The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-11-07
mr GREENWICH STREET EXPLOSION.
what Was che Fatal Compound I'm tne
Mysterious Rox.-NItro- Gi ycerine, or
the New Blasting Oil, sc.

tine New B1asting Otl, &C.
TIC alarming and disastrous results pfoducea ny inc
explosion OF the compound contained IN small nox' IN
mont Of the wromne Hotel Greenwich street, in this
r,,v lash sunday forenoon have induced much anxious
,pav "a 20 tho nature OF the destructive material with
which he hox WINS fcd The explosion OF course was
"a comucte hst pone OF the material left for ex-
animation but the fact that this box recently came
nom Hamburg and sent specimen for sale, we
are led believe that 1t contained jars OF tho recently
.Siscoycred explosive compound of Mr. Nobel the Ham
burg chemist This materel has lately beon sent 10
anerens parts of Europe from Hamburg FOR use n
mining opcra,ions 1t has had great succes, ana uouc
Hess lie Hamburg dealers as good business men, desired
10 push their article 70 sale IN tls country arse
Tie new blasting material Is light yellow oily lud--a
conpound OF slycerine and nitric acid it, chemical For
Inula giving iS parts OF oxygen; eha BIZ Nonei claims
that as by combustion the caroon ,aSe5 ~ a,ohs OF
leaves a surplus o only Iie states, moreover, that
zach 100 parts OF exploded blasting OIL leaves residue
olarbonic acid, IS: water, l0 oxygen, 3ls and miro.
uen As 100; and that tho specific weight O. the
oil Is 10 volume produces nearly 800 volumes o.
vas-that 10 say steam 55i carbonic acid, i69 oxy
gen. 80 and niirogea 2s6=l ,23S volumes. Weight fof
weight the blasting oil bears very favorable cos&fso
with gunpewder which Is calculated 20 produce
rine would consequently appear 10 be- o'her iuiyns
beng equal about five times as elective as Suhp."ugI'
But Mr. Nobel goes further than this ior nc ie.,As
Is difficult to determine the degree "a hcss ~
duced by exploding substance, and tha' ac =
theory the blasting OIL account OF It's copiets e
bustion ourbt TO develop more intense heat than gun
powder, and this appears TO be borne oat oy ~,
whence he assumes that tho heat developed b inc OK
pIoson OF nitr-clyccrine is twice that generated ny gun
powder, and from this calculates tnat
compared with gnnpowder POSSESSES and eight
ames It's power for equal weight anu my, 1919 s 20
Sapidy of explosion, its ADVANTAGES arc ~, , Inv
IL appears that the blasting OIL Ws hfss ,ru "
fhe nompany for blowing up the lyskpasar mus, anu
Captain Won krancken.-who has had nye inons eSpe
rience with The oil reports that tho char.ns y
M, rcoycs less time than charging with Bnpowder,
while the workmen arc exposed 70 no u'nbSl, - NJ
fauna ID rcdred the storing requires less pre- auton
shan cnnpow,,or II IS OF power, admitting
oil small bore holes, and concomiint economy ia ,ic
and labor, ono eic charged WIN pss ,, "; uUs ~.
Ger Tho workiaan however must br cautioned against
its poisonous qualities, which however may ~ ea,hy
x1ared against slnce tho oil does not eVapoiae ~ INC
ordinary tenpefaigFc Similarly favorable opinions are
sxpressed by Mr. G. PHI Carlson, OF the fahrm copper
mines St0ra KoPpsrhcrget; by Mr. Sv Spilnamincr,
1he manager of the HeanSs iron pits near Norrteue
aud by several others who have thoroughly tested The OIL
In Sweden the invention seems to have received es-
eal favor for Mr. Nobel states that the Nitrog ycernc
Akticboagc ms been established ~ sockhom TOT work
IN. rho Invention in Sweden whore the ''o has
been used for more than six months, WINE
fhe consumption Of gnnpowder y more ana
more dccli1ing,n and, IN rocomncndaMon o. II,
he claims that is insouhle in water. u cannot be
igntcd by simple contact with lre thus removing az
risk accidental explosion IN store The discharge can
only he effected under certain circumstances Indicated
IN the directions for using the article On applying
mcer match for Instance, 10 the OIL, the latter deccin
poses without explosion; ana on removing ,he FORMER
Ihe ire Immediately eyingushes. The article may DC
rtorcd Tor any length Of time without deterioration or
loss in weight; will phosphorus, or even the metal
potassum decompose 1t az the ordinary temperature
II detonates when struck with hammer, but only on
the SPOT where the blow Is received so that rev crops
distributed over an anvil produce by various blows with
The hammer corresponding number OF dctonations 1t
bear without danger 2i2 degrees OF neat acn-
hciD, but explodcs at about 700 degrees me ciel au
xantages of the patent blasting oil tina. the OIL Dy
means Of its complete gasicaton, and the immense cx-
pansion resulting thcrcfr0m, increased moreover, by
high specific weight Q.6, admits Of teniold aisater
explosive power ng introduced into bore than could be
lodged bore of the same dimensions with gnnpowdcr
hence considerable and important saving or labor IN
boring Blasting OF, is certainly dearer tbnl gunpowdcr
Der pound but il Is cheaper power instead OF weight
be taken standard, since much smaller quantity
ei suffice In practice IL has been found mat CON
euners Of blasting oil have spent nearly the same on
shis article they did formerly in gunpoHde but had
FOR themselves that important saving of labor, the
nuount of which VARIES of course, according TO the
hardness OF the rock The quickness OF explosion OF
vhe oil Is SO greet that the eject is diminished by
rents in the rock the consequence Is that the effect OIL
solid rock assuming borcs TO be equal s hine 70 tel
times greater than that produced by gunpowder WINE
eject Insured rocks Is twenty TO thirty time
greater Tamping Is required, q shaft OF loos
sand being sufficient in all cases Hence accidents i
charging impossible, besides the saving In time Tn
blasting oil being nsoiubIe discharges under water,
In water carrying rocks are effected without cartridges
iain conditions and by ignlters, manufactured
specially this purpose s storing aud transport in
ycye no danger
TO TIE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
About year ago Mr. Alfred Nobel engineer in one o.
fhe copper mines In Sweden, made the discovery thai
peculiar composition Of glyccrinc oil and nitric acid pos
sessod an immense power of explosion, and commenced
experiments with this .'basting oil' in the swcdis
mines under the direction OF government engineers
These experiments having proved highly satisfactory
Mr. Nobel took out the patents for his invention 4
Sweden Prussia England, France and also in the Unite
Stafes In May, 1865, Mr. Nobel's agent came TO Ham
burg Germany, and very interesting series OF expert
nents made in the neighborhood OF that city !
She presence of Of the 0rst merchants, chemist
and other competent judges. Among the gentlcine
present ON this occasion was also Wilhelm Rec. VI
member Of the then firm Of W. Rec n Co.. &c"
IN Hamburg and New York. ,oo, ,. y 'o''"ns
Inc Hamburger bo's'expcriments Of q wronsht Iron
Aspeca PRESCRIPTION OF the ble:,. So 49, - 800
before the eyesf the .,osd spectators Besides this
shsr experrents ws-g made proving the very cxraor
binary qusy Of the oil OF not exploding by simple gni
Atom. IN oil seemingly, proved not more dangerous
were reeated in England, In the mines Of Wales under
abe fuentondence OF the mining ocers and the Poly
prsna direction 10 Prussia 10 the copper mines o tho
Fhrz add IN Saxony, under the eyes Of the Drectorn
6hsi q the Mining Department, General Won Dechen,
hnd the renowned Professor Eopgeratz Of Bonn. All
shese experiments, reported In the Bulletin dc rAeamie
efss se.sne, Of Paris, in the Gen1ol Mining Go:sae
Of Frebers In the foiecLnic Journal Of Dngler and in
NE Jo.snaf des Debot tend 10 prove the following
precious qualities Of Mr. Nobes patent blasting oil
nus removing all risk II accidental explosion in store
SScsnd--sulphuric acid, phosphorus and even metal
Dotsszum Will not decomposc Il OF the ordinary tom.
Derature
TAird-t can bear two hundred and twelve degrees OF
heat but cxplodes at about three hundred and sixty de-
gTeea
fsurfh-It possesses exploding power thirteen 10
2fteen times greater than gunpowder
FVfh-Having specific weight Of one hundred and
my, u can DO used under water
For scientific readers will add that Mr. Nobei's
blasting oil composed OF six eqGiv carbon ye
equivalents hydrogen, three equivalents oxyren three
equivalents nitrogen expressed scientifically by the for
nnula G. o. H. 3, o. ,, IN o. 5)3 Practically u Is com
pound OF seycny1ye per cent nitric acid aud twenty
avc per cent glyccrinc.
now CAwr COUNTRY.
MT III Leers or Luhrs from the city OF Hanover In
sermany was az the time of the Hamburg experiments
May 1861, In that city. He personal friend Of
With. Rec, extensive commission merchant, who was
ene Of tho committee invited preBeu; ~ the expcr
lmants male nj Hamburg Mr.. Rec, hearing that his
I'D was leaving ~. America. gavo 10 M. Iuhra a