The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-20

America" Overland" chapters XVIII, |
xxx, Xxx, by ]. w. De Forest; "The |
Neither Side of New York. II. Harbor
Thieves" by Edward Orapsey; "The Annexa.
ton of San Domingo" " by Americus; ''rired,"
by Mary L. Ritter; ''Told in Letters" by
Edgar A. Fawcett; "Ought we to Visit Her2"
Novel, Chapters VIII and TX, by Mrs.
Edwards; England in June, 4" by M. 3. W. s.;
''The Two Palms." by Lucy Fountain;
'Drift-wood," " by Philip Quilibet; Scientific
Miscellany" Current Literature; "Nebule,"
by the Editor.
From "The Scientific Miscellany" we take
the following on ''The Curiosities of Glyoe-
rine:"-
new chapter in the witcheries of chem
istry was opened by the ingenious Frenchman
Chevreul in 1917, when he discovered that
fats are selts of which the base is a bland,
sweet, syrupy liquid called glycerine. Its
property of long continuing moist, while it
is not of greasy nature, has made it an
agent of great utility in medicine and the
arts. 1t is used to correct hardness and dry
ness of the skin, in deafness, sore throat, in
urinary calculi, and as vehicle for admins
tering other medicines whose properties it is
desirable to disguise. 1t is admirable for
keeping poultices long soft. It has various
uses in the toilet; function in photography;
is admirable for preserving soft-bodied ami
mals;Iand isinvaluable to the microscopist for
his preparations
When glycerine was about thirty years old,
that is in 1847, an Italian named Sobero
opened new career for it. It's composition
was found to be triatomic alcohol, and it
was capable of forming what are called sub
stitution compounds. When allowed slowly
to trickle into mixture of equal measures
of nitric acid and oil of vitriol, at low tenn
perature, two atoms of its hydrogen are re-
placed by two atoms of protoxide of nitro
gen, and there results a heavy oily liquid
known as nitro-glycerine, body which has
more than ten times the explosive power of
| gunpowder. 1t has come into extensive use
| for blasting; and the number of terrible acci-
dents that have happened from it by explosion
! from mere friction illustrates not only the
tremendous forces that can be stored up in
the shape of atomic tensions, but how ex-
quisite is the balance by which such terrible
agencies are kept in equilibrium.
How to make nitro glycerine- safe was the
problem proposed by Nobel, aSwedish mining
engineer, and his success has been as won-
derful as the subject he experimental with.
He found that by mixing it with ten per cent
! of wood spirit it was rendered perfectly harm
less, and could be thus safely transported.
Before it can be used the wood spirit requires
to be separated, which is easily done; but
this, of course, reconverts the nitro-glycer-
inc into the original state, when it is as
dangerous as ever. But Nobel discovered
that by mixing with it twenty-five per cent.
of very fine sand, a brownish-look-
ing powder results, which behaves in a
way remarkably different from the nitro
glycerine. When ignited it burns without
explosion; if struck with hammer on an
anvil, the portion struck takes fire without
inaaming the rest. A case of eight pounds
placed on brisk fire was consumed without
noise or shock; similar case flung from a
height of sixty-five feet on a rock did not ex-
plode, while weight of two hundred pounds
falling twenty feet upon mass of it smashed
the box which held it, but without explosion.
1t may, however, be effectually fired by the
percussion caps, while the illuminate may be
ignited by slow match or the electric spark
This compound is known as dynamite.