Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-04-24

ether, and sets 80 powerfully on the nervous system
that single drop placed on the tip Of the tongue
will cause violent headache, which will last for
several hours The liquid seems 10 have been al
most forgotten By chemists and it is only now that
II. Nabie, a Swedish engineer, has succeeded in
applying il 70 3 very important branch OF his art
namely, blasting. From q paper addressed by
him 70 the Academy Of Sciences, we learn that
the chief advantage which this substance, composed
Of one part Of glyeerne and three parts Of nitric
acid possesses, is, that il requires much smaller
hole or chamber than empower does, the strength
Of the latter being scarcely onetenth Of the former
Hence the miners work, which, according 70 the
hardness Of the rock, represents five 70 twenty
times the power Of the gunPoWder used, IS 80 snort
that the cost Of blasting is often reduced by NIFTY per
cent. The process is very easy. II the chamber o.
the mine presents assures, il must be lined win
clay to make it water-tghti this being done,
the nitrO-gycerine il poured IN, the wale5
after i which mel being s tSs match mssSr with S
we'll CHARGED percussion cap At one end IS then IN
troduced into the nitro glyeerine. The mine may
then be sprung by lighting the match there oeing no
naa5 ~ RAINING On the 18th OF June last tnree
=, we're made with this new compound IN
- -, "a n Of the tin mines Of Alten0urg, IN sax
CIV In one Of these q chamber thiiy-sOgI niInr
metres in diameter was made PerPeheioulAIy III
oomitc rock sixty feet In length, ana ~ ulsIance
- snrteeu feet from its extremity which was verti-
81 At A depth Of eight feet q vault filled with
cIay was found. in consequence OF which the bot
tom of the hole tamped, having depth OF seven
feet One ltre and half Of nitro-glyeerine was
then poured in; it occupied i've feet; match and
stopper were then applied as stated, and the mine
sprung. The effect was so enormous as to assure
6fty feet in length, and another twenty feet.
CHEMICAL NATURE OF THE COMPOUND.
The Blasting Oil, or Nitro glycerne Of Mr.. No
bel, is a chemical compound OF six equivalents Of
carbon Ave EQUIVALENTS Of hydrogen, three equiva-
Tents of oxygen and three Of nitrogen.
Practically Il is a composition Of 70 per cent. of
nitric acid and % per cent. Of glyoerine oil,
"A scientific calculation Of the volume Of gases,
developed by the combustion Of this compound and
he combustion Of good gunpowder, proves that nj
.ro- gycerlne, compared with gunpowder, possesses
thirteen times its power, when volumes are COM
pared and eight times It's power for equal weight
Therefore, where eight pounds OF gunpowder are
wanted, pound Of nitro glycerine will be sum-
cient TO produce the same effect"
Il is desirable that an agent OF such power
shall be, with safety, subdued to the uses Of
man. At present it appears to be too danger
Gus too liable to spontaneous explosion, to be
received in commerce without almost prohibit
tory restrictions. The ingenuity Of man will, in
all probability, devise some mode Of guarding
it against these sudden explosions, and render
ing it as safe as the ordinary combustibles.-
When we consider how much power of mis-
chief may be compressed into a modicum of
this chemical compound, and with what conve-
nience and facility it may be used by wicked
men to blow up houses, vessels, cars, &C.,
it is almost frightful to contemplate. A Guy
there are GUY FAwKEs in every
age and cOuntry-would find 1t his most power
full, destructive and servicesble ally.