Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1885-02-06
miscellaneous.
HOW TO MAKE DYNAMITE.
Directions for Making the Most Powerful Ex
plosive Known to Chemists.

HOW TO MAKE DYNAMITE.
Directions for Making the Most Powerful Ex-
plosive Known to Chemists.
Everybody just now is talking Of
dynamite, and all sorts of wild stories
of the powers and properties Of the ex-
plosive used at the Parliament Build
ings in London are floating around
in connection with the present talk on
the subject The fact is that dynamite
enough to do great deal of damage may
b. turned out with the simplest appli-
ances at very moderate cost from ma
terials most readily obtained and in the
smallest possible bit Of IA workshop. -
The recipe for the making of this great
explosive may be told in half-dozen
lines Of print and told so plainly that
any one who can read ought to be able
to follow the Instructions and produce
the finished material The story of dyn-
amite is an interesting one from the
time Of the discovery Of nitro. glycerine
by an Italian chemist in 1847 up to the
present day For nearly twenty years
the explosive oil which came from the
mixture of nitro-sulphuric acid with
plain glycerine remained as laboratory
curiosity. Any book-read chemist knew
Of the compound, but few cared to make
it, for it was a very unstable substance
and was likely to demolish workshop
at very short notice Along in the six
ties comes the application of the deton
ating oil as an article Of commerce, and
then it rapidly found its way under var
ious names aud pretended secret com
pounds into very extended use.
The nitro-glycerine itself was practi-
cally useless, for il was in shape not
convenient for purposes Of blasting, the
main application of the article where a
substitute for black powder was much
needed. The difficulty was overcome
when it was discovered that by saturat-
ing some inert substance with nitro
glycerine, and in this way so dividing it
that it could be handled readily and
with far greater degree Of safety than
tho ordinary oil. This inert substance
is found in an infusorial earth which was
first used from extensive deposits 10
North Germany. but which is now found
at Drakesvile, N. j., and at many other
points. This substance is nothing more
than the skeletons of minute plants l;v-
ing in water and which at death settle in
layers at the bottom. Under the glass
it looks like mass Of small cells, and
such il is, and as an absorbent Of nitro
glycerne it is capable Of holding about
three times its weight of the real explo-
sivc. In this form it is dynamite, and
looks like greasy, whitish mass, which
suggests dirty, gritty lard. II is packed
in cartridges. a percussion cap attached,
and it is then ready for its legitimate
work in the drill hole of rock or in a
coal mine. Its simplicity Of manufac-
turc is remarkable. New Jersey is a
manufacturing centre Of prominence,
while other factories are 10 be found 10
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Colorado,
California and in this State. It's shipped
here and there over the railroads Of the
country, and last spring schooncr-load
Of over fifty tons started from the Re
pnnno Chemical Company's works at
Thompson's Point for Aspinwall to be
used on the Panama Canal works
Ordinarily it is not made Of the maxi.
mum strength, and in place Of the u
per cent. by weight Of nitro-glycerine
mixed with rs per cent. or absorbent
material, that in general use would have
about 40 per cent. Of nitro-glycerinc
In this shape il can be sold at 30 cents
per pound, and just now there is som,
cutting going on between the riva
makers, and even lower rates can b.
had. At the ordinary strength it il
about four and one-half times as power
full as guppowder applied in drill-hole
Its sharp decorating qualities make i
applicable in places whore guDpowdeI
would be useless. If n quantity Of gun
powder we're iginited upon the grount
it would burn up, making much smok'
but doing no special damage. Dyna
mite under the same conditions, woulc
leave a great hole in the pavement. |
has many curious properties and as ye
the chemistry Of explosives is in grow
ing state, and every year sees new chap
ters written in this department Of science
Dynamite freezes at As degrees Fahren
heit, and is then comparatively safe +
handle, yet sharp, quick blow has BEG
known TO set of solid block Of il. A
100 degrees Fahrenheit il is at its bes
for real work. At $50 degrees it be
comes very unstable and above 300
liable to start itself of.
To make ii, tho first step is to g
nitric acid and sulphuric acid Of grsu
purity and strength and to make a mix
J ture Of the two 10 the proportion of on
pound Of nitric TO two pounds Of su
phuric acid This mixture may be pul
7 chased at any chemical works, and shout
cost at current market rates about 3
cents per pound. Seven pounds Of thi
' mixture are placed in an cartbern jar
pitcher aud into il is poured. drop )
drop. pound Of ordinary crude 81.
cerince costing IL cents per pound.