The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-16
POOLING WITH DYNAMITE.
FOUNDING 1T WITH AN AXE AND
MAKING A BONFIRE OF IT.
A Large Mandatory Of the Explosive In
DrakeViIie, N, 1.-TWO Thousand Pounds
Burned In Jersey City Warehouse.


Burned In Jersey City Warehouse.
ST. LOUIS, Jan. H-Thirty thousand
pounds OF dynamite arc stored in Lowell, a
suburb OF this city. The magazine 10 a small,
detached, windowless house; and since the
Bremerhaven disaster this structure has been
regarded with appreh ension by the residents Of
the neighborhood. Mr.. Julian, the agent in
charge, made public tests OF the explosive yes
terday intended to allay the excitement. Almost
everybody has ere this learned that dynamite or
giant powder 10 finely powdered silex, or infu-
serial earth, saturated In three times It's weight
OF nitro Rycerne. II was discovered three
years ago by Alfred Nobel, swede, and, as gem
orally made, resembles damp Graham -four. 1t
explodes with a force seven and a half times
greater than the strongest blasting powder, and
in effectiveness ia often quite equal to nitro
glycerine itself. The generally accepted idea OF
tho peril OF handling II, so Mr. Julian says, 10
greatly exaggerated. He claims that neither
light nor electricity, nor ordinary shocks can
possibly explode II. In all the speculations con-
corning the Bremerhaven disaster, and the state
ment that clockwork struck the thirty-pound
blow, none seem to have doubted that such
blow was SUFFICIENT TO have caused the e1plo-
sion. Mr.. Julisn's theory is that there was
Illuminate cap ready for explosion, and that
jar OF the clockwork caused premature blow.
IN conducting the experiments Yesterday Mr..
Julien entered the BtOrehOuae with a lighted
cigar In his mouth. The dynamite was piled in
hfty-pound boxes, each containing one hundred
cylindrical rolls Of dynamite, every. roll being
quarters TO an inch and a half In diameter.
These rolls, called cartridges, were encased in
heavy paper saturated with linseed oil to pre-
serve the contents from moisture. The agent
scared the spectators by throwing one OF the
boxes out Of the door. II struck forcibly on the
frozen ground. Thence 1t was taken to the edge
Of clin and dropped twenty feet on n rock
The box was shattered, and the cartridges flow
har aaalg a.
gathered IN heap, aud pounded by the heavy
blows with an axe. Next Il was set on nre. The
fame caught, slowly at nrst, rapidly afterwards,
now on little projection, then on round sur
face, until the whole lille was burning with a
fierce pink flame and intense brlliancy, and
such great heat that noOne could stand within "A
dozen feet Of ". For several minutes 1t Kissed
and glowed, and then subsidized, leaving rock
like residue. which speedily hardened to the
similtude OF white quartz. Though the hiss
ng was tremendous, aud the light and heat
oycrpowering, there was not the falntest explo-
sion. Frozen dynamite was subjected TO the
same tests. Next, an attempt was maze to fire
stick Of frozen dynamite with an ordinary
miners fuse aud Illuminating cap. The cap ex-
ploded. but the dynamite was only burst asun-
der, and was found couple Of feet away In AN
unchanged condition. Three ounces, unfrozen,
we're then exploded III the open air with a fuse
and illuminate cap. The conclusion was very
were these: That dynamite, as ordinarily manu-
featured and sold In this country and Europe,
cannot be exploded by blow or shock that
when frozen II cannot be exploded at all that
when burned In the open air II Is a. harmless AS
taow dip and that 1t Is the safest Of all the
explodents.
Mr. julien saws that there are only two facto-
ries In the United States where dynamite Is
made, and the largest Is in Drakeyile, N. j..
where more than 30 tons year are prepared.
Tho silutious earth used Is brought from Ger
many ana II will absorb and retain only about
three times its own weight Of nytro-gycerine.
When more than this percentage is used IL Is apt
to leak out Of the packages, and collecting IN
drops. becomes source Of great danger. For
this reason great care IL used not to exceed the
limit OF seventynve per cent. Mr. Julien also
said-and this may especially interest The
SUNS home readers-that two thousand pounds
Of dynamite were burned In a warehouse ia
jersey city short tine ago. There was no ex-
plusion however. alt hnugh the fact OF the stOr-
age Of the stun In a crOwded city was doubtless
unknown 10 the authorities.