Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1871-04-08

wretched, stylish adventures of the fc-
tion. They represent class as numerous
in this country as in England; but with
us they are almost invariably foreigners,
often assuming titles of nobility, and some
times escaping the alternative Of outright
robbery by even more infamous matrimo-
nial speculations upon snobbish proclivities
Of our crude American society. All the
facts in the London case have not yet been
ELECTED, of course, as the husband is still
at large, and the wife has but just suffered
arrest; yet, as indicated above, enough is
known to afford an interesting and sug-
gcstiye study Of common social effect,
and to show that fear Of that particular
kind of :" shame" which is supposed to at
tend the living within reduced means III
society is not far removed from a proper
tionate audacity for any depth of guilt.
A New EXPLOSIVE AaENr.-cAn III.
teresting experiment was tried last Satur.
day afternoon with new powder, manu-
factured by the California Powder Com
peny, which they call the Hercules powder.
This so-ealled powder" is not in consist
ency powder, put paste. 1t is formed
by mixing carahon, sulphur and nitre, re.
ducing them to an impalpablc powder, and
adding sufficient nitro-glycerine to reduce
to stiff paste. In this condition, it is
safe to handle and transport. 1t can with
safety be packed in any comparatively
weak case, such as tin or wood, for the
gasses which may cmanate from the pow
der, even If thus couGned, will not cause
an explosion of the powder, as the case
does not offer sufficient resistance. But,
to pack it in strong iron air-tight case, is
not allowable. 1t is harmless when
brought in contact with fire, as it burns
without explosion. If hammered on hard
wood, it will not explode; but hammered
on an anvil explodes it. ......
For the experiment to which we allude
mortar was improvised from. the iron
cylinder of large hydraulic press, de-
signed to resist pressure of FIVE tons to
the square inch. Its weight was eight
tons; length, eight feet; the hole, three
inches in diameter, and the sides, or walls
of the cylinder, were twelve inches in
thickness. A heavy band surrounded the
mouth of the cylinder, making the thick.
ness there eighteen inches through. The
end opposite the muzzle contained two
feet or more of solid iron. n fence post
served as rammer, and shovefull or
two of sand was rammed into the cylinder.
Then FIVE pound can Of powder was in
serted, then more sand; then another can
Of powder, which came near the centre Of
the cylinder; then more sand; then a
third can of powder, which came near the
muzzlc. Sand was then introduced until
the cylinder was completely filed. The
experimenters promised to fire the charges
without bringing them in contact with the
spark of, the fuse. To do this, they in.
serted two small cartridges of the same
kind of powder, so that they were in con-
tact with the outside of the topmost can of
powder, or the one last inserted. These
cartridges were each in contact with fuse
having an explosive head. The idea was
that the explosion Of the small cartridge
would produce so great coucussion as to
explode each of the five pound tins. The
fuses were fired, and shortly the cylinder
was blown 10 hundred fragments. One
piece, weighing over half ton, was tossed
distance of three hundred feet. Those
who conducted the experiment were sat
isfed that the explosion would have been
fully as effectual had but half the powder
been used. Messrs. Howden and Budhe
(the former of whom is the chemist of the
Company propose to put the powder to
practical use in breaking up large castings,
such as guns, etc., which are useless, ex-
cept for old iron, and which unless broken,
are useless even for that. The Company
manufactures two kinds Of this powder
No. l, which is said to have the full
strength Of dynamite; and No. 2. which
is still stronger.-S. r. Bulletin, March
5h. ...-...f. ,...... ...t - n