New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-23
DESTROYING FENIAN EXPLOSIVES.
From The London Standard. AprfI 3.

y
The excitement in Birmingham eliminated
yesterday wnen 1t known that the authorities had
70 graphic WIN tei PeTn sa % arnd ot i Fnan
Laboratory at Haywood. The nitro glyeeIine was IN
such highly dangerous state that terrible explosion
might have occurred at any moment so anxious were
Colonel Malendie and Dr. Duprc about the safety OF he
late hour on saturday evening they paid hurried and
peced visit To the premises. IL was most Prov
anxiety to render the material by placing Zee
round they mad the fearful risk OF reducing the
teIuperaIre far freeze the nitro glyceIne IN
Nbicn state peculiarly liable TO Spontaneous exPlo-
sion without beng disturbed In any way Colonel Ma
iende at once ordered the removal of the Ice and the
substitution OF sawdust and cold water to he packed
round tho carboy which contained one hundred nnd
sixty pounds of nitro ycerino and explosive material
equal to five tons OF gulpoSder Tue news OF inns mar
escape spread IN the district and the already
alarmed Inhabitants became almost IanIc- stricken.
Many families migrated TO other parts OF tie town. pend
the removal and destruction OF the explosive Yes
terday morning the specialist visited tue premises at
Ledsin-st. with the necessary appliances for maaiu
lang the material so rs 10 make II snhcenty SAFE Tor
removal tue Corporation sewage Farm at saltley.
Going into the Kitchen he took The tin from the H. OK q
the carboys containing the nitro gyccrnc tested IT, ana
with the greatest GOODNESS said had not boch THOR
oughy washed free of acid and was therefore very
dangerous handle. He next proceeded to inspect the
buckets in which had been placed the contents OF the
possession OF by the police plunged his hand INTO
the bncset and stirred contents vigorously Amer
allowing the nit o. glycerine TO settle IN the bottom he
carefully poured of the upper stratum OF alkaline liquid
leaving about couple Of pns OF heavy. grrasyl
miro gy cerime Taking the bucket into the laboratory
bIghIy absorbent light material found in large deposits
In Hanover. THIS material had been iedueed to an I'M
Miro gycerine in the buckc, The operator thus pro-
duced In few minutes about third OF an ordinary
alive safety convey cd to saey set ire
TO, when It would burn away quietly win BLUSH
were treated in the same manner, with the excel-
ton thar one OF Them being found 10 be still slightly
was first stirred INTO IT, The produce OF the whole was
full bucket OF dynamite WITH the operator smut
and sufficient 10 destroy the buildings 200 yards around
The carDOy cautiously ltted BY the operator and
10 this tors had been several police ocers ana re-
2 moment sao,t o. thea speedily retired. me operate
on plunged hand into me tub and stirred tne
ent, brisky DR.. Hill tested IT, and, having declared
the liquid alkaline, 81 WAS allowed to remain st for
few minutes, tne explosive sinking ID lratlsh Wnlte
then skinned off as thoroughly as possible and the
operator declared n, into INA. wVi ha com
tanning half hundred weight OF tne earth was accord
ing empted mt, the tub and Thoroughly mixed
viii the LIQUID and 1t with feeling great danger
passed that operator SAID the proce all but
complete TIE o' y thing mat remained TO be done was
TO bring dynamite up TO the proper consistency by
The addition ~ more eIrtn After about halian.nours
mix nc call buckets, and into these lifted tIe
dynamite with his hanus from the tuD Seven large
buckets computed 10 contain about thirty pom weight
each were lled with The mixture brownlsnred pasty
substance The buckets covered wn tnick wOolen
bare To protect tne dynamite from The air and light aud
p0sve WIS ready to be conveyed to Tue sewage
for IuctlOn.
ned In the centre the farm. some hundreds OF yards
distant from building OF any kind rae seven buckets
were removed with the from the TO
of the field where they were taken IN cnarse
Dy the operator ami Dr. Hill. LIE operator commenced
By iaLing a email quntity Of the explosive. about
couple OF pounds weiSbt 10 spot safe distance
from the buckets wnen were cautiously guarded twoor
three hundred yards away. 1t supremacy anxious
moment, for fierce sun was beating down
| upon the field. and Mr.. Macready gave orders that
moved fear of accidental ignition OF the d, Mantle
necessity TO tell spectators 10 keep at
dis auce the first little layer OF mat rial AZ that
wa. gnited The detectives, who have SHOWN such
| courage watching the prisoners work, shrank
away to a safe distance as they saw the phleginac
ScOlchman strike Yesuvan match aud apply IL 10 the
little heap. Tn're feeling OF painful sus-
peDse tine mach was applied but II not OF long
duration, oil, that could be perceived was faint
of fame, winch Increased with great rapdity
| till IL consumed the whole compound within few
seconds There was not the sghte report, but
the unscenIiae observer could detect the terrible
potency OF the material from the powerful nature OF the
gases evolved from u during the tine 1t was burning
The rushing OF tue flames produced noise something
like the rninDnngo distant thunder aud tue heat even
from such small: quantity could be- distinctly felt many
yards away u eular brOwnish red vapor hung over
spot for some alter the fire mad exhausted ITSELF
and there was nstnng OF the material left but white
ash OF the earti with which the explosive had been
mixed. The SUCCESS OF the first experiment gave the
few spectators rtAh courage ana II rather amusing
to how they ok OF their tmidty and approached
lite thEEcene OF the operations Inc next ex
pertinent was trf WIN larger quantity OF the e1po-
/ sIye the opcratEt striking vesuvan match and APP
pying II by han fierce blaze shot FORTH and tie en-
tire mass vas q4ekiy consumed Tae entire contents
next placed f a thin layer IN the shape oil
| crOss This tinl3 DR.. Hill applied the match,
and the flames erread with tremendous impetuosity
THE rushing eourtE could be heard for long distance
and the neat was almost uncomfortable. Almost before
the flames had harmed themselves our and the terlDe
mad be reduced 10 harmless white asa, Tue
mad dslsbuted the contents OF another bucket
~ a ami ar mapr1r. BY this time the company had
sscwn IN courageous that stood within lew yards
r. aha dvnanita as the match struck, ana the eN
cit,nr work OF destruction was continued Ia THIS way
,is The whole seven buckets enpted and de-
The Operations being carried out wlthoat inc
slightest mshsp