The New York herald., 1879-09-05
MODERN EXPLOSIVES.
A Day in the Midst of Dynamite
and Nitro-Glycerine.
ELECTRIC APPARATUS.
The Examination OF the Tor
pedO Class Closed.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD

BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD
NEWPORT, r. L, Sept. 4, 1879.
The torpedo examination was continued to-day. }
commencing at haf-past nine with the electrical
department All tho members OF the party pro
ceeded to the electric building. airy place adapted
to its use. with basement full of all kinds bat
teries ringing bells. others of great power
for running mechanical boat. like the Success.
On the upper all kinds Of queer looking boards
and knobs to be found. which are the connec-
tions from below by means of which the current
from any battery may be utilized. Here are also
many instruments of the latest pattern. such Far
mer's galvanometers and relays. The relay in usl
can with one conductor, perform Ave different
things and tho class stated that Professor Farmer
has a relay that will. with single conductor per-
form eight distinct duties. This he has only just
received. and it has not been adjusted for use.
Lieutenant Maynard. the instructor. conducted the
examination.
The questions of such technical nature
that it would be difficult to describe them In popular
language. They consisted in part Of explains
tions OF the laws governing electrical
rents, especially applied to firing fuses;
the various machines. frictional. magnetic and
dynamo, with their advantages. defects and special
application, galvanometers. wheatstones bridges,
various fuse circuits, how to mako galvanometer
on board ship with only sailmaker's needle and
bell wre and with it measure the suitability Of
an unknown wire for making fuse bridges and many
other technical and obscure subjects. The class
seemed to very ready with their answers and de-
scriptions which suppose correct. at least it
was not discerned from the composed face Of Lieu
tenant Maynard the instructor. that they not
So The electrical building Is haven Of rest.
there is nothing here to Ego of" although it fur
nishes the instrument Of untold destruction-viz.,
the electric current
NEw-RANGLED EXPLOSIVES.
Upon the completion Of the electric xamination the
Board and adjourned to the explosive building.
The interior appearance Of the place is decidedly
uncanny. Ranged table were . hundred or
more samples Of the various explosives, we'll as
of their innocent OF all
ages, dynamite Eliminates carefully kept under
water, picrc powder. guncotton and gunpowder-
in many forms. The picrates OF various substances
shown were made at tho station by Pro-
fessor Hill and Lieutenant Commander Emes,
student in the last class. and present
. show or brilliant shades of color. The picrio
powder is comparatively of recent date. and 70
intended to replace gunpowder In torpedoes- Pro-
fessor Hill, who established its proportions and
made it at the powder mill thinks 1t fully safe
eunpowder, not so easily affected by moisture and
OF moro than double force It is composed OF picrats
~pf ammonium potassium nitrate and char
Professor Hill conducted the examination Ono
Of the most startling points OF this programme
was tho free and easy manner in which tho
exports handled these wicked explosives. They
hammered. burned up and let fall without explo.
sion seeming be perfectly harmless when properly
made until tho proper means Of firing was used,
and then they go of with sudden and terrific vio.
lence. In fact xunpovder was proved 10 be an in
fant IN comparison nitro-glyoerine being thirteen
times stronger and exploding perfectly in watcr the
water pressure rather packing IL and increasing ita
power. Tho explosive gelatine was shown to be
queer booking mess. in cakes about inch
in thickness. and appeared like innocent calves foot
jolly or soft glue. This was handled with perfect
safety IL dfhcult to explode and when are to Il
viii burn up. piece laid ON moderately hos
stove will nzzle away like slice Of bacon To
plode It. large fuse of illuminate Of mercury Wa
required. This was confined. lump that had been
blown to pieces by weak fusoe without exploding
was simply shatsered- When properly fred its rorcs
was enormous. Tho camphorsted gelatins
was shown to be particularly safe II
keeps we'll in warm temperature, thus
giving 1t an advantage over dynamite. which
exudes in warm climates. This gelatine was made
by adding to nitro-glycerine small percentage Of
csmphor and photographers gun cotton. previously
dissolved In alcohol and ether. Tho whole is gently
heated, when it becomes pasty yellow cake. with
strong smell Of camphor.
THE MANUFACTURE DYNAMITE.
Tho explaining Of matters pertaining to the sub
shown TO be simply nitro-glycerine absorbed or
taken up by silicious earth or kieselguhr. tho
pcsloeSH pounds Of this earth VIII nll aonr barrel
and it takes up three times its weight
s it freezes as ven a. nitro-yeerine 1t ~ degrees
Fahrenheit, this is serious objection It was
stated however that attempt: are being constantly
Specimens of dynamite were shown. They looked
good deal liho damp starch. and were rather dis
terrible headache lasts about six hours All OF
the class had had practical experience In making the
various explosives mentioned above. and they had
been afflicted with the init alton headache. Professor
HILL the instructor in explosives s indefatigable In
experiments and Is in love with explosives Il one
ant in Mr.. Wayland. who Is regarded ss dangerous
man to have row with, Is he is saturated With the
among them nearly all tho time.
The examination proceeded. with illustrations. Al
Of manufacturing them. their relative force htness
for special purposes &C. 1t relief st the nish
only 1I person a Alarmed was YOUR oorrcspondsnt
bottle of something was knocked over but Professoe
Hill quickly informed him that II was only gycexnss
and that there was no nitro in 1t.
LIQUID MOTOR
When the process OF making nttroglycorine and
its compounds had TO be described all proceeded to
lonely and rather lightly built building 1t tho back
OF tho island where all tho apparatus explained.
ment may have 70 put up another one short
tice. One OF tho class amused the Board Dy telnng
them that about the time they had got into nitro
glycorine tho assistant handed In an account OF
factory that had just gone up NJ an ILLUSTRATION.
man ufacture 1t liz much safer than working
around q buzz saw. No factory ever went up
during the manufacture-siwsys after the stun wss
made The last question drawn was the manufac-
turo Of LIQUID acid gas for running the Lay
torpedo boat. One of the class explained the ma
chnery and the advantages OF this motor over com.
pressed air ammonia aud nitrous oxide. The liquid
can be made for about hfteen cents per pound. It
WAS shown to expand enormously with rise OF
and decrease OF pressure and had to DO
reduced in tension before 1t could be admitted to tho
cylinder OF an engine. 1t also great cold In
It's neighborhood when doing work tie pipes be-
coming frosted and covered with iciclcs. II was
stated that Professor Hill has plan for making IL