Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-09-14
EVENING STAR.
tn URsDAY. .september n, ls7s.
nasisg Ready az HelI Gate.
sLooP LOADS OF ExPLosIvEs-MKN 81
COMING EXRERr-THE RAIrKkN


he DANGEROUS task Of charging the holes
SIiIleo IN the bed OF gneiss ROCK AT Hell Gste
Sss continued yesterday. and the men,
the cartridges, accomplished more man
curing the previous day. Forty OF the 30
groups were finished, making a total OF
Thai have been made ready for printing durios
The two days. As Gen. Newton anticipatad
The men have SO improved In this KIDD OF
work that The nnal explosion may take placa
prior 10 Sep TENDER q. Every one CONTESTED
Win the work seems anxi ous that the s.blov-
ing up sh1 mn1 ians Btscs =. soon A. pos
ward as rapidly as Is consistent with safety.
Some delay may occur I'm filling the galleries
With water, as this will have I'VE. to Dc done
excavated from the rockoed 10 AZ ,46l cuoic
ysrds-2a acres In superficial extent-and
10 ss ,,ye4 Ss Nos tne
and 10 are covered with damp sawdust, and
I'm each the unpackipg, wiping, and asserting
The explosive cartridges are permitted 70 Se
received on as rapidly as they can be uu-
packed, examined, and used, so that dan
gerous accumulation In the shaft is avoided.
Apother cargo OF rendrock and va can pow
Ger was discharged on the wharf yes terday
morning from udy little white sloop. Toe
ever, exhausted before night, and Mr. Bar
nard Boyle, IN charge Of the mining de-
psrtment. called for more long before the
These high explosives differ from gun
powder" said Capt. James Mercur. the
superb tendent, Sin this that while common
power Is mechanical mi xture OF saltpetre,
sulphur. and chsrcoal-sulphur and charcoal
being elements in themselves, and saltpetre
mixture OF potash and nitric scid-nitro-
glycerfne is q chemical compound m ade by
substituting the elements OF b ypo nitric acid
for portion Of the hydrogen contained in
glyceripe. As used In our cartridges the
liquid has been absorbed In keiSelQlatr, a sill
cious clay that much resemble brown
sugar. IL is hard TO estimate the force OF it,
but the differences in action is something Ike
this: Take stick Of wood, bore q hole
through IL, I'LL that with powder, and the
stick will split; I'LL IL with nitre-elycerlne
and Ii will string out like . broom. In many
cases powder is better, IL exerts its powder
more gradually, but IL you wish 10 make
powder OF rocks nitro gly cerIne viii do that"
important part OF this great undertaking
Is being strengthened by an additional layer
OF stones, and will be bomb proof. Tue bat
Mr.. Julius Striedinger. Within the bomo-
proof are two frames, each having $50 cells,
each 10 cells forming one battery. The cells
dom and a solution OF bi-chromate of
potassa. dissolved In diluted sulphuric
acid. The zinc and carbon plates are
cred into the fluid Of 20 square inches each.
The cells are connected for intensity, about
~ OF them forming one battery, the inten-
neSu I'll w one ss 70 isnte slmns
OF 20 fuses In continuous circuit, equivalent
to ie0 fuses. There are, In all, q sets to be
exploded by . such batteries. In order to
secure the Simultaneous explosion of these
e times leo fuses, novel apparatus will be
interposed into the circuit of each OF these
a gravity circuit closer, q brass pin closing
the open circuit when the batteries are low
cred down, after the charging OF the mines is
mercury, both brass cup and pin being part ART
OF the circuit. 1t is understood that there
are q brass pins and as many mercury cups
The simultaneous explosion Of all the mines
will hence, II no accident changes the pro-
gramme, be accomplished in the following
way: After the wires are connected with the
poles of the battery, and the brass pin and
cup respectively, the plate containing the
brass pin is TO be lifted and held by q cord
by separate battery. will cause the closing
o. the circuit by the contact of the brass pins
with the mercury In the cups, aud the explo-
sion must follow.-IN y. hiin, 13th.
A NEW PERIL FOR ERoNAUrs-At Lon
eronaut, accompanies by Mr. Tanner, made
q most successful ascent, and soon attained
an altitude OF 900 feet, a which height they
crossing the Thames no less than three times.
Upon arriving near Elthsm they descended
IN large meadow, and were just In the act
believing was heard, and, on looking in the
direction whence tho sound proceeded, q
large bull was seen rushing wildly toward
n
ger Of the situation, with great presence OF
mind Immediately seized the two Remaining
bags OF ballast, and threw them bodily out
OF the car. The balloon rose, but only Just
in time to escape the horns OF the Infatuated
animal, who, upon seeing the balloon eus-
pended over him, turned his attention to the
bags OF sand, the contents OF which he soon
.cattered In all directions. In his attack bis
horns came in contact with the 2rapnel rope
And the jerk releasing the grapnel set the
balloon free, but, at the same time, threw
Mr.. Morton, who was attending to the rope.
out of the car. Fortunately, he succeeded
In clutching the netting, and, with Mr.. Tan
before IT had assembled many hundred feet.
| The seronauts sailed away for about q mile
when they found q safe haven.
N. d. CONWAY describes q picture in the
old museum at Calais, by some able artist
| con one canvass, all the great men and
| generals OF France, with Napoleon /. at the
top. The portraits are powerfully painted,
ted would be valuable enough were IL oniy
there; but, In the time OF Louis Philippe, It
was thought necessary TO cut that one head
| up with the head OF some Individual in q
cooked hat. Who that Individual 10, sur
rounded with the round mark Of the knife,
and forcible picture, painted In the time or
/ Nine de Pompadour, and meant for q satire
upon her. She is represented In q state OF
ing at herself in a small oval mirror. Lower
| Gown on the perch are two parrots, each
bearing the face OF some emlnont courtier OF
the period, while the wholee ctr 10 nlled with
| birds, some OF them predatory. each of which
has q face which is the portrait OF some In
| trtgure OF the time. There IL large number
| OF these old pictures In the museum, and
they tell the story OF France fu that cynical
| way which is perhaps the only way In which
| can ever be really told.o
| THE FORCED PRAYER.-The Hartford
| Times IL Its Centennial Notes says: "rhe
| funniest thing In this whole art coi,ecriou is
| q marble called "The Forced Prayer ~ is
| little boy OF four years, who stands up ia
1 DIS sc garment, an abbreviated shirt, and
| claspipg his chubby little hand In the im-
/ ploring attitude, goes through the form of
MS little prayer, upon manifest compulsion-
possibly after the gentle persuasion OF q
birch rod, tor the mouth is drawn down In
the most 1udicrous expression OF grief, while
on each marble cheek there Is q big marble