The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1870-06-29
Nitro-Gl1cerina.

Nitro-glycerine is q combination
OF gsycerine (the sweet principle
OF animal faI and nitric and sui
phnric acids. The process ofman-
ntacture is very simple. Take, for
instance, one pound of glycerine
and ten pounds Of the acids and
n!ace them in a proper vessel.-
The sulphuric acid operates on the
rest of the mass, extracts all aque.
ous matter. while the nitre sinks
to the bottom of the vessel, aud
joins with the glycerine whose
destiny carries IL there ut once
The result is an oleaginous sub.
stance, not mike castor oil in col
or, but rather more thick, which,
on being washed and Thoroughly
cleansed from such particles of sui
phuric acid as may have remain
ed. is ni'r"-glyce:ine. Nltro,glyco-
rine strikes III all directions when
it explodes; bnt the greatcst force
is always turned toward that point
Offering the greatest resistance
Thus, it you should explode a
mass Of the soil" (Which is
"sh"rt " for nitro.glycerine)in in the
center OF an empty room, the
great force of the explosion would
tie downward, III the direction O
the floor. A cartridge submerg
cd. and having for its base rock
would act most forcibly on the rock
although it would also displace the
water.
In removing the obstructions al
Hell Gate, it was Intended To use
uitro gIycerine, in the form OF
what is known as silicious pow.
der; but as 1t was lower in n
frozen condition, the experiment
was failure. At some future
day, there is no doubt that this ex
ploSive, which is thirteen time,
more powerful than gunpowder
and is, moreover, capable of being
exploded at the bottom Of the sea
if need be, will be used IN this
great work.
Although nitro glycerine has
been III Use for SO short a time it has
already beer used with great sue.
cess in war. In 1864, during the
war of the Austrians and Prussians
against tie Dprcs. n detachlnen,
OF three humIrr,. t"ish troops
retreatcd to Ntse:, :; yn near
which great battle ,4i irst
been fought, and were h".,usul
by 10000 Of the allied troYps.-
But the Danish engineers had I'M,
dermined all of the approaches to
the town with nitro 81 yccrine, the
town and the mines being connect.
ed by electric wires, and the i'm.
mense force was kept at bay for
three days. In the Russian war,
the nirro>glycerine torpedoes kept
the French and English ships ont
"f the harbor Of Cronstadt. These
torped"es were so constructed as
to explode either by concussion or
electricity. and it would have been
a bold sailor who would dare to
approach a ha' Dor so guarded
Experiments have frequently been
made 10 sec if nitro. glycerine
could not be made available as the
explosive power for shells, but lit
tie success has been attained. 1t
has been found hat the heat and
conclusion caused the sensitive oil
to explode before the shell had
left the month of the cannon
Experiments were tried with
cushioned " shells-those con.
tainingsomc soft substance between
the nitro llccrine and the IRON
but this also failed.
Notwithstanding the discourage
mcnts winch have beset the intro
dnction of the new explosive, il
has persistently worked it's wav
INTO favor with practical men, and
there is now scarcely large pub
lie work in this country where it
is not used. AS time progresses,
inventive minds will devise even
more ingenious methods Of using
it than those now in vogue, and it
is safe to predict that within short
period, gunpowder will be forced to
give way to this more potent ri
val.
a REGULAR RoGUE.-Old Ben
Hughes, who used TO live near
Halifax Court House. Va. and