The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-11-21
Dynamtte-TheN New Illuminating Dis
covery-Nftro-GIyce Out.done.
from Oh m harn.a InnrnaI1

From Chambers's Journal yr.-
The assertion that the more destructive
war is made the greater the tendency to
shorten its duration is, perhaps, not far
from the truth. Nevertheless, one recog-
nizes with something Of feeling of horror
that many of the terrible means in vogue
for the slaughter Of the human race have
their origin in investigations undertaken by
scientific men with the view of increasing
the knowledge or ameliorating the condi-
tion of mankind in general. This is essen
TALLY the case with the substance whose
name heads this article. Invented oriei-
| nally for the purpose Of assisting the peace
| full labors of the miner and engineer, it is
now employed as the explosive agent Of the
torpedoeS which defend the rivers and har-
bors of Germany against the aggressions of
the French feet.
Every one knows what glycerine ss--a
clear, syrupy liquid, sweet to the taste, and
somewhat greasy to the touch. Its scope
Of employment ranges from the surgeons
dispensary to the lady's boudoir. Chemists
term it a triatomic alcohol, and it may be
| derived from fat or tallow by the action of
lime and sulphuric acid. Its properties are
many and various, but as they have no
bearing upon the present subject, we shall
abstain from noticing them. If quantity
| Of nitric acid be added to twice its
weight of sulphuric acid, and glycertne
be poured into this and carefully stirred
| the whole being surrounded by a freezing
| nixture-we obtain that wonderful sub.
| stance known as nitro-glycerine, which has
| more than ten times the explosive force OF
gunpowder. 1t forms on the surface as an
olly-looking liquid of pale yellow color,
Is perfectly inodorous, and has a sweet,
| aromatic taste. 1t is poisonous, whether
fob J1fn lly. ho1 I,
skin, and small doses of it produce distress.
ing headaches. Although practically in
Soluble in water, it dissolyes readily in
| ether, alcohol, or wood-spirit.
Nitro. .glycerine was discovered in the
year l847 by an italian named Ascogne
Sobero. but its practical application Is en-.
| tirely due to the researches of Alfred Noble,
Swedish mining engineer. 1t does moi
explode when brought in contact with fire,
and remains unchanged even when raised
to the temperature Of boiling water, but al
about 400 Fahrenheit it becomes converted
into an icy mass, which merely requires
ties. This popularity had been the cause
| Of many lamentable accidents, when M
Noble commenced series of experiments
with the view Of rendering its employment
comparatively safe. After some time he
found that mixing it with about ten per cent
of wood spirit rendered it practically harm
less, and this method is now generally
adopted. When required for use the wood
spirit can be removed, and all the proper
ties of the nitro-glycerine restored by the
simple addition of water, which. mixing
with the spirit, sets free. as it were, the
nltro-glycerine. The only drawback to thiI
plan is that when the nitro-glycerins is re-
converted into its original state it is o.
4 TO nc Hof a q n n
viate this NJ. Noble has invented new
mixture, which he terms dynamite" II
consists Of Seventy-fiye per cent. of nitro
glycerine and twenty-five per cent. of very
line sand, and is a Notwithstanding pow
der, something like sawduSt, only greasy tC
the touch. 1t burns without explosion
when placed in FIRE or brought into
contact with lighted match. If strucl
with a hammer OH an anvil the portion
struck takes fire without inf1aming the dy
Mantle around il. As proof of the per-
feet security with which it may he handled,
we may mention that MIR. Noble has placed
a case containing about eight pounds of il
(equal to nearly eighty ponnds of ordnar,
| powdcr) on brick fire, and that the dyna
mite was consumed without noise or shock
while 4 similar case was flung from height
| Of SiNly-ive feet on to a hard rock without
producing the slightest explosion.
weight of over 200 ponnds was then let fal
from a height of twenty feet upon box o.
dynamite the box was smashed, but agai1
there was no explosion.
The usual method of firing dynamite i!
by means of copper capsule, containing
| illuminate of silyer-the latter being i'll
famed either by the ordinary slow-match OF
by the electric spark. The employment Of
this capsule and detonating composition is
absolutely essential for the explosion o.
dynamite. In order to give some idea o.
the force developed by such an explosion
it may be mentioned that a spoonful Of it is
placed upon block of quartz, to be
broken up into pieces about the size Of q
pea, and reduced the brick to powder
Like the nitro-glycerinc, dynamite con-
eeals at a comparatively high temperature
but to restore it to its proper condition, il
is only necessary to put it in warm place
or, ii it is contained in closed cartridges, tc
plunge it into warm water.
In mining operations dynamite possesses
many advantages over Ditro-gycerine, be-
| sides those already mentioned. 1t has been
| usual, for instance, to pour the nitro
glycerine in a liquid state in the holes boreC
in the rock for its reception, and running
from these into some unknown creyice, il
has frequently, when fired, produced ar
explosion under the very feet OF the miners
causing, of course, disastrous loss Of life
10 obViate this it has been necessary to EN-
ploy cartridges which do not completely
ill up the bore-holes, so that portion O.
the explosive force is wasted. Dynamite
on the other hand, being of pasty con
sistance, yields to the last pressure, an(
completely fills the holes, SO that a giver
weight of this substance IS almost as effect
! i've as a given weight of nitro-glycerine
while at the same time it is safer even than
gunpowder.
| Under the Ece-How Certain Animal