The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-12-19
How our West Virginia Farmers
Can Get Rid of Their SIumpS
RtSmalI Expense.

Can Get Rid OF Their SIumps
at Small Expense.
New York suu.
Late experiments by Mr.. John o'Don.
nell, OF Jamaica, L. l., have shown that
by the use Of dynamite, the cost Of stump
Graduating can be surprisingly reduced.
An oak stump, two feet in diameter, costs
by hand labor at least 81 10 remove.
Dynamite will send it flying at cost Of
twenty-five cents. MIR. O'DOnnell recent.
ly invited a party Of farmers 10 zee its
effectiveness. Five stumps were attacked.
The frat was Of oak, partly decayed. The
men employed punched a hole with a
crowbar between two projecting roots,
but, not being experts, did not insert the
instrument fully under the stump. Con-
sequently, only two.thirds Of it was blown
out. The partial decay OF the wood was
another hindrauce. II did not offer the
necessary resistance. A partially rotted
chestnut stump was blown to Fragments.
The crowbar was badly inserted under an
apple tree stump, and that, like the oak,
was shattered 10 the extent Of two.thirds.
With a sound and sturdy oak stump,
however, the dynamite was fully tri.
umphant. The stump was blown out
utterly.
A charge was placed under rock
weighing about two tons. II was thrown
from It's bed and shattered TO pieces. A
rock habits size was thrown twenty feet,
but not broken. A hole about foot deep
was then drilled into n we'll embedded
rock, and charged with four ounces Of
dynamite. twas much broken, and the
pieces not diSlolged were easily pried
out with the crowbar.
About two inches Of a cartridge an inch
in diameter had hitherto been used upon
the Stumps, but the closing experiment
was made with an entire cartridge eigh-
teen inches long upon fresh oak stump
twenty inches in diameter. Many Of the
fragments were thrown one hundred and
twenty-five feet.
Mr.. Palmer, Superintendent OF Maple
Grove cemetery, near Jamaica, has been
successful in the use Of dynamite upon
both stumps and stones. Hedrills a hole
from six to twelve inches deep, according
to the size OF the stone, and speedily
meets with success. In sinking we'll a
fat rock was found at a depth OF over
sixty feet, but II was quickly shattered,
and the pieces were hauled up in buckets,
The dynamite is put up in packages oil
oiled muslin, shaped like candle, and
impervious to wafer. One ends opened
aud hole ia made In the powder with a
stick for the insertion OF the percussion
cap, which Is an inch long, and loaded for
half its length with illuminate OF mercu.
~. A iuSe:is inserted in the cap, which
ia squeezed with nippers, that II may ct
tightly. The little interstices must be
filled with soap, to render the cap water.
proof. After the cap Is in position in the
powder, the top Of the cartridge must be
lied tight round the fuse, 80 that no
water may enter, On the cartridge being
placed against the stump, water must be
poured into the hole and the ground
around thoroughly soaked and pressed
that It may offer strong resistance. A
little seml.circular dam should then be
Iheaped around, within which more water
should be poured, by way Of adding TO
the resistance. The fuse, which should
project outside Of The dam, Is then lighted
| Il reaches the cap in less than two min
utes, which affords ample time for the
operators to reach q safe distanee. The
explosion makes little noise, aud, alter
viewing dance in the air Of q myraid Of
fragments, spectators end large hole
i with few loose roots around, and The
ground ready for The pillow.