Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1868-09-03
6tnrtal Smtrlliotntr.
ssDvnomiteY The New Explosive.

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An English scientific journal says: "Some
fifteen months ago NJ. Nobel, the we'll
known manufacturer of nitro-glycerine, in
troduced to the public modified form Of
that powerful explosive, to which he 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 slllclc
acid or silicious earth, and it differs from
nitro-glyceriue in its ordinary liquid state
in several very important particulars. In
the first place. if ignited by an ordinary
fame it does not explode, but merely burns
very rapidly and quietly; and in the second
place, it cannot be exploded In bulk by
percussion applied in any ordinary manner.
We say that tits notexploded bHpercussion
when in bulk; because small isolated parti-
cles can be exploded by severe percussion,
as, for instance, by placing them on an an
vii and striking them with q hammer; but
even in this case the particles, when ignited
would not communicate their ignition to a
bulk of dynamite close at hand.
in ordinary working NJ. Nobel employs
to ignite the dynamite fuse terminating
in copper cap, which contains powerful
charge Of illuminate of mercury, and which
is embedded in the charge. When this cap
is ignited by the fuse, not only is a great
heat generated, but also an extremely in
tense local pressure, and it appears that it
is only by this combination of heat and
pressure that the explosion of the dynam-
ite can be effected When charge has to
be fred by electricity, the copper cap has
still to be used, the cap being ignited by
the electric agency, and it, in its turn, ex-
ploding the dynamite.
ALREADY dynamite has been brought in
to use for quarrying purposes to consld-
erable extent in Sweden and other parts OF
the Continent Recently NJ Nobel per-
formed o 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 ex-
plosive, and at the same time prove that it
could not be caused to explode by ordinary
flame. For these purposes a paper cart
ridge, containing rather less than one half
ounce Of dynamite, was placed upon q two
inch oak plank, and fired by means of a
fuse and Illuminating cap, as already men
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 M. No
bel then placed larger cartridge on the
ground and ignitedit by ordinary fame,
when the dynamite was found to burn
quietly without any explosion whatever
To pro g that material of the same quality
was used in the different experiments, a
cartridge was, at the suggestion of one Of
the gentlemen on the ground, cut in halves,
one-half being exploded by fuse and cap,
while the other was ignited by ordinary
flame, and was, as before, found to 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 small deal box, containing rather
more than eight pounds of the material,
was twice thrown from the top of 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 a
similar box, containing eight and one
third pounds of dynamite, was placed on q
fire and allowed to remain until, the box
being burned through, the dynamite was
ignited and burned away without any ex-
plosive action whatever.
"The next experiment consisted in ex-
ploding on the top of block Of granite
measuring two feet nine inches by two
feet six inches by two feet-a quarter Of q
pound of dynamite, the explosive material
being merely covered down with thin
layer Of clay and some sand placed over it
notwithstanding the very slight confne-
ment to which the dynamite was subjected,
the effect Of the explosion was to COM
pletely shatter the granite block, the latter
being found TO be cracked in every direc-
ton. The action of dynamite under the
above circumstances is strikingly dissimi-
lar to that Of gunpowder, and it is alto
gether very remarkable. The experiment
on the granite block was followed by one
which showed in still more striking man.
ner the enormous explosive force of dynam-
ite. A cylindrical block Of wrought iron
ten and half inches in diameter and
twelve and half inches long
was taken, and q hole one inch
in diameter, which had been bored right
through its centre, was charged with dy-
Mantle. As the block was placed in YER
teal position, the lower end of the hole
was closedby 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 fus,
had been inserted, with little sand. Oh
the explosion taking place it was fount
that not only had the block been complete
ly split in two, but that one Of the halveiI
weighing about $50 pounds, had been pro
teeted with considerable force against
bank about 20 feet distant The section O
the iron torn asunder by this explosion wa
about 1l9 inches, and an inspection Of tn
fragments showed the material TO hav
been Of very fair quality, and free iron
flaws
''The next two experiments were Of
diherent character, and we're made to sho1
the action Of the dynamite in actual work
For this purpose hole, fifteen feet dee
and two inches in diameter, has beei
bored in one part Of the quarry at q dis
tance Of about twenty feet from the work
ing face, and this hole has been charge,
with twelve pounds Of dynamite, an,
tamped with five feet Of sand The explo
sion Of this charge did not bring down th