St. Landry democrat., 1885-03-07
TERRIBLE EXPLOSIVES.
Dynamite, What It Is and How
Prepared and Used.
Other Explosives, Eliminates, Nitro
GIycerine, Gun Cotton, sebastlne, Etc
The Terrible ExpIosiveness Of
These Compounds.

These Compounds
The recent blowing up in England of
several buildings, accompanying loss of
life, calls public attention to the nature
and composition of some of the explo-
sives of modern times, and the facility
with which they can be employed to
produce devastation and ruin. There
are many Of these explosives, and new
ones are discovered each day by enter
prising chemists and experiments, but
the most common and deadly are noted
below.
DYNAMITE.
Few people know what dynamite is,
though the word is in common use. 1t
is giant gunpoWder; that is, an explo-
sive material, varying in strength and
safety OF handling according to the per-
centage of nitro-glycerine it contains.
Nitro-glycerine, whence it derives its
strength, is composed of ordinary
glycerlne and nitric acid compounded
together in certain proportions and at a
certain temperature. Nitro-glycerine,
though not the strongest explosive
known, being exceeded in power by
nitrogen and other product of chem
istry, is thus far the most terrible ex-
plosive manufactured to any extent.
Nitro-glycerine by itself is not safe to
handle; hence dynamite is preferred. It
is extensively made and consumed in
he
names of Giant, Hercules, Jupiter
and Atlas powders, all of which contain
anywhere from thirty to eighty per cent.
of nitro-glycerine, the balance of the
compound being made up of rotten
stone, non-explosive earth, sawdust,
charcoal, plaster of paris, black powder
or some other substance that takes up
the glycerine and makes q porous,
spongy mass. Besides being highly ex-
plosiVe, nitro-glycerine and its COM
pounds are more or less poisonous. So
vicious is it that if touched by the tips
of the fingers it produces Violent head
aches, frequently followed by collie.
The smoke and fumes produced by ex-
plosions of it when inhaled are followed
by similar results, and in mines where
dynamite is used in exploding powerful
drafts Of air are Immediately turned
into chamber where blast has been
fred to expel the nauseous gases. In
strength, as compared to blasting pow
der, dynamite contains seventY-five per
cent of nitro-glycerine, and is ten or
twelve times stronger. Both nitro
glycefine and dynamite CONCEAL at
forty-two degrees Fahrenheit, and when
frozen are comparatively safe, it being
next to impossible to explode them un-
til raised above that temperature.
Above this temperature it is one of the
easiest things in the world to explode,
as experience has sadly proved. Nitro
glycerine was discovered by Salvero, an
italian chemist, in 1845. Dynamite is
prepared by simply kneading with the
naked hands twenty-five per cent. of
infusorial earth and seventy-fiVe per
cent. of nitro-glycerine until the
mixture assumes a putty condi-
ton, not unlike moist brown
sugar. Before mixing, the
infusorial earth is calcined in furnace
in order to burn out all organic matter,
and it is also sifted to free it of large
grains. While still moist it is squeezed
into cartridges, which are prepared of
parchment paper, and the iringis done
BY illuminate of silver in copper cap
sules provided with patent exploders.
Dynamite has been subjected to many
severe tests, such as throwing it down
from great heights, smashing the boxes
containing it by heavy weights, and al
lowing it to burn up quietly in brisk
fire, so the capsule and decorating COM
position are absolutely essential for the
explosion of dynamite.
Now many accidents occur which can
not seemingly be reconciled to this
statement. How are they to be ac-
counted for? There have been two ex-
plantations offered: one, that the oil
oozed out of the infusorial silica, and
being free, fell under the conditions OF
nitro-glycerine; the other, that the dyna-
mite was frozen and then resembled the
solid oil. The premature explosion at
BremerhaYen some years since was sup
posed to be due to the latter fact. The
case containing it had been exposed to
severe cold, and the dynamite was
frozen and then exploded by being
thrown violently from the dray. This
property renders the transportation OF
dynamite in cold weather hazardous.
ODD ACCIDENTS.
40 illustrate the terrible explosive