The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-01-30

Hainmer'ain, of Zurich, who> died in 1856 wrote dir
ogue, with the title of 'De NoJiitae a Rmsticitafe" in
winch he makes mention Of the achymist Berhod Niger
and OF his invention of gunpowder and arquebusses H.
e 3olh chapter is stated that Singer the adept intended
70 prepare the quicksilver make hard silver
Tor which purpose he mixed sulphur and saltpetre with
II, put the composition in copper pot and placed
IT over fire. The pot soon burst accompanied
by tremendous explosion. He changed the nature
oil his experiments and the result the discovery of gun
powder This is the oldest document be found in which
he Is mentioned as the inventor 1t was Mt hat time Gus
tom to call men by Latin names, which accounts foy
Schars alias Black, Tin Engh receiving the appeation
of Niger The work of Hammer ain was written abou,
the 1850 and yet he that the discovery had been
made two hundred years before IL this be true Schwarz
must have lived al earlier period than that mentioned by
authors who have spoken of him since the of printing
was discovered. Albert the Great a bishop of Suaba
born 1893, contemporary of Bacon notices the article OF
gnnpowder, in work which he wrote entitled irabh.
bus mmndi Among other things, he gives directions 70,
manufacturing what he terms 'hyng-e," which is as
iolows' Take one pound of sulphur, pounds
Goals OF willow wood, six pounds of saltpctre and
grind them together marble after which, put
part OF the composition into paper cover, and il
will produce thunder. The paper in order to ay mus,
be long, thin, and firmly filed with powder but to sue
coed well in making oud thunder it should be short thick
and only hall full Albert the Great lived to the age of 81
and 1t quite evident that the of making gunpowdeI
was known to him about the time that was promulgated
by Roger Bacon Beckman is of opinion that article
was IN use IN the 2th century, and that rocks blown
up with it AT the mines Gosl Hanover as early as
then.
Thus you have all the fac is that have been enabled to
collect respecting the discovery and history of gnpowde
The generally received opinion that Schwarz was by the
merest accident, the inventor. He monk, who EN-
ployed his time in making chemical experiments, and
while preparing an article similar gunpowder, spark
fell from his candle and igned his composition, by which
the pestle that he was pulvcrizng it with in mortar
was thrown up distance This conveyed the idea TO
the monks OF throwing stones by moar-pieces sub
sequeny to the construction OF bombs 1t be doubted
that composition of combsble similar to gun
powder was known to the Chinese and East Indians in
the early ages and learned Greek professor in GERMANY
has undertaken show that it erplosipe cotton Ia
chronological tables generally the period the discovery
gunpowder is stated be in the year $780, Schwarz
was the INVENTOR there is mistake in the date of
ry and whether he not that Roger Bacon
and Albert the Great understood process manufnc
turing it then.
Chemists in the belief, that gun-cotton already il
more effective, for all explosive purposes than gunpowde
for the first five hundred years after il became gener
ally known The genius of science which distinguishes
our times and by which it discovered will assuredly
remedy mperections in its properties which may be
essential to its extended adoption for wake pu
poses 1t is subject that interests the United States
ymuch more than all the remainder of the world And they
should not from narrow policy, withhold from the inven
tors that remuneration which they justly deserve Whether
aliens or citizens, should literally reward those who
make inventions by which are benefited. We would
thus encourage science TO persevere in foreign countries
and matters not what works out, invariably will be
the chle benehclaries The consumption of
constantly augmentng 1t is sold under licence with
the penalties gunpowder in most European state.
1t is used in theatres for fireworks for blowing up rocks
&C., &c* feel confident, did first that it is uti.
matey and before the end of this century, supersede the
OF gnpowder altogether and it also be introduced
for other purposes thought of at present
observe that mechanic at Berlin has already applied
it to the propelng OF machinery small SCALE Such is
the progress which science and mechanism making
that from day to day some of de-
veoped to the world. Nothing that does come in direct
opposition the imnutable laws of mposs
bc There is stopping place. Incredulty is disarmed
Of its weapons as the end of old was by the spell of the
Sir Humphrey Davy, the great philosopher of
his day. when it proposed illuminate the streets of
London with gas asserted that such measure was as i'm
practicable slice from the and use it as an
Illuminating power Now, you behold fourh-rate cities in
the United States, remote from coal fields brilliantly lighted
up with this unconguating spirit while it is in use i'm
every respectable in Europe 1t is estimated that
average, eight hundred of Goals are used by
the London gas companies daily 1t is scarcely ten wears
since the learned Doctor Lardner asserted in the most
positive manner that vessels propelled by steam would
succeed in navigating the Atlantic an opinion
in which most of the English merchants conceded |
Now, You behold steam ships running weekly between
England and America, making their passages with
the regularity of stage, and umphany encounternr the
most rshtul hurricanes and storms. Francis Fortune
who predicted that from London Bristol would be
made upon rail in four hours, stunned maniac
Now behold the distance travelled little more
than two hours and from London Exeter, via Bristol
go miles, in four hours and half including stoppages
1t is but yesterday that first heard of the magnetic
telegraph Now, you behold in the United States lines in
various directions according the Statement Of Mr. Ken
DALI to the length of 300 miles 1t is improbable bur
that this lightning will yet make circuit
OF the globe. An experiment, with the submarine tee-
graph at Portsmouth, England few days since encour
ages belief of the kind. The given of it state.
The fact of the acting ready return conductor
established beyond questions for this most thor
oughy repeated experiments made in the of
of the principal dock-yard authorities including the
heads of the engineering departments. There be no
doubt hout reference to distance the cafer cH act as
return conductor completing the circuit Independent of
the simplicity of this submarine telegraph it had an adyan-
age which the telegraph, land do not possess In
the event o! accident it be replaced ten minutes
The of the trial here, has, understand deter
mined the inventors to lay down their contemplated line
the channel from England France under the sane
tion Of the respective governments"
Should the enterprise succeed in connecting the capitals
of Great Britain and France with continued magnetic
line of communication the obstacles will be removed as re-
CARDS practicabity similar between Wash
gton and Pakn If the British channel can be crossed Bcb
rings straits can be crossed In NIL that the annha
ton OF space we naon peculiarly Interested with
the facilities afforded by the telegraph for intel gence in
tercourse Where will be San Francisco the mouth of
the Columbia and Santa Fe and Monterey and Tampico
twenty years hence Nearer Washington by eighteen
Or twenty days, than ST. Louis 1872
Twill conclude this letter with extract from Sir Fran
els Heads new work, The Emigant which especially
the perusa of such of fellow citizens as
,ticG, 1,yifb