The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-03-07
A Nitro-Glycerine Factory.

Near the village of Tweed, Onta-
rio, and at the waters edge of Stoco
lake, is fair sized, unpretentious,
isolated, wooden building, the APP
pearance of which would cause a
stranger to inquire why such good
building was erected in such an iso-
lated locality, and why it was SO
closely guarded, as solitary watch
man, day and night the year round,
checks the steps and inquiries the
business of the curious as they stray
near. AS the eye passing upward
reads, "Nitro-glycerine factory, very
dangerous !" iu big letters above the
door, the use for which the building
is intended and the necessity for
watchful care over it is apparent. At
the door were seen lying iron casks
sheeted inside with lead, and in these
casks are imported the pure nitro
glycerine and mixed acids used IN
the factory.
A cask of mixed acid is hoisted
by machinery to the upper story and
dumped into a mixing tub, in which
the mixing blades are moved by a
crank turned by man who is sta
toned in a tight box and has in
front of him thermometer. As the
glycerine runs into the acid, a vapor
is engendered in which life is scarce
ly supportable, hence the man turn
ing the crank is stationed in u close
box. The acid and glycerine in their
admixture rapidly heat, and the
compound nas to be toned down by
cold water or ice, hence the greatest
watchfulness is necessary at this
point; as the heat is allowed to rur
up to eighty degrees, and the nitro
glycerine explodes at ninety degrees,
there remains but ten degrees of heat
between the known and eternity, or,
as the manager remarked, if the heat
was allowed to run UP to ninety de-
grees they would not have time to
pucker their mouths to say good oy.
1t is needless to say that while the
work is going on, strangers are never
allowed to enter the building, as it
is necessary that every man should
have hisindividual attention at such
times upon his work. Strict rules
govern our men, remarked the fore
man, as the least venture at expert
menting would leave no one to tell
how the accident happened. The
nitro glycerine thus manufactured
has an explosive force ten times
greater than that of blasting pow
der, and is used or very heavy work,
but. we sell very little in that shape,
remarked the manager, as it is run
down a funnel to the room below
where it is manufactured inty dyna-
mite, dualin, or vigorite, all of which
have nitro-glycerine as their basis,
but are known by different names
to designate the degree of power.
AS rapidly as possible the nitro
glycerine is mixed with charcoal,
wood pulp or other mixtures, and
reduced into a commodity more
readily handled; for although it is
understood that nitro-glycerine is
extremely dangerous to handle, it is
rammed into cartridges with stick
with as little apparent fear of the
result as would be the case were the
substance 80 much dirt.
The cartridges are made to hold
from a pound to two pounds each,
and are carefully packed each day
and taken to an isolated magazine
owned by the company. The out
put of the factory is about 1000
pounds daily now, but the owners
expect shortly to increase the capac-
| ity to meet the requirements of
rapidly increasing demand, as this
is the only factory of the kind in
Ontario, and the development of the
mines has rapidly increased the de-
mand, as blasting with powder has
been almost entirely superseded by
the use Of dynamite, which is not
only more efficacious, but also safer
to handle. The manager remarked:
l have to pay my men large salaries,
although the work is comparatively
light, as very slight accident would
put them out of the way of draw
| ing their salaries. / haye worked
at the business for the past seven
years, and own a mill in Algoma as
well as this one here, but In this
business life is the result Of vigi-
lance.