The Aberdeen examiner. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1866-current, 1883-06-07
Dynamite.

From the Philadelphia Times.
"You want to know something about
dynamite?" said S. G. Rosengarten,
looking at the reporter curionsly. well,
dynamite is a pasty, dark mass, almost
perfectly safe tohandle with proper care,
of which enough can he carried IN side
pocket to destroy the lives of hundred
men if favorably situated, or shntter a
building rs completely as half barrel
of gnnpowier placed beneath it would.
1t does not explode on contact with fire,
like gunpowder, but requires to be sub
iected to or brought in contact with
another explosive agent, such as full
inmate.
"How is dynamite made" asked the
reporter.
"By satnrating pulverized or infusori
al earth of great absorbent qualities with
about three times its weight of nitro
glycerine, the earth being added merely
to make its transportation easy and COM
paratively safe"
"But these ingrediedts appear harm-
less enough" UNEXPECTED the reporter.
"Oh, yes, ;" reioined Mr.. Rosengarten;
''harmless enough separately. We can
eat glycerine OH our buildings and fatten
on it; we can use the earth to polish our
tableware or clean our glasses. But
when equal parts of strong nitric and
sulphunc acids are gradually added, in
small portions al time and at tenn
perature below the freezing point, to
certain quantity of glycerine we have
bright yellow liquor which possesses
extraordinary explosive energy and is
called nitro glycerino. 1t is this des>
tructive compound which is used to
saturate the absorbent earth l have
menti, ned.
"Where was it discovered and how2"
swell, that is disputed point. Some
say that a Young man in Wilmington,
Del, discovered the explosive proper
TIES of dynamite accidentally. while
working with glycerine and nitric acid,
the resulting explosion seriously injur-
ing his eyes. Others maintain that it
was first discovered in Germany by a
somewhat similar chance. | am inclined
to wholly reject the accident theory,
however. In 1864 Alfred Nobel, Swede
of Hamburg, made its character known,
his brother being killed in the expert
menr they conducted. Do not misunder-
stand what | said ut first about its being
comparatively safe to handle. With
proper-that is, the greatest-care, there
is no very great danger of Its exploding
Unexpectedly, but familiarity leads to
carelessness, and it's potential energy is
too terrible for absolute safety under
any circumstances. Excepting chloride
OF nitrogen and hypochloric acid in gas
OF liquid form, dynamite is perhaps the
most expansive agent known to chemis
try, yielding 1884 measures of gas,
while gunpowder yields but 800 meas
ures 1t is highly dangerous under al.
most any conceivable conditions, and [
hope England will be successful in her
efforts to suppress its manufacture. She
is about the only power that can do it,,
as her territory is exceptionally com
pact and the laws enacted under the
recent panic give her officials extraordi>
nary powers" Other chemists in the
city disagreed with Mr.. Rosengarten's
views rs to the exec ssive danger of dyna-
mite. One gentleman thought the Eng
lish fright ridiculously puerile. He
said he would not be afraid to carry hall
pound of dynamite in his trousers
pockets; "but," he added, 81 should be
very careful that no one knocked me
down or gave me kick on that pocket