Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-04-27
DYNAMITE.
Where the Explosive Is Massfac.
tured and Sold.
THE ENORMOUS EUROPEAN TRADE
A Business that Sprung Up Sixteen Years
Ago, and Which Now Turns 0ut
Many Thousands of Tons
Every Year.

/ LONDON. April 2b.-N nat Is dynamite
What are its properties? What the dsngers
OF its use? Where is it made, and how is
it purchasei? These are the questions,
says the Pail Mall Budget, which are being
asked; and although. since its first INTRO
duction in 1863 by DR.. Nobel a Swedish
chemist, thousands OF tons have been sold
and used in England, the public generally
have but an imperfect idea OF its natr,e
and use. Eight years after its first intro.
duction it commanded an annual sale
Of no less than 800 tons, equal in point
| of strength to 1880 tons Of gun.
| powder. Since that time the manufacture
of dynamite has largely Increased, and will
| probably continue TO increase, seeing that
| it is one of the latest and most powerful
! blasting agents in use. There are several
| dynamite manufacturers doing large
business in London, and some particulars
| about the trade in which they are engaged
| may be interesting. The largest manufac.
| lures are probable the SObels Explosive
| Company, whose werks are situated at Ar
| deer, in Ayrshire. From the manufactory
there, where some hundreds OF workmen
| are employed, very considerable quantities
| of this giant powder" are dispatched all
over the country for blasting purposes. As
many as
| Five Tons Day
| are turned out from this factory. The pro.
| duction Of dynamte is effected by taking
spopgy kind of clay called kieselghur,
| which is found in Germany and some parts
| OF England, and impreSnating il with
nitro.glyccrine. By this means a soft,
plastic material, somewhat resembling
| putty, is obtained, which though very des.
| truCtive in its action, can be handled with
| ease and safety. The production OF this
| material is attended by considerable risk,
| hut once manufactured. il is compar-
| stively harmless SO long rs ii is kept
| apart from the detonators which are used
| 10 explode it. The plastic material having
| then, bee produced, il is made up into
cartridges, some forty Of which would rep
resent five pounds. That which is intend.
| ed for export is dispatched TO the maga-
zines Ci the company, situated in different
parts OF Essex, and eventually shipped
abroad. That which is destined for use in
England, for mining and other purposes,
is sent 10 the various district agents, who
also store IL in magazines under their CON
rol, which are regularly inspected hy the
government authorities.
II IL Popularity Supposed
that the transit Of dynamite is a very dan.
StIONS IIbCttulUS buh III iCal'Ng ~ 40 HihNh
safer than gunpowder under all conditions
of transport Many thousands OF tons have
been carried by rail on the Continent and
considerable quantities in this country
also without a single accident being re-
ported. In 1873. $500 tons OF dynamite
were conveyed by carts and railways over
a collective distance Of l,333,21O English
| miles in various parts OF the Continent. oi
this about two.thirds was conveyed by raj!
a,,l th r1 hV and lIflplyh
much OF it was subjected TO very
rough usage, no accident occur
red This was stated in evidence before
the Special Committee on Explosives,
which sat in lsIi, and seemed 10 justify
Colonel Majendie in asserting, az he did at
that time, That the law relating TO dyna-
mite WAS as much too stringent as the gun
powder law was too lax; and that the time
had arrived for relieving safe nitro.glyccr.
| inc preparations from the unnecessary re-
striCtiOns imposed upon them. The ease
with which dynamite may be carried about
was curiOusly illustrated last week in
| case which came before the justices at
Chester. IL. Street \ miner who WIS engaged
| in the FELTON, Fell Cnllicry had been TO
Newcastle and purchased ten pounds
OF dynamite for his blasting, the
material being packed in two parcels Of five
| pounds each. Contrary to the bylaws OF
| took them into the carriage with him and
| laid them upon the seat. At Gatcshead
another man, who had been purchasing
| pair of boots, got into the compartment
| and laid his parcel beside the dreadful
| dynamite. Unfortunately, when he left
| the train at the next station ne took with
| him five pounds OF dynamite instead OF his
new boots. Arriving at his journeys end
| the miner made the discovery that part ot
his dynamite had been taken away BY mis-
take and
he took up the remaing parcel and hurried
| to the statiUn-nast"r. Ia whom he WAS
Obliged to confess what had happened. The
| telegraph was put into operation, and IN q
few minutes u message vas received 10
| the eiiec, that the missing parcel oi dyna-
| mite Was safe ut the other railway station.
The miner wss ordered tp nay - and costs
| for breach Of the law. To show the harm
| lessness OF dynamite under certain coudi'
| tions, il may be mentioned th a wooden
packing case containing tlty-SiN pounds OF
| The explosive has been set on fire the only
| result being n burst Of dynamite flame. with
oI [ any explosion at all. Given ordinary
conditions OF temperature, il may be sub
| iected to severe conclusion with equal
safety: ior boxes filled with dynamite
| have been thrown from great heights with
| out CADIDNlUEs y 'hl IA1S bStA
| in railroad collision, and, though the van
and boxes containing it were bruson, no
| explosion took place. How. then, are its
| destructive properties brolght into play
| That question may best be answered by de.
scribing the method in which blasting
operations are carried on by it, means. II
a rock is 10 be shattered, the requisite
number of loaded cartridges are pressed
into the borehole, and over these, which
form the charge is lbs ,nssr'ed "iJ,.a =
ridge has previously been prepared for
firing ty inserting % in 'dstonsior,
which i n copper cap, about an inch IN
length, containing \ small charge u full
inmate powder. TothIs is firmly aihKed
fuse. end when the fuse burns down 70
the illuminate in the detonaior
RxSIodess
and this shock. It's turn, fires The dyna-
| mite apd skaters the rock EgerythIns
| dep.r tis upon tbs skill OF The operator in
f tins the decorator and the fuse, for II
| the former is Inserted with Iaore than
three -fourths OF its lengta in tAe
dynamite the fuse BY ses FIRE 10
the dynamite and burn II ham !
lessly away before The ial-
| inmate is reached and exploded. III the
| charge is Large one, this Tsnt Of skill
L I
| of powder No doubt this secoun,s for the
msny unsuccessful attempts 10 blow ~
buildings bich have ;esn reported Oh late
1t hss been said thai tweGky POUNDS % dy
mantle must have been gsed in the expo
sion al Westminster last week: bat those
best as9usinted With the proIerucs and
powe, oi the explosive know that hail tha
smoant, ii propssIy used, would oe quite
sufficient to produce the destruction thee
caused. snd ,Senty rounds, skillful,y
manipulated, Esigbt have blown up To
shnie block Of Offices.
Merchants Eho tssde with the article a{s
beoppellsd to take cut license ttsnA th'
R,ne Office and persons who sOsh u
purchase f'teea popAds Of dynas!te o
| more hsye in like manner To Obtain g. II
} cruse for us use. Bot suppo'inE q, mai
wants ts obtain 8 smaller quanty-si.
five p00ads-he goes to man naacttire, o
seen. s3d asks 10 be supplied With 10
E quantay. He IS asked 70 1--WE his nsn
ard address, /, called upon to sKbln