The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-05-12
What Dynamite is.

What Dynamite Is.
"Dynamite," Professor Chandler
tells us, sis nitro-giycerine with Juse
enough of silica added to convert II
into powder that can be handed Win
comparative safety, Nobel, the IN
ventor, obtained patent for his DIS
covery. and, in order to eyade it, va
ripus manufacturers have substituted
other substances for the infusoriai
silica, and this accounts for the varl-
ety of names for what is essentially
the same thing such as Jupiter pow
der, rendrock, etc. Among the sub
stifutes are mica, gunpowder and
magnesia.
1.-THE Ditmar Powder Company
mixed sugar with the glycerlne BE-
fore nitrating it and thus obtained a
mixture Of nitro.sugar and nitro
which was called gluko-|
dine. LIS mixed WIN al aDsofUefIo
gave powder possessing all the eX-
plosive power of dynamite. One OF
the most recent imprcYements-if it
is an improvement in this class is
an explosive geiatine or gum, which
is made by dissolying soluble gum
cotton in nitro glycerine and adding
a small percentage Of camphor.
"By nitrating carbolic acid picric
acid is produced, which by itself is
not particularly explosive, but by
combining it with potash or baryta
most explosive products result; but
they have not proved successful COM
petitors of the nitrO.glycerine prepa-
tions. A totally different class Of eX-
plosives are those in which the full
inmate of mercury is used. The
illuminate is chiefly used in percus-
sion caps. though at one time they
filled the heads of harpOons with it
and killed whales by its explosion
instead of Stabbing them to death
lahoriously. 1t is so dangerous TO
handle, however, that it is hardly
available for any purpose except per-
cussion caps. Then there are some
substances which are too dangerous
to handle at all, such as the liquid
chloride of nitrogen and the solid
iodide of nitrogen they do not ex-
plode by combustion but by dissocia-
ton. There are hundreds of different
explosive preparations. Take any
combustible substance and mix it
with something rich in oxygen and
you have an explosive. Or take any
vegetable substance which admits of
being nitrated. and make nitro COM
pound by mixing it with sulphuric
and nitric acids and you have ter
lible explosive, 1t is the extreme
simplicity of the process of making
dynamite which adds to the danger
from the desperate men across the
water. 1t will be very diff ult for
England to control the manufacture.
1t can only be done by regulating the
sale of the agents, as the sale of poison
is regulated, or by taking in hand
itself the exclusive right to manufac-
ture all explosives. The agents are
so generally harmless in themselves
that their sale could hardly be regu-
lated. Ifyou can get oil of vitrol and
you can make nitric acid.
Nitric acid itself is used by builders,
saltpetre for curing meat, glycerine
is simple, harmless substance when
left alone, oil of vitrol must be had for
manufactures ; and so it is that to re-
strict all these would be very difficult.
No great chemical skill is necessary
to the manufacture of enough dyna-
mite to blow up all The Government
houses in Europe. 1t must be made
in small quantities, and the whole
process consists of mixing sulphuric
and nitric acids, and adding glycerine
slowly while the acid is agitat I'd, and
the vessel in which the mixture is
made is kept cold by surrounding it
with e-Water. The chief danger
CONES from the necessity of having
it thoroughly washed to get the acid
out afterward. or it is liable to under.
go spontaneous decomposition. There
is no need of sending any of the
agents to England, for they are as
easily made there as here"