Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-02-04
NitrO-Glycerine.

NITRO-GLYCERINE is a combination of
glycerine (the sweet principle of animal
fat) and nitric and sulphuric acids. The
process of manufacture is very simple,
Take, for instance, one pound of glycerine
and ten pounds of the acids and place
them in proper vessel. The sulphuric
acid operates on the rest of the mass, ex-
tracts all aqueous matter, while the nitre
sinks to the bottom of the vessel, and
joins with the glycerine whose destiny
carries it there at once. The result is an
oleaginous substance, not unlike castor oil
in color, but rather more thick, which, ON
being washed and thoroughly cleansed
from such particles of sulphuric acid as
may have remained, is nitro. .glycerinc.
Nitro-glycerine strikes in all directions
when It eXplodes; but the greatest force
is always turned toward that point offer
ing the greatest resistance. Thus, if you
should explode mass of the coil (which
is short for nitFo-glycerine) in the cen.
ter of an empty room, the great force OF
the explosion would be downward, in the
direction of the floor. A cartridge sub.
merged, and having for its base rock
would act most forcibly on the rock, al
though it would also displace the water.
In removing the distractions at Hell
Gate, it was intended to use nitro-glycer
inc, in the form of what is known as sill
cious powder; but as it was lowered in Q
frozen condition, the experiment was
| failure. At some future day, there is nc
doubt that this explosive, which is thirteen
times more powerful than gunpowder, ant
is, moreover, capable of being exploded al
the bottom of the sea, if need be, will bC
used in this great work.
| Although nitro-glycerine has been il
use for so short time, it has already beer
used with great success in war. In 1864
| during the war of the Austrians anC
| Prussans against the Danes, detachment
of three hundred Danish troops retreatet
to Alsen, town near which great battl,
! had just been fought, and were besieget
by 10000 of the allied troops But tn,
Danish engineers had undermined all o
the approaches to the town with nitro
glycerine, the town and the mines beinI
connected by electric wires, and the i'm
mense force was kept at bay for thre,
days. In the Russian war, the nitro-gly
cerine torpedoes kept the French anC
English ships out of the harbor of Cron
stadt. These torpedoes were so construct
cd as to explode either by conclusion O.
electricity, and it would have been a bolt
sailor who would dare to approach har
|
quently been made to see II nitro elvcer
inc could not be made available as the ex
plosiVe power for shells, but little succes
has been attained IL has been found tha
the heat and conclusion caused the sensi
tive oil to explode before the shell had lief
the mouth OF the cannon. Experiment
were tried with "cushioned shells
those containing some soft substance be
tween the nitro.glycerine and the iron
but this also failed "'Lf.' fT'
Notwithstanding the discouragement
which have beset the introduction of tn,
new explosive, it has persistenty WORKED
its way into favor with practical men, anC
there is now scarcely large public worl
in this country where it is not used. A
time progresses, inventive minds will de
wise even more ingenious methods of use
ing il than those now in vogue, and 1t /
safe 70 predict that within short period
gunpoWder viii be forced 70 give way I,
this more potent riVal.-E5ehan9A