Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-10-30
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A NEW EXPLOSIVE.
Eta Combination, Power, Advantages and
D1Sadyanfap es.

Disadvantages.
A new explosive known as hellhofite,
which has been invented by Hellhoff
and Gruson, has been subjected to COM
parative trials at st. Petersburg to.
gether with nitro-glycerine and ordin-
ary g%unpowder. 1t is a solution of q
nitrated organic combination (naph-
thaline, phenol, benzine, etc.,, in fun
ing nitric acid. In preparing the hell
hottie tried in the experiments. binitro-
%benzine, q solid, inexplosive and badly
burning body, was used. At the first
trial glass bottles of twenty cubic cen
tlmetres contents each we're filled with
twenty grammes of the respective ex-
Ploslve substances and corked down. A
tube filled with illuminate of mercury was
passed through the corks, aslow match
being attached to the outer end of the
tube for the purpose Of ignition. Each
OF the bottles thus prepared was placed
on a 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 a meas
ure o 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 a we'll 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 a 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
dimensions. In exploding the gum
powder the block was torn into four
pieces as if split by a hatchet, the sew
eral pieces were thrown about for 1S,
-, II and 10 PAGES. In exploding the
nitro-glycerine the block was split into
several pieces. The upper portion of
the block, as far as the bottle was let
into it, was torn off perpendicularly in
the direction Of the fiber in such a man
ner that a smooth cut wasformed, 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 a large
number of thin tibers. 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 a
bowl could not be exploded by alighted
match. Finally a few drops of hell
hottie were poured on an anvil and ex-
posed to heavy blows with a hammer,
and no explosion followed. The hell
hottie, consequently, possesses the fol-
lowing advantages: ~ In igniting it
with illuminate Of mercury it acts more
powerfully than nitro-glYcerine; (2) it
may be stored and transported with
perfect safety as regards conclusion,
as it can not be exploded either by a
slow or a shock, nor by IN open flame.
| On the other hand, it has the following
disadvantages: Q) Hellhofite is a
liquid; (2) the Tuning nitric acid con-
tanned in hellhoffite is of such avolatile
nature that it can be stored only in
perfectly closed vessels; (3) %hellhoffite
is rendered completely inexplosive by
being mixed with water, and can con-
s%equently not be employed for works
under water.-London Times.