly successful. At
basle large bluck of granite, measuring lao
cubic feet was blown up by four ounces, which
could not have been effected with less than two
pounds Of superior gunpowder.'