Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1883-02-08
The Manufacture Of Dynamite.

The Medical and Surgical Reporter
says: On the coast of Ayrshire. few
miles south Of Ardrossan. are located
the works of the British Dynamite
company. Though not in any way Of
fensive. as regards bad doors, nor in
imical to health, nor injurious to either
animal or vegetable life, yet they are
located one mile from the nearest vii
lage, no doubt with view Of reducing
the loss of life in the event of an ex-
plosion, though SO perfect arr the
police regulations Of the place itself
that the danger is almost nil. Some
$50 men and women are employed in
the works, and when they enter the
gates in the morning they become
virtually prisoners for the day; but
their healthy, contented faces and
CHEEKY voices give ample evidence
that they like the work and do not
fret at their voluntary confinement.
The days work is commenced by all
hands changing their ordinary clothing
for a uniform, different for e-ch gang
and each distinctive Of the special
work to be performed by this partIc-
ular gang. This uniform plays an i'm
portant part in the safety precautions
of the establishment. Realizing that
accidents usually occur in dangerous
occupations, on account Of some one
undertaking to do something with
which he is not thoroughly familiar,
the management have adopted these
distinctive uniforms lin one instance
bright red) so that the police can tell
at a glance whether any one is out of
his or her province.
Four men from the county police
force, paid by the company, are con-
stantly patrolling the premises (Which
cover an area Of square mile), and
they can neither speak nor be spoken
to. The superintendent is man inti-
mately acquainted with all the theo-
retical and practical aspects of the
question of manufacture, beside which,
at irregular and uncertain intervals, a
government official visits the place to
see that the acts Of parliament relative
to the manufacture Of dynamite are
faithfully carried out.
The process followed in the manu-
facture is based on the discovery Of
Mr.. Noble, that by the use of an inert
substance the power of the explosive
is not lessened, while the risk attend
ing its application is reduced. The
substance used is a porous, silicious
earth, resembling flour, into which
nitro-glycerine is poured and by it abb
sorbed, when the compound is passed
through various processes, each with
view Of lessening the danger Of
handling. 1t is then made up into
cartridges of various lengths and
power. The cartridge material, di-
vested of the agency Of a detonator,
may be handled and subjected to per-
cussion without explosion
There are limits as to the quantity
which may be sent out at one time,
and there are rules laid down for the
arrangement no less than for the size
of the cases holding the material. That
the product has become a resource of
civilization" is shown by the demand
for it from every part Of the globe
where man, warning with nature, is
uprooting the stumps Of trees that
hinder the progress Of his plow, level
ing the rock that comes between him
and straight path, unloosening from
its firm foundation the stone that is to
build his house, breaking into the
seam of coal that is to make his din
ner, or making deep and navigable
the streams that give him communica-
tion with his neighbor.