The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-12-19
A NEW EXPLOSIVE.
It's Combination, Power, Advantages and
Disadvantages.


Disadvantages.
A new explosive known as hellhoffite,
which has been invented by Hellhoff
Ind Gruson, has been subjected to COM
oarative trials at St. Petersburg to-
gether with nitro-glycerine and ordin-
ary gunpowder 1t is a solution of
nitrated organic combination (naph-
thaline, phenol, benzine, etc., in fun
ing nitric acid. In preparing the hell
hottie tried in the experiments, binitro-
benzine, solid, inexplosive and badly
burning body, was used. At the first
trial glass bottles of twenty cubic cen.
timetres contents each were filled with
twenty grammes of the respective ex-
plosive substances and corked down. A
tube filled with illuminate of mercury was
passed through the corks, slow match
being attached to the outer end of the
tube for the purpose of ignition. Each
of the bottles thus prepared was placed
on truncated cone of lead, the upper
diameter of which was 3.5 centimetres,
its lower As and its height six. The
cone itself stood on a cast-iron
plate 2.5 centimetres thick. The
reformation of the leaden cone
by the action of the explosives
could consequently be taken as meas
ure of their respective destructive
power. The explosion of the gun
powder, as was anticipated, caused no
changes. By the explosion of the
nitro-glycerine the cone was COM
pressed about a quarter of its height;
its surface had assumed the appearance
of well worn hammer; the diameter
of the surface had been increased to
5.5 centimetres. The explosion of the
hellhoffite caused much greater
changes. The surface of the cone was
completely torn; pieces five centime-
tres long and two centimetres thick
were torn off and thrown about for
several PAGES; only half the cone was
still compact but entirely defaced
mass. At the second experiment bot
ties (of 25 grammes each) filled with
the various explosive substances were
let into corresponding cavities bored
into the face of fir blocks of similar
dimensions. In exploding the gun
! powder the block was torn into four
pieces as if split by a Ratchet, the sew
II, IL and 10 PAGES. In exploding the
nitro-gly cerine the block was split into
several pieces. The upper portion Of
the block, as far as the bottle was lei
into it, was torn off perpendicularly in
the direction of the fiber in such man.
ner that smooth cut was formed. The
explosion of the hellhoffite likewise
tore the portion of the block sur.
rounding the bottle perpendicularly in
the direction of the fiber, and splintered
the remainder of the block into large
number of thin fibers, The following
experiments were also made with hell
hottie alone: A slow match was
passed through the tube in the cork,
which was without illuminate of mer.
curry, as far as the surface of the hell
hottie in the glass bottle; no explosion
followed ON igniting the slow match.
A quantity of hellhoffite poured into q
bowl could not be exploded by lighted
match. Finally few drops of hell,
hottie were poured on an anvil and ex'
| posed to heavy blows with hammer,
and no explosion followed. The hell
hottie, consequently, possesses the fol
| lowing advantages: % In igniting il
with illuminate of mercury it acts more
powerfully than nitro-glYcerine; (2) il
may be stored and transported with
perfect safety as regards conclusion
as it can not be exploded either by 6
blow or shock, nor by an open flame
On the other hand, it has the following
disadvantages: O Hellhoffite is {
liquid; (2) the Tuning nitric acid con
tanned in hellhoffite is of such a volatilt
nature that it can be stored only il
perfectly closed vessels; (3) hellhoffitt
is rendered completely inexplosive by
being mixed with water, and can con
sequently not be employed for work.
under water.-LondOn Times.