The New York herald., 1876-09-10

much cheaper than sugar. The whole island will be
blown 10 the dogs in lew days; but II few hundred
young girls laugh when they the explosion, hero
viii be happier sound 10 rise above the loud geyscr
than the last sP OF .he young eiri who said THE old
woman has bumped Il 10 sophie and chucked dead
egg on the sugar -
In view o: the excitement created by ,he recent
poson OF this compound at He'll Gate and the extraor
tnary precautions taken by tho officials prevent
any visitors from falling victims to another DISASTER
append luil description Of this highly explosive
agent. which vii! prove very interesting.
HISTORY or S.rHoGLycERNE
Nitro gycerne, high explosive, invented by
Sobrero. Nobel and Aowbray xfterward took out pat
ents TOR its manufacture here; but did not come into
general use as blasting agent until 1863 1894 and 1868
Previous to that time It's high explosive qualities were
known, but chemists dared 10 mix only drop by drop
II vas supposed then shat this The only way 10
make IL Chemistry soon developed the tact that it
could be safely made IN large quantities. and within
the last ew oars has been made the of nearly
one ton per day as the aggregate product Of eli manu-
Lecturers 70 supply the demand for blasting mtues
ana iunnelng OH The Atlantic and Pacific coasts aud
along the lines OF inland railways Nobel was the first
ture very interesting, and # properly conducted 10
not dangerous. That made for the governments at
materials and compounded Black Tom Island. IN the
harbor Of New York
Black Tom Island artificial mound, rising the
Jersey Flats about mile from communipaw and
about and a hall miles from EIls' Island, the
United states depot Tor artillery stores II was maize
under The direction OF the New Jersey Shore or Dock
Improvement Company by sinking crib-work hlled
wiih stoue. The interior OF the CRIB nlled With
the ashes and other refuse from New YORK unil tho
CRIB became An island Then tho company built two
piers pointing to the New Jersey shore and dumped
The garbage ron New York between them In order
TO ~, % more iand ihe company then dumped the
aches aud earth from the two ci,ies on the Commun
between .he n,an land and Black Iom
Island Eventually the gap Will DO closed
and the angle formed bctweon the island
and the railway dock Of The railway Communipaw
will te filed In on Black Tom ISLAND severa!
broad and low rooted sheds and frame stable. The
island is about nve acres IN extent but has no brick
structures on IT, neither does any i've lhere. The
watehman leaves at SIX O'Clock y. N. In January,
1875, the nitro ycer ,here exploded through
essness similar that which Doyle his iie at Hell
cate last week Before that time the RIVER pirates ire
auenlly landed there al nigh and stole everything
removable except nitro gyccrnc Since that time
not cents worth has beon stolen Under one o! the
long su-ds IS he niroslyccrine lab"ratorr II con-
sists OF wooden rane having three tiers OF shelves,
thc ower one having SIDES forming tank AZ the end
OF the frame, the level Of the tank large wheel
with belt passing around u moving smal!
whec on the upper shelf. turning slender shalt opcr
atns vertical shafts That revoivc IN tUps the lower
shei; Or tank The IRON TUBS IN The .aux, six IN num-
bor are partly Aiied With nitric and sulphurc aci.,
one part .! aric TO Two parts OF sulphurc acid, by
weight These ACIDS are thoroughly mixed ~ the re.
voy.ng snaiis mentioned above the lower ends o. The
shafts having them iron wheels Ike those on pro-
peur On The second Shelf are Jars 0. sweet gycerine
o non.ex plusive Alter the below
thoroughly mlxec .he gycerine ~ TIE Jars above
;s introduced through rubber tGoes The n1w 10 con-
!roliec BY meta. sop coc@s The proportion is one
pound o; nitric acld lwo o sulphurc and
seventh ic oae-E!gtL U. tho weight OF ;bc lwo
acids combined 0: s!ycerine iLermomosers 10
deg FshTenhci' ths now Oh gycerine is stopped
Alter the compound formed Ia The tanks the tubs
III. ed out OF the ice which surrounds them
aud sAer contonts poured INTO essks containing ~
gallons OF water sach 70 about 10 gallons OF nitro
eycerne the temperature IS too hisn lcs Is pat IN
10 reduce H. The specinc gravity OF water being as H.
the specific gravity o.. nitro glycerine A. 10. ihs
compound sinks 10 the bottom anc Is drawn oil Into
tin cana required Tor use. BY india ruboer
siphon I! not wanted ,he compound safely re-
main years under water, tne water beng changed
once week After II has been put in she cans The
caIs re IA. N A no nd an r
powdered plaster OF Para laa; Is the safest way 70
transport H. because the compound IS kept 50 long
immediately ''se,s' and stops the leaS Pure afro
glycerihe ls qu.d resembling castor oil Is vii! uos
explode under perature " 500 deg Fahrenheit.
and tnen the heat niass be applicd rapidly.
irs TRANSPORTATION.
Nhrogiycerne can De transported with perfcc.
saioiy by mixing IS Win h!ty per ceni OF vooc napa
,na which renders the compound nonexoosive II
required Tor use thea u must De turned INTO tank Of
water. wbeL he nitro-glyecrine viii sitk ,c The
bottom AND the wooG naphtha aoat Oh ibs sop The |
Ltrc-s syccrine can .hen De drawn of py Gphon
rne usual manner Of packing miro giycerins Is to |
gallon 0! water on top 10 prevent from taking IRE u
lighted match IS dropped INTO u Thero can ~ 40
possible danger OF It's explosion while packed, 40
less gross careessncss and the death OF Doyle
and the other Al He'll Cate recently IS distinctly
chargeabe 10 HIS rccklessncss In violating she direo
OTHER Non rxaLosIvxA
Strogivcerine has an expansive iorcc o! 300 VOL |
umes iapprox xmatel Vuicaa.te powder. consisting OF ,
,hrtytb per cent OF niuo-eiyccrine, mixcd vita
seventy-hve per een' OF msa' or oiacx powdcr, has
eofnpafatvey 40 expansive iorce OF 900 volumes or
0e 70 break cuuc yard OF rock, while |
miro glycerine So 10 DO she sams WORK !
accomplishing what would We required o. pounds
OF the ordinary black powdsr The specific gravity Of
dynamite bepg a, nitro-gtcerne sL taking water
as The dangers o. a,troxiycer,ne are alfnos, the
those attending gunbowdof. fulm mate Of mer-
curry sc. exploded wher connned A shin piece OF
wood saturated With nro-tlyccrine VIII explode on
receiving direcs blow. The ell has not soaked
through the wood eyposion can be produced
Giant powcss. another acne Tor dynaaaiiA eAa ~