Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-08-27
Ice-Blasting.

Blasting has been determined upon.
Charges of three pounds, five pounds and
ten pounds of ordinary gunpowder will be
prepared for use in tin canisters, with
Bickford's fuse. If, however, the new
explosive "cotton gunpowder" should be
the substance selected to carry out this OBJ
ject, small charge of about two pounds
is prepared, primed with its detonator, to
which is attached short length of Bick-
ford's fuse. Operations are commenced
from the open water and carried on toward
the ship. A hole is made in the ice by
means of drill some distance from its
edge, and the charge is lowered down
through this until it reaches the water and
is placed Immediately under the ice The
fuse is ignited, sharp explosion takes
place, and xle ice is shattered and sent in
all directions. Men in boats, and others
armed with boat-hooks and long poles, at
once assail the fragments, removing them
from the channel into the open water.
These operations are repeated until clear
channel has been made, through which
the ship is able to steam and thus effect her
escape. The advantages which the "cot-.
ton gunpowder' has over ordinary black
| gunpowder are numerous It is much
more powerful explosive, its proportionate
strength to common powder being as
eight to one, but its great merit is said to
consist in its perfect safety. If put into
the fire it will burn quietly, without any
| explosion, nor will it explode on concus-
| sion.
The practice of ice-blasting is not new
| invention, and had been much resorted to
by the various search expeditions. Their
plan was simply to lower a glass bottle, or
preserved meat-tin, containing from two
to four pounds of ordinary gunpowder,
below the ice and explode it. The results
were most satisfactory. Lieut. Mecham
tells us that during Capt. Austin's expedi-
ton, in 1851, a blasting party was en-
ployed for twelve days in detaching foe
from the eastern shore of Griffith Island
With 216 pounds of powder they cleared
away space 10000 yards in length, and
averaging 400 yards in breadth; this ice
varied from three to five feet in thickness.
The estimated weight of the ice removed
was about 216,16S tons. The heaviest
charge used on this occasion was sixteen
pounds, lowered ten feet below five feet
Ice; its effect was the breaking UP of 400
yards square, besides splitting the ice in
several directions. The last charge would
be equivalent to two pounds of cotton
gunpowder," but the results with the lat.
Ter explosive would in all probability be
far more effective.-From g arctic Tee
ITooet," en- Popular Science Monthly.
They have some remarkable church
choirs in Norwalk, Conn. One Sunday
evening clergyman gave to his organ.
ist hymn--to be sung last-but so pecul-
lar in meter that no tune would fit it. So
the organist wrote four-part melody dur
ing the sermon and the choir sang it from
his score. Length of sermon not stated.
THE Maine Farmer suggests that farm
ers, by building on adjoining corners of
their FARMS might organize little +" farm
ers' villages, F" which would give them the
advantage of society and make their chill
dren much more contented with farm life,
and, as critic observes, greatly improve
the facilities for neighborly quaTrels.
Two ASSES are still found occasionally
to make bet the result of which is that
the loser wheels the other for certain dis
lance in wheelbarrow. The latest case
is reported from Baltimore, and the citi.
Zens neglected to shoot either idiot