The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-02-12
Nitro.GIycerine.

Nitro glycerine is combination of gly
cerine the sweet principle Of animal fat
and nitric and sulphuric acids. The pro-
cess Of manufacture is very simple. Take.
for instance, one pound of gycerine and
ten pounds of the acids and place them in
a proper vessel. The sulphuric acid epe-
rates on the rest Of the mass, extracts all
aqueous matter, while the nitro sinks to
the bottom of the vessel and joins with
the glycerine whose destiny carries it there
at once. The result is al oleaginous sub
stance, not unlike castor oil in color, but
rather more thick, which, Oh being washed
and thoroughly cleansed from such parti-
cles of sulphuric acid as may have remain
ed, is nitro glycerine. Nitro glycerine
strikes in all directions when it explodes :;
but the greatest force is always turned to-
ward that point offering the greatest resis-
tanee. Thus, if you should explode mass
of the coil (which is "short for nitro
glycerine) in the centre of an empty room,
the great force Of the explosion would be
downward, in the direction of the floor
A cartridge submerged, and having for its
base a rock, would act most forclbly on the
rock, although it would also displace the
water.
In removing the Instructions at He'll
Gate, it was Intended to use nitro slycerine,
in the form of what is known as silicious
powder; but as it was lowered in frozen
condition, the experiment was failure
At some future day, there is no doubt that
this explosive, which is thirteen times moro
powerful than gunpowder, and is, more
over, capable of being exploded at the bot
tom of the sea, if need be, will be used in
this great work.
Although nitro-glycerine has been in use
for SO short a time, it has already been
used with great success in war In 1864,
during the war Of the Austrians and Prus-
slams against the Danes, detachment of
three hundred Danish troops reiterated to
Alsen, town near which great battle
had just been fought, and were besieged by
2G, 600 Of the allied troops. But the Dan
ish engineers had undermined all of the APP
proaches to the town with nitro-glycerine,
the town and the mines being connected
by electric wires, and the immense force
was kept at bay for three days. In the
Russian war, the nitro slycerine torpedoes
kept the Ere nch and English ships ont of
the harbor of Cronstadt. These torpedoes
were so constructed as to explode either by
conclusion OF electricity, and it would have
been bold sailor who would dare to APP
preach a harbor so guarded. Experiments
have frequently been made to see if nitro
glycerine could not be made available as
the explosive power of shells, but little
success has been attained. 1t has been
the sensitive oil to explode before the shell
had left the mouth of the cannon. Exper-
iments were tried with 60 cushioned shells
those containing some soft substance be-
tween the nitro glycerine and the iron-but
this also failed.
Notwithstanding the disceuragements
which have beset the introduction Of the
new explosive, it has persistently worked
its way into favor with practical men, and
there is now scarcely large public work
in this country where it is not used AS
time progresses, inventive minds will de
wise even more ingenious methods of use
ing 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 rival.-E,rchangs.