St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-05-31
Giant Powder.

Giant Powder.
We have noticed of late some very
interesting experiments made at the
Giant Powder works ut McCainsville,
NJ. These experiments were made
mainly with view to convince railroad
men of the safety of transporting this
powder by rail-a thing they object to
do with common powder. At this time
it was first demonstrated that Giant
Powder could not he exploded by direct
contact with fire. Two large cartridges
were enclosed i'll IL tight box and hred
by means of Il fuse, the contents burn
ing with il bright flame. and the fire eN-
tinguished by being smOthered on the
ground.
Another experiment. and one that
WAS considered Il very severe test, was
the placing ola large charge of common
rifle powder on top of and in direct
contact with charge of Giant powder
in Il hole bored into Il log of tough APP
pie tree wood. The black powder WAS
exploded with IL fuse. rending the log
| from end to end but leaving the Giant
Powder undiSturbed. \ fuse with II
percussion cap ut one end WAS then i'll
serted into the hole and the Giant Pow
der exploded with il tremendous report.
| 1t WAS suggested that the peculiar
contact in Il railroad accident would
probably explode Giant Powder. when
the article was put to another severe
test. Two cartridges were enclosed i'll
box screwed tightly together. and
placed ON Il Hat rock. under Il doorway
of an adjoining barn. y large stone
was then repeatedly prccipitatcd from
the second story upon the box. until it
was completely broken to pieces and
the powder Strcwcd about the rock.
| The loose powder was then gathered iii
Il heap. and again the stone WAS dashed
upon it. but still ii failed to explode.
| The powder WAS now gHt hcrcd Il second
time. and while lying loose upon the
rock il WAS exploded lay the means
used for that purpose. tearing the stone
INTO fragments.
! MIR. Thomas NaIncy. formerly of
/ North Daml lille, but now Il resident oi
/ san Francisco. represented the powder
company on this occasion. and we I'M
dcr>taud hc j. Interested in the same
business in California. This powder
will hc introduced in this vicinity rs
soon as the railroads will transport it.
/ REQlIE-CAT, We rctrrto the Thorn
;i> eat which has for Il long time rnamCd
The Nar"uS departments of our office IN
search of umdcNnurr'l fragments of
lunches and mWarN mice. Every
''tluur knew him every man. woman
and child in the establishment and al
though his first welcome in the home
of his adoption was NOT ~ cordial a. hc
might have wished. his >"ciahlr way
and his unituInl, exemplary conduct
won him friends. and he soon grew fat
and sleek in the sunshine "t personal
favor. lhr boys liked him. and IL Il
mark Of distinction named him Horace
Greeley, u title which he learned tu lc-
knowledge and respond I" with true fc-
line dignity. liul We speak of him ~
IN the past. and it i in truth for him Il
very dead past. Horace Grcclcy i
II" mnIc. In IN adventurous moment
yesterday AFTERNOON. AZ halt-pa>t of
the "Clo"k. with Il view. perhaps. OF
a>ccltainiug What he knew about sta
tl"maIN engineering. he attempted I"
walk through the big wheel of the en-
%inc. MAS caught in the ~pokcS. carried
down through the floor. up again. and
then hurled with tremendous tuIc,.
against Il window sash. There WAS Il
crash al broken glass. and all that WIS
LEFT Of Horace Greeley. with his fur
Violently rumlcd the wrong WAY. fell
at the feet OF the startled engineer. The.
coroner Wasn't called and no Jury WAS
summoned To >lt upon the deceased. toI
he WAS dead enough already : hut the
verdict which the boys unanimously
rendered WAS one of free IrknoW ledg-
mcnt of li"raCc> many virtues and sin
ccrc regret at his untimrIN demise.
SprjngGcid Rtj"hijcan .:M.
| pom which the Boston JonIUdI of
the 9th NrIl naturally is forced to say
The Thomas Cat who has been one of
the Springfield Republican editorial
corps for the past few Years. in parux-
N>m "f despair AT having been named
Horace Greeley. threw himself into Il
wheel IN the engine room of the c>tah-
ll>hmcnt "Wednesday. and mi>rIably
persisted.
CHEAP Po>TAGE. The New York
Independent advises the Philadelphia
ConN cnti"n To introduce in its platform
"rhcap postage and the abolition of the
il;Inking privilege. assured that with
Gcm. Grant and such platform the
republican party must succeed. The
idea seems To lis an excellent one for
every one is Disguised at the abuses of
the trankimg privilege which makes our
regular mail Il SoIt nt express for the
convenience of the privileged ones.
Cheap postage would also he very pop
ular. a> II l. a CnnN cniencc which all
can appreciate. in II >rIISc. il would
he amusing if the Republican CumNcn-
ton should introduce those reforms in
its platform lis they have been advo-
Gated 10y Mr.. Greeley for Il long time.
Ii would look very much like stealing
his thunder az turning his own guns
against him.
SrICIpE Icy \ Boy. - about . o'clock
on Friday morning Il little boy. oul,
seven years of age. committed suicide
III Il most determined manner ut Roth
rrlI;in. under very peculiar circum-
stances. The boy. whose name is Fred
crlck Dol phm. resided with his father.
Il farm lahnrcr. at Icklr>- hall. Be
tween and o'clock ON FRIDAY morn
ing he waS sent 10y his mother To Roth
rrllam 10 fetch some groceries and
BARN. He seems to have arrived safely