The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1868-08-27
6rnrral s9ntrllietntr.
..nynnmite,..T he Ncw E@xpIosIye.

An English scientific Journal says: "Some
fifteen months ago NJ Nobel, the we'll
known manufactures Of nitro-elycerine, in
troduced to the public a modified form of
that powerful explosive, to which be gave
the name of dynamite This substance,
which in appearance greatly resembles
coarse brown sugar, consists OF nitrO-glyc-
crime absorbed By fine Particles Of silicic
acid or q s]ilicjous earth. and II differs from
nitro-glycoriue in its ordinary liquid state
in several very important particulars. In
the first place, II ignitsd by an ordinary
flame Il does not explode, but merely burns
very rapidly and quietly; and in the second
place, Il cannot be exploded in bulk 10y
percussion applied in any ordinary manner.
We say that I'll is noteXploded by percussion
when in bulk; because small isolated parti-
cles can be exploded 10y severe percussion,
as, for instance, by placing them on an an
vii and striking them with q hommeri but
even in this case the particles, when lgnited,
would not communicate their ignition to q
bulk Of dynamite close at hand
On ordinary working NJ. Nobel employs
70 ignite the dynamite a fuse terminating
in a copper cap, which contains a powerful
charge Of illuminate Of mercury, and which
is embedded in the charge. When this cap
is ignited by the fuse, not only is q great
neat generated, but also an extremely in
tense local pressure, and It appears that ii
il only by this combination Of heat and
pressure that the explosion Of the dynam-
lite can be effected. When a charge has to
be fred by electricity, the copper cap has
still 20 be used, the cap being ignited by
the electric agency, and IL, in its turn, eX-
Ploding tho dynamite.
ALREADY dynamite has been brought in
% use for quarrying purposes TO a consid-
cradle extent in Sweden and other parts of
the Continent. Recently NJ. Nobel per-
formed q series of very interesting expert
ments with it in the neighborhood Of Glas-
gov. The first experiments were intended
to show the powerful character Of the exc
plosive, and Mt the same time prove that it
could not be caused 20 explode by ordinary
flame. For these purposes q paper cart
ridge, containing rather less than one half
of dynamite, was placed upon u two
inch oak plank, and fired by means Of a
fuse and Illuminating cap, as already mem
toned, the effect being that the plank was
splintered, and was, in fact, completely
pierced at the point, on which the cart
ridge had rested. A second experiment
Was made, with similar results, and NJ. No
bel then placed a larger cartridge on the
ground and ignited it by ordinary flame,
when the dynamite was found 10 burn
quietly without any explosion whatever
To pro e that material Of the same quality
was used in the different experiments, a
cartridge was, Mt the suggestion of one Of
the gentlemen on the ground, cut in halves,
one-half being exploded by a fuse and cap,
while the other was iguited by ordinary
flame, and was, as before, found 10 burn
without explosion.
THE next experiment was made to show
that the dynamite could not be exploded
even by violent conclusion. For this pur-
pose a small deal box, containing rather
more than eight pounds OF the material,
was twice thrown from the top of q cliff
about sixty feet high on to the stones be-
low; but even by this severe treatment no
effect was produced. At the same time q
similar box, containing eight and one
third pounds Of dynamite, was placed on a
hre and allowed to remain until, the box
being burned through, the dynamite was
lgnited and burned away without any eX-
Plosive action Whatever.
"The next experiment consisted in ex-
ploding on the top Of a block Of granite
measuring two feet nine inches by two
feet six inches by two feet--G quarter Of q
pound Of dynamite, the explosive material
being merely covered down with a thin
layer Of clay and some sand placed over it.
Notwithstanding the very slight confne-
ment to which the dynamite wns subjected,
the effect Of the explosion was 10 COM
Pletely shatter the granite block, the latter
being found 10 be cracked in every direc-
ton. Ihe action of dynamite under the
above circumstance is strikingly dissimi-
lar 70 that Of g%unpowder, and il is alto
gether very remarkable. The experiment
on the granite block was followed by one
which showed in a still more striking man
ner the enormous explosive force Of dynam-
ite. A cylindrical block Of wrought iron
ten and a half inches in diameter and
twelve and q half inches long
was taken, and a hole enc inch
in diameter, which had been bored right
through its centre, was charged with dy-
mantle. As the block was placed in a yer.
teal position, the lower end of the hole
was closed by the ground on which the
block stood, while at the upper end the
charge, which completely filed the hole,
was merely covered down, after the fuse
had been inserted, with a little sand. On
the explosion taking place it was found
thai not only had the block been complete
ly split in two, but that one of the halves
weighing about $50 pounds, had been pro
Jeoted with considerable force against {
bank about 70 feet distant. The section o
the iron torn asunder by this explosion wal
about ll9 inches, and an inspection of tn,
fragments showed the material to hav,
AawS
The next two experiments were of
difterent character, and were made 10 shoy
h action of the dynamite in actual work
For this purpose a hole, fifteen feet deel
and two inches in diameter, has beef
bored in one part Of the quarry at a dis
lance Of about twenty feet from the work
ing face, and this hole has been charge,
with twelve pounds Of dynamite, an,
tamped with Ave feet Of sand. The explo
sion of this charge did not bring down III