Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1876-05-04

not likely to be superseded BY any Of
the known improvements or substitutes
for it. For mortar, cannon, rifle and
musket purposes, nothing has yet sue
cessfulIy competed with il. Some wears
since schonbein, of Germany, supposed
that gun-eotton. invented BY himself in
1843, would excel gunpowder in all the
varied uses to which it had been ap-
Piled. But this proved to be an error.
During the past few years = further
confidence haa. been manifested In 0pu-
cotton, b<cause the charge coald Be
measured to graduation according to
the resistance. -
The sudden explosion of gun-cotton
has hitherto endangered the barrel of
the musket or implement in which it
was used. The shock was sudden and
too great, and, after a few explosions
in the chamber, the metal surrounding
would expand and crack. On the 9TH
er hand, gunpowder was elongated in
its explosion; that is, it did not explode
all at once, and hence the force or con-
cussion was spread throughout the gun
barrel. 1t has been determined that
only thirty-tw hundredths of the gun
powder explodes in the gun, and much
Of that takes place between the charge
chamber and the muxxle. The remain
der 10 thrown out, and is either con-
sumed in the air or fails to the ground.
Nitro-glycerine and other high explo-
sives act precisely as gun-cotton. but
with some of them the suddenness of
their decomposition is greater; and this
result arises principally from the fact
that they lay more compact in q given
cubic space.
In such compounds as guupowder,
gun-cotton, nitro-glycerine and their
like, their explosive force or power de-
pends upon the quantity of nitre they
contain. Ordinarily gunpowder 10 COM
posed Of seventy. five parts Of saltpetre
(nitre), ten parts Of sulphur, and fif.
teen parts Of charcoal. These ingre.
dients are well pulverized, mixed to-
gether, pressed and granulated, and
then covered with plumbago.
Gun-cotton, as invented BY Schcnbein,
was made in this manner: He took one
part of nitric acid Of high specific grav.
ity, (say 4Se Baume); two parts sui
phuric acid (66o Baume); and these be-
ing mixed, he submerged common cot
ton into the acids. After thus placed
a short time the cotton was taken out,
and for a few hours kept in jars, and
then washed in water. The cetton thus
treated, when dried, was highly explo-
sive. The nitre of the nitrid acid uni
ted with the cotton fibre, and the water
of the acid united with the sulphuric
acid. The improvements since that day,
invented by Lenk, of Austria, Shaffner,
of America, and Abel, of England, are
mere devices for adjusting the charge
to graduated explosion, and for the
better manufacture of the compound
known as nitrated fibre, pulp or gun
cotton.
Nitro-glycerine was discovered by
Sobrero about 1s45, and being a liquid
it was found to be practically useless.
Military men of the different govern
ments of Europe exercised their talents
To devise means to use it, but it was re-
served to Vobel, of Sweden, to make the
discovery or invention in 1868. Hefound
that it required concussion, or sud-
denly applied force, TO explode it, and
from this he proceeded to place the
nitro glycerine in a vessel or borc-hole
for blasting, aud explode la or near 1t a
large percussion cap or n charge of gum
powder, or other explosive substance.
This was the climax of the invention.
Nitro-glycerine is made by the same
acid mixture required for making gun
cotton. Suppose YOU have the acids
mixed in glass jar holding gallon.
Surround it with ice, as is used around
n freezing tub for making ice cream;
then agitate the acids with glass rod
until they become cold, say $50 Fab;
then pour some ordinary glycerine, as
found in the drug stores, gradually into
the acids, the mixture being stirred all
the time. In that quantity ofacids you
may use a pound Of glycerine. When
thus mixed, pour the whole into ten times
its quantity of pure water. The nitro
glycerine will be found at the bottom
of the vessel of water. The product
will be about two pounds. Il is six
tenths heavier than water. If the nitro
glycerine be well washed, you viii have
. pure article.
Dynamite 10 . compound that has
come into use within few years. Some
ten years ago, in 1866, Col. Shaffner
discovered that for general purposes of
blasting the nitro o-glycerine was too
much concentrated in the bore hole of
the rock, and in order to spread it
throughout the drill hole he mixed With
it fine sand; the finer the sand the
greater would be the absorption. After
this, Nobel found that when nitrc-gly-
cerine was thus mixed it could be safe
ly transported, and that the finest sill
eious matter that could be found would
be the most advantageous. With this
view he selected the earth known as
infusoria, found in large quantities in
Holland. This infusoria 10 composed
OF small microscopic s,licious shells,
which have Lost their living creatures
in the unknown ages Of the past. The
cellular parts receive the nitro-giycerine
and hold it BY capillary attraction, both
, inside and outside. This earth 10 very
hight The water is expelled from it by
furnace. and then, in the form Of
powder, 1t is mixed with the nitre-gly-
eerine, twenty-five parts of the former
and seveniy-fve parts of the latter, by
weight. This compound is known in