Litchfield enquirer., 1877-06-14
Dynamite Blasting.

The New Haven Palladium describes some interesting experiments in dynamite blasting at Westville, witnessed by it's re- porter on Friday last. The first was with an oak stump 225 feet across where it had been cut, and with strong spreading roots. MT. Wm. A. Palmerton had charge of the experiment. His cartridges are 8 inches long and 134 in diameter, their contents appearing to be saw dust soaked with ni- tro-glycerine. He punched hole with a crowbar under the center of the stump. In this hole, which had filled with water, he rammed two cartridges in succession. Then on one end of piece of waterproof fuse he placed metallic cap, clinching it to make it secure. Inserting this cap in- to half cartridge, the latter was rammed down into the hole near it's companions, and the hole filled with mud and earth securely tamped. The fuse was lighted, and as soon as the cap was reached there was a rumbling explosion, and the pieces of the stump were scattered far and wide. It was most effectually demolished and broken into pieces suitable for firewood. The expense had been about $1.5
 The next experiment was upon bould- CT weighing at least 100 tons, so buried that it's upper surface lay level with the surface of the earth. Mir. Palmerton dug down on one side to the base of the rock. and then under it, few inches, The hole soon filled with water, into which he threw cartridge, and then jammed it under the rock. Others followed as be- fore to the amount of about 8 lbs and he filled up the hole with mud and earth we'll tamped. The explosion this time was ao- companied by hardly any noise. Sudden ly the boulder rose out of the ground in two pieces, One weighing about forty tons, was thrown over a stump on the top of the ground; the other half fell back into the hole. winch the explosion had considerably enlarged. To break up the half outside MT. Palmerton prepared a surface blast. On the sloping side of the rock he placed two of his ''sawdust" cart ridges, and fixed them to the rock by three shovelfuls of soft, muddy clay so as to exclude the ar. This he exploded by fuse as before. This time there was a sharp report. The boulder had been shat tered into small pieces. easily handled. Another charge might have shattered the half in the hole, or the top of it might have been broken of so that it would not interfere with plough.
 The job had cost about $5 and about half an hours work by one man. The work could not have been done in the or dinary way for less than $25.
 The cartridges used cost 50 cents a pound, and are made by the Giant Pow der Co.,, in New-York. The caps are made in Germany and cost two cents each; and the fuse, 75 cents per 100 feet. Mr. Palmerton is agent for Fairfield and Litch- field counties and will instruct farmers in the use of the material, which is perfectly safe. The Palladium predicts that this use of dynamite will soon become quite common in farming districts '"There seems to be no limit to its usefulness in this di- rection. The day of the stump puller has passed, and the drill and hammer will soon cease to be used on our New En gland farms.'
 We see further newspaper notice of the commencement of suit by the Misses Mitchell of Washington for the recovery of property in Davenport. Iowa, bought by their brother. Lieut.. Garwood Mitch ell, U. s. A., .,whsn at Rock Island in 1S36 Thereal estate he then purchased for $125 is now estimated at $10o. 900. .OOO.C)