The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-03
TERRIBLE EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL
Wonderful Effects OF Dyn amite On Self
difisd GiYceriae Immanse Rocks
Knocked into Cobble-stOnes by Hand
fuI Ofta.

ful Oftt.
A paragraph has been going the round of the
papers to the effect that the Prussan military
chemists had succeeded in preCi plating the ex-
plosive liquid ntro-glycerine IN the solid form.
1t has been known now for number OF months,
and has received the very appropriate name of
dynamite on account of the extraordinary
amount of explosive power which is stored up
in it. Its invention Is due to Mr.. Allied Nobel,
the gentleman who first made the manufacture
and use Of nitro. glycerlne perfectly safe and
practicable Dynamite is somewhat moist
powder very closely resembling raw beet-root
sugar is quite inodorous and unchanged
IN the air, even though the air be very warm. A
person had 1t exposed for torty days and nights
to a temperature ranging from lS0 to 200 DE.
greCs Fahre nheit, without any sensible change
resulting in its weight, eXplosiVeness, or any
other Of ITS chemical and physical proper
ties. OF its pc :tect safety there is no room tor
entertaining doubt; at all events, no person
who has used it, or seen.it used, entertans any,
1t Il HANDFUL, or even shOvelful OF 1T is thrown
uLOn FIRE, you may stand close by with i'm
punity, as il will burn away as simply and
harmlessly as a similar quantity of powdered
birthstone. Or take a dynamite cartridge
cut 1t through with sharp knife, and, holding
continue to hold it until the fire reaches
the end of the paper cartridge case. There is
simply rapid combustion, no explosion. Then
the reader may understand that heat alone
will not explode this dynamite. Neither will
any ordinary percussion, if unassisted. How
then, it may be asked, is the substance to be
exploded? BY the combined influence OF the
heat OF spark and percussion at the same
moment of time This combination OF force is
obtained by exploding an extra strong percus.
sion cap or small bag of gunpowder, in
absolute contact with the dynamite. To explode
the percussion cap it is necessary that IT should
be fitted tightly upon the end of gutta- percha
fuse. The rapidly and power OF an explosion
by means OF dynamite are something terrific. 1t
is calculated that the rapidlty OF the explosion
is as great as 20, 600 feet per seconds and by
comparing the mechanical or eruptive work
which it does, it is known to possess from five
TO seven times as much explosive force as gun
powder This must be the case, when It is
known that its powder is to that OF nitro
glycerlne as 20 is to 100. IN burning or eXplod-
ing it yields NO smoke; If burned in the open
air it yields a light flame very Ike
is not affected oy damp, and may be
exploded in contact with wet rock or under
water If well compressed, but 1t IS better then
| 10 explode 1t IN waterproof tu0ng. Some eX'
! ptrimental blasting operations with Dynamite
upon hard whnstone or trap rock recently took
| place, and were perfectly staggering IN thel1
| results. One OF tie experiments was with a
| large mass OF the rock, weighing perhaps from
ten 10 fifteen tons. 1t was broken up into pieces
| OF more suitable size without boring any hole
| whatever, but simply by eXplodpga quantity OF
! Dynamite about equal in bulk to ones two lists
(Ierhaps less than that) upon the surface OF the
| mass-the Dynamite being previously covered
| with clay, An effect OF q most extraordinary
character was simultaneously produced. An
! Oilel mass Of WhlnstOne, about One-ltth OF Inc
size OF the large mass, was lying parallel to 1T
and about u or 2 feet from it. The lesser
block was broken into several pieces also
"broken with fright" as the manager o
thel quarry graphcally put It, II used il
| bOIe-holes tor blasting solid rocks, Dynamite
| scarcely needs any tamrering OF stemming; anC
| it e&erls such an enormous amount OF eruptivt
| /. rec that fewer bore,holes, and these Of les
size, are required than. tor gunpowder. 1t woulC
almost seem that the days OF gunpowder were
wellnigh numbered, so far as military engineer
ing, and blasting in quarries, mines, tunnels
and railway rock cuttings are concerned. l
will shIver to pieces cast iron, gun metals, o
the toughest timber, and tear and breal
wrought iron, That it Will do so, the folio "
ing tact may be mentioned:-A small tin cas-
was partially filled with dynamite, and under
meath it, at a few inches distance, piec
of hat-iuch boiler plate was placed. The dyna
mite was exploded, and it was afterwards ioun
that the plate was riddled with holes, whlc
were due to the passage OF fragments OF tin
plate through it. II Is not the PTussan mllitar
chemists II there really be any such persons
but Mr.. Nobel, to whom this invention is due
He has already been awarded a gold medal 70
It by the Royal Academy OF Sciences OF Stock
4 hVlln,