The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1876-10-27
PHILADELpHr4 LETTER.
Nitro Giycerine-MiseeIfany.
From Our Special correspondent.

From Our Special Correspondent
For two months, as you may have no.
tlced IN the daily papers, portion OF
tins explosive compound that seems to
have capacity to knock Hells Gate into
a cooked hat, was on exhibition IN the
government building under guard, tbs
true, but the least knock, causing an
upset, and hundreds of lives; guardians,
visitors, and passers-by, would have been
wounded or killed. Fortunately, 1t was
discovered by the proper parties, and the
dangerous agent of destruction cast INTO ,
the lake
HOW NITRo-GLYCERINE Is MADE.
The nitro-glycerine laboratory consists /
OF wooden frame, having three tiers OF |
shelves, the lever one having sides, /
/ forming tank. Atthe end of the frame, !
on the level of the tank, is large wheel /
I with belt passing around 1t, moving /
small wheel on the supper shelf, turning 1
a slender shaft operating vertical shafts, (
that revOlve i'll tubs on the lower shelf
or tank. The iron tubs in the tank, six
in number, are partly filed with nitric
and sulphuric acid, one part of nitric
TO two parts of sulphuric acid, by weight.
These acids are thoroughly mixed by the
lower ends of the shafts having on them
iron wheels like these on a propeller.
On the second shelf are Jars OF sweet
glycerine, a non-exlosive. Alter the
acids in the iron tubs below are thor
oughlv mixed, the gycerine III the jars
above is introduced through rubber
tubes The flow is controlled by metal
step-c0cks. The proportion is one pound
, of nitric acid 20 two of sulphurlc, and
one-seventh to Oneainth OF the weight
of the two acids, combined, of glycerine.
l Thermometers in tie acid tubs show the
r heat, and when it rises to seventy de
grees Fahrenheit th flow OF glycerine is
stopped After he .sapound Is formed
in the tanks, the tubs in tanks are lifted
ont of the ice which surrounds them, and
their contents poured into casks contain
ing eighty gallons of water, each, to about
= ten gallons of nitreglyceriue. If the
y temperature Is too high, ice Is put in to
I reduce it. The specific gravity OF water
being as / the SPECIFIC gravity OF nitro
glycerine as I.6. so the compound sinks
e 10 the bottom and Is drawn OF into tin
i cans. a. required for use, by an india
rubber siphon. If not wanted the com
pound can safely remain for years under
water. the water being changed once a
4. ! X \
the cans are placed in a wooden box and
c surrounded by dry powdered plaster OF
r Paris That is the safest way To trans
v mort it. because if the compound is kept
# 40 long as to eat through the can, it
meets the dry plaster, which immedi-
- atelv "sets.n and stops the leak. Pure
" uitroglvcerine is a liquid resembling
e castor oil. It viii not explode under 3
o temperature of three Hundred and sixty
-. degrees Fahrenheit, and then the heat
- must be applied rapidly. Nitro-glycer
'e inc can be transported with perfect safety
ID bv mixing it with fifty per cent. of wooC
a naptha, which renders the compound non
49, explosive. If required for use then, j
- must be turned into a tank of water
~ when the nitro-glycerine viii sink to tn,
d. bottom, and The wood naptha VIII foa
&c on the top. The nitro-glycerine can theI
m be drawn off by a siphon.
The usual manner of packing nitro
le glvcerine is toput fifty pounds in fv,
IL gallon tin can, and put a half gallon o
" water on top TO prevent it from taking
I fire, if a lighted match is dropped int,
e it. There can be no possible danger 0
"a its explosion while 50 packed, unles
lr gross carelessness occurs, and the dealt
so of DOYLE and theother men at He'll Cat
- recently is distinctly chargeable to III
recklessness. in violating the direction
-, given to him. Nitro-glycerine has al
III explosive force of nine hundred volume
70 approximately yulcanite powder, con
i, I sisting of thirty-three per cent. of nitro
=. glycerine, mixed with seventy-five pc
- cent. of meal or black powder; has com
III paratively an expansive force Of tire
IS hundred volumes, or rs 90 to break
IL cubic yard of rock, while nitro-glycerin
o. is as so to do the same work, accom-
plishing what would be required of fou
y pounds Of the ordinary black powder
er The specific grap1y of dynamite bein
70 .1-nitro-glycerne Is 1.6, taking waite
rs l. The DANCES of nitro-glycerine ar
~ almost the same 5 those attending gul
a powder, fulminat Of mercury, etc, eX
L.. ploded when confined. A thin piece 0
h. wood saturated with nitro-glycerine vii
- explode on receiving a direct blow. !
P' the oil has not soked through the WOO,
n no explosion car be produced. Clan
r. powder, another name for dynamite, cal
4 be burned when free and unconhned
. without an explosion. While nitro
. glycerine Is on storage, the cans contain
70 ing it should be kept ubmerged in water
er and the temperature kept below sevent,
a degrees Fahrenheit, if necessary, by tn
p use OF ice. linen, Jnere Is no danger.
has frequently been transported by rail
" way, but the usual manner is to send
by boats, or by teams, packed in plaste
. Of Paris. or in tanks Of water.
MISCELLANY.
20 The display of both cooking and parlo
10 stoves shows that great progress has beer
made of late years in the matter of orn
n ament by the use of nickel plating In tn
K. display of the American Institute Q
e Mining Engineers is q topographic MAJ
20 of the Wyoming region. Its execution
required the labor of years. The fin
20 collection of East Indian weapons, anC
l. Nj. n.In...l. =.