The Kanzas news., 1858-03-13
EMPORIA, KANZAS, MARCH 13, 1858. Vol
Vol. l--No. 81.

WOOD and Gunpowder Incombustible.
The day of FIRE annihilators does not seem
to have entirely gone by. A French artil-
lery officer has made singular discovery,
by which all danger from explosion of a
powder magazine may be prevented. His
method is to mix the powder with common
coal dust Its efficacy has been demonstra-
ted on large scale. by filing magazine
with the mixture, and then setting it on fire,
but no explosion took place, and after burn
ing considerable time, the fire was extin
guished by applying water. The gunpow-
der burned like other combustible matters,
such as pitch or tar, from which it is pre-
presumed the dust must have been that of
bituminous coal. When the powder is re-
quired for use, nothing more is needed than
to separate it from the dust by means of
selves, when it resumes its original explosive
property. The theory of this curious dis
covery is very simple-the dust prevents the
several grains of powder from coming in
contact with each other; hence, as one ex-
plodes. the dust prevents the explosion from
reaching another grain, But fire-annihi-
lating discovery, which is much more like
ly to become generally useful, has also been
made in France by NJ. Carperon, who has
made in presence of the Emperor. The pro-
| cess renders wood, tissues of all sorts, dress
es, decorations, DC, absolutely incombusti-
bic. Ladies' dresses of the most gauze-like
materials were set fire to, and would not
burn. An officers tent, containing bed
with muslin curtains, resisted successfully
the application of numerous flaming torches.
A cottage, half of which was secured by
| NJ. Carperon's preparation, and the other
half filled with straw, was set on FIRE on the
unprotected side. The flames quickly spread
and ragged with fury, and consumed half of
the building; but the fire died away when it
reached the prepared part. and left it sound
and altogether uninjured. A tbeater was
then prepared, with all its scenery, robes
and decorations, and repeated attempts were
made to destroy it BY fire, but in yain-it
would not burn. Such a discovery intro
duced into our cities, and applied to the
dresses of the ignorant Irish and German
girls, who are so frequently burned alive by
using camphene, would be great blessing.
Another French continuance, not exactly OF
the same order, is noticed in recent publica-
tions. Its object is to economize fuel, an
article which is enormously dear in Paris
and all other French towns It consists OF
mere pipe of thick sheet iron, into which
logs of wood are thrown, and beneath which
the fire is lighted. This contrivance pro-
duces SO much heat that the apartment is
thoroughly warmed during the day, and al
night the logs, completely eharred, but not
consumed, are withdrawn as charcoal, and
will sell for double their original cost as
wood. The inventor of this chimney is NJ
Renaud, and the French Journals anticipate
great things from it. But it would seem tc
be only modification of the well-knowr
American air-tightstove, which was highly
recommended by an old woman about the
time it was first offered for sale, who declar-
ed that in the morning she put three cents
worth of wood into it, which kept her room
warm all day and night, and that next morn
ing she had sixpence worth of charcoal tc
oil