Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-07
From the New York Star.

From the New Yort Star
Prior to his departure for Europe, about Q
week ago. to attend the coming coronation OF
the Car, Professor MezgrofY had long CONVEX.
sation In his laboratory with the dynamite 10
porter OF the Sa', In which he explained to him
the wonders and beauties OF science As Illus.
trated In the destructive power of some OF his
recent inventions.
1.-The progress Of invention in this depart ment
OF science" said the great dynamitist. has been
so rapid that 1t is difficult TO know where to
begin but II there is any special point that You
wish TO suggest am prepared TO give You the
Desired Information, scientifically. OF course"
Il should like 10 be more fully Informed about
your new No. So which dynamitists have 90
frequently referred TOP"
THAT is tri-nltro-glycerine with fifty times
the power OF gnnpowder. II explodes at tina
comprehensive Idea OF Its power or momentum,
suppose you take 100 pounds of it. The momen.
tum OF this. which is found by multiplying the
weight by the velocity, will be found 10 be
%. 600; that is TO say, 100 pounds when ex-
ploded has the same force that % 600 10 hounds
OF any other material would have moving al the
rate OF mile a minute; that is as quick as
fast express train. Just imagine the execution
this enormous mass of rock, say, would do
moving through the air at that rate and coming
In collision with any ordinary object. such as q
house. or fortress. Then you will have some
idea Of the latent power that dwells in 100
pounds OF tri-nitro- glycerine.'
And this, you say, can be handled in any
quantity, large or small, without risk VIII YOU
explain how that is 2"
81 shall. in so far as | can do so without civ
Ing away the secret. The explosive IL perfectly
harmless, or, paradoxical as il may seem, IL Is
non-explosiye until another substance is brought
In contact with It,"
What is that substance 2"
" That Is Just the part that can't be given for
publication, and that, as you are aware is the
quality that gives it value AS a secret"
Can 1t be applied without any danger or sus-
piconi"
1t can. That is the beauty Of IL. You can
carry II In your vest pocket, and II il should be
found with you, nobody would suspect what
purpose 1t was for, and IL would not iniure n fly
until 1t Is brought in contact with the other
compound which Is alss harmless when alone"
What is the chemical cause OF this tri-nitro-
glycerine being so enormously POWERFUL"
The chief reason Is that it contains oxygen
within each molecue. This renders it's combus-
tbe force quick and irresistible, making the ex-
plosion instan aneous"
How did you make the discovery FOR explod-
ing so readily2"
AS all great discoveries have been made
Willie trying to find out something else. dis
covered it In Germany few Years ago. while
working at some experiments on Bunsens lamp.
Though the substance was In a very diluted
lorm had very narrow escape from fatal
uioW III thc urSt acClueital experiment. Il saw
Its power again tried at Pleyna on a pretty large
scale, with terrific effect, where the gallant Sko-
belief barely escaped with his life. On that oc-
casion | saw dynamite that was supplied by the
henchmen of Disraeli freely used 10y the Turks"
What object have you in view In the manu-
facture of this internal compound, as the news
papers term it?"
MY first great object IL Humanitarian am
convinced that IL Will eventually destroy the
art of war; and that nothing else will do What
have ali the peace congresses amounted to
since the movement began? DO you think the
| ruling powers of Europe have any faith i'm per-
manent peace? Won Montke, whom / take 10
he pretty fair exponent of the minds of the
governing classes IN Europe" said Mezzrof, II
| THINK, has expressed the prevailing notion in
those circles in a letter to my friend Professor
Bluntschii. He says: Eternal peace is a
dream, and not even beautiful dream War Ia
an element of the order OF things established by
God. The most noble virtues of man develop
themselves In 1t; courage and sef-abnegation;
faithful performance Of ones duty and the spirit
| OF devotion: the soldier offers his life. without
war the world would begin to rot, and would
lose itself In materialism.'