The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-07-13

} from u letter DN lHe huthoii N"' Wv
/ Wardnsky published in the London
Iiuing .Tournai, June, l8i7, and repub
lighed in the Scientific 1HericdH, june
%, 1919. He says:
"This new motive power surpasses by
far steam or any other power actually
known; for, if We employ one cubic inch
of the patented ingredient we obtain
from it no less pressure than that OF
forty-six tons upon the square inch OF
surface The gases evolved consist
chiefly Of carbonic oxide and carbonlc
acid gas, both gases permanently elastic,
SO that in passing through cold air or wa
ter they do not collapse, but will follow
the piston to the utmost limit OF its work.
In using this ingredient We require Meth
err fire nor water; it creates neither smoke
nor any offensive aftluvia, and, with the
exception OF slight moisture or pure
vapor, it leaves no residue behind.
Neither is there any compound IN the
gases which could corrode metals, as was
presumed by Porrett, Fordos and Zells,
who seem to have copied from each other
the supposition "that there might be com
pounds of cysnogen in the gasses OF TINS
ingredient, Judging from the color OF the
flames when such gasses were lgnlted,
never telling us that the greatest portion
was carbonic oxide, which gas Is well
known to burn with bright blue lame
The ingredient in question consists, IN
fact, of all kinds of vegetable tbers, such
as cotton, flax, hemp, tow, straw, hay,
paper, &c, rendered explosive by their
being dipped for fourteen or fifteen MN
utcS in nitric acid strengthened by an
admixture of An equal quantity OF sui
phuric, then well washed in pure water,
and dried for about two hours. BY this
process all the vegetable tibers in the crea-
ton become highly explosive. This fact
was first noticed by Pro-. Otto, of Burns
wick, about 1890, and again by Pilonza,
of Paris. in 1898, and finally fully pub
lished in the English press about the
early part of the year 1915, under the
name of gun cotton, As it was called by
Professo! Schonhein, or, As NJ. PelouZe
called it, Xyloidine. Now, considering
the very intense power of Ayloldlne, 1t
i found to be the most tractablc lngre-
dent We know. For example, compress
sion. or mating, sutiices to limit, retard,
or entirely prevent Its eNplOslon-not
like gunpowdcr, by one fired grain OF
which whole mass of the same powder
is instantaneously ignited and exploded.
| have caused long silver of XloIdIne to
explode in my hand in six and seven
degrees of velocity and force: or by cont
pressing a certain part of the silver be-
tween my fingers, | have limited It's eX-
plosion TO the mere loose and corded
parts oft The explosive qualities OF
this ingredient are 50 great that very
small quantities and small apparatus are
required. For All engine of two-horse
power n thread not larger in siZc than
sewing-colton Is sufficient. y thread of
this size passes through either end OF II
piston and divided by compression, and
their parts exploded 10y electricity, will
furnish the power. Mr.. lssac Nickel, of
Camden. \. j., L. 5. A, has built one Of
this size The working machinery occu-
pies ~ more space than mans hat.
lie also SAWS that "in steamboats,, locomo-
tivcs &c this must create an entire rev.
o!ution, and, above all this, he says that
he has made another discovery, which
vrrgcs almost on miracle. 1t is this,
that carriages can be propelled on COM
mon roads without steam, fire. magnetism,
air or animal power, and ships without
paddles, sails or any kind of propellers
whatever"
1t is always cheering to stumble upon
something new, and especially when it
is II discovery like the above, which Is
sure to place all our steam engines on the
upper shelf, TO take II long sleep as war
worn veterans, good in their day, but no
more able to compel with their Count
De Warchin.ky-M ickle- kccly Motor
Northumberland opponents than could
an English long bow with an American
rifle. We have always said that we want
lust such Il motor BY the "Donaldson
Balloon" is no longer predetermined, and,
although 1t did not depart as was prom.
iscd, il will one of these days. We have
not been informed how Mr.. Mic!,c's en-
CINE, ut Camden, n. y, operated, and
therefore can not really say; but we hope
that the entcrprising Kcely and his clan
destine company Will in their next effort
rehash something that dates way back in
the dark ages among the lost arts-so far
at least that no account OF them was ever
published.
LEE.