The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-06-14
Dynamite Secrets.

past, and Sanguinary demagoSueS, commu-
nistic and nihilistic, have rolled the lugu-
brious term like a sweet morsel upon their
wagging tongues, but the public has been
/ kept in utter ignorance rs to the exact ma
IRE of these explosive compounds, which
are beginning to play such an important
part in the everyday political history Of
Great Britain and the Continent. The ne
farious business has developed to an I'M
suspected extent, but its growth has been
silent. 1t was not until within the last
| twclyemonth, when this country was made
the principal basis Of operations, that the
English detectives, able to see from afar
those things which had 1lourished unob-
served under their very noses, grasped tie
! full importance Of the movement and pub
| lished it to the world. Even all the bla-
tant utterances of O'Donovan Rosa mild
hammered man that he is, pregnant with
prophecies of huge and terrible machines
/ OF destruction, have not, queerly enough,
directed the attention of the public to u
proper appreciation Of the secret work of
which he is the open apostle.
InNew \ ork city to-day and in Phila-
delphia internal machines of every con-
ceiyable pattern are being manufactured
| in many instances within stones throw
OF the headquarters of the law. Every
day there go out from the ports of these
two cities not less than two dozen Of these
| machines, any one OF them Of the power
of that which caused the recent explosion
Once in while u machine is discovered on
board OF u ship about to sail. The officers
seize it, but the other eleven machines on
the same ship they fail to find fer good and
sufficient reasons. The one machine was
so placed that the custom house officials
could not reasonably overlook it. 1t was
carelessly packed, thereby giving the i'm
preston that all of such machines are
carelessly packed OF that they can be easily
discovered. In this way the law is thrown
off the scent.
| The most common form of internal ma
chine is that known as the ''ticker.n To
all intents and purposes it is an ordinary
tin can, very like that in which astral oil is
sold. The can, for such it is, is made of
heavy galvanized iron. one-siXteenth of an
inch in thickness. 1t is one foot high and
| four inches square. This machine. as well
us all those now made in this country, are
| filled with q new powder, invented by
George IIolgate, Of Philadelphia. 1t has
the form of ordinary gunpowder, is of Il
dark brown color, only eXplodes in connec-
ton with the simultaneous application of
| fire and power, and is estimated to be 200
times as powerful as giant gunpowder-
| The can holds. therefore, the equivalent of
800 pounds Of powder. Upon one side and
near the top Of the can is attached, by
means OF brass screws, an ordinary clock
spring movement. Above this movement
and connected with it is small round
brass wheel, about an inch in diameter,
upon one portion Of the circumference
slot or notch. A spring presses upon the
edge Of the wheel, which revolves. When
the slot is reached in the circuit, the spring
falls into it with a snap, which in turn re-
leases another spring falling upon nipple,
upon which is a gum cap. The nipple is
Of iron and extends down into the powder
and the explosion Of the cap instantaneous
| ly sets off the compound in the bottom of
the can. The machine can be set anywhere
between one minute and thirty-six hours.
When all is ready the operator closes the
lid, fastens it with an iron locker, and de-
posltS it where he may desire to cause the
explosion. 1t can be kicked, rolled around
OF hammered, but until the springs falls
into the slot and eXplodes the cap there is
no danger in handling. Byputting the ear
close to the lid the melancholy tick-tick of
the clock can lie heard, but this is not no.
ticeable at a distance of six feet The ma
chine is air-tight, and water OF any like
fluid has no effect on the explosive COM
pound, even were itnot Theoretically sealed.
1t can be securely packed in q barrel of
lard, q barrel of petroleum, a box of tobac-
co, bag of flour, OF with any Of those AZ
ticles of export which are not likely to at
tract attention. The power of such q ma
chine depends, OF course, upon the nature
OF the confined space in which it is placed
The most powerful Internal machine
made is What is known as an ''eight-day
machine. " Like the ticker, y it can how
ever, be set from one minute upwards.
machine OF this description recently made
by llolgate, OF Philadelphia, was fourteen
inches high, six inches square, and con
tanned the equivalent of three thousan(
pounds of gunpowder. 1t can, however
have either square OF spherical shape
1t is made of galvanized iron or stout tin
! The clock movement is so arranged tina
I it can be taken out and away from TIT
machine and connected again at mo
ment's notice. The operator, if he desire
, to divert suspicion, carries the empty ca
+ in his hand and the clock movement in hi
by defamation. A sliding bar of brass
drawn by u screw attached to the move
ment. when it arrives at slot in the small
brass disk, springs upon delicate glaS
phial, made of hair tube The phial
Which contains u powerful acid and is her
t medically sealed, in breaking allows tn
acid to escape. This causes the detona
ton and the explosion follows. The wiz
on top of the movement, which is held il
place by rubber band, connects with tn
cap. The acid runs into chlorate of pot
ash combined. This machine can be SUM
in water OF secreted in any liquid OF com
pound-in q box Of oranges, in a keg 0
nails OF 4 loaf of bread. The force of tn
explosion would be sufficient to tear TIL
largest building in the world to atoms.
A most peculiarly and deadly machine
the Little EXterminator. 1t is tw
inches high and four inches square, of thi
sheet brass, nickled on the inside and out
y side, and has no lid, only q minute hole i
Z one corner. The machine is filled with
q volatile, the fumes of which cause inStal
taneous death The principle is the sam
as that of the ancient Chinese 'sstinl
pot" used SO effectually in warfare wit
:, pirates. A thin brass tube runs in throug
g the small hole in the corner, having upO
its outer end screw cap. Upon the ca
is delicate watch movement. A sprin
: falls into Il slot and releases q minute ste
spring saw, which is operated by the NOV
ment and saws off the delicate tube. TIL