The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-05-20
. NlIEs Away.

Al Mr.. a E Fyan's, in Bedford county
twenty-five miles distant. it was very per
ceptible 50 II Was in G2rret, Berlin. Gen.
treville, S.oyestown, aad almost every place
within radius of twenty miles, at some
points much more distinctly than others.
At Bser Bros store. five miles down the
Bedford pike, goods were ed from the
shelves and the building rocked as though
shaken by strong wind Owing 70 the
fact that few DAYS previous large quanii-
ty Of refuse matter had been exploded BY the
employees, and many Of our citizens had
cideni. they were SLOW to believe that re
ally horrible casualty had occurred. and it
xas nine O'Clock in the evening before the
fact Was really knosn and believed. Al
that hour large crowd OF men and boys
with lanterns and torches, went out and
searched for the remains Of poor young
Beach. and on the following day, and on
Saturday and Sunday almost the entire pop
ulation Of the town ard surrounding ooun
iry visited the scene of the Ercck.
The cirect casse Of the explosion can on
" he eonjeciured Nifro-siyeerin which was
i-s; discovered in ls47 but dii not attract
general attention until 1874, when its capac-
iiies as an explosive agent became known.
- compounded Of pure giycerine and equal
parts Of strong sui 9harie and nitric acids.
Il : ooloriess, or slightly yellowish liquid.
and has marvellous explosive capacities. 1t
is % a sweet Pnngeni. aromatic taste; very
slightly selua bic in water bu; readily solu-
able in ether. alcohol and me,hylAfed spirit
In the lieuid state IL does nos infsanie by the
BY touching il with red-hoi iron il ez-
ploGes with great rehemence, By keeping.
Il undergoes a partial decomposition
and in confined vessels fhe presence
Of accumulated sassss. winch resalt IS
sometimes so great a. to cause it, explosion
upon the slishteSi conenssian II Will not
freeze above Il Fahrnheif when quite pure
As stated before. Mr.. Beach was engaged
in making run OF glyoerine when The ex-
plosion occurred which il done In this wise.
The acids are placed IN tank or trough.
called the seiiaior. OF cold water, into which
the rivcerin is poured with constant stir
ring. great care being taken 70 prevent any
sensible heating Of the mixture as al this
state il viii sNpiode OF itself. when IL a.
lowed to reach certain temperature; the
whole mixture Is then leff for five or ten
minutes AFTER which II i run of into anoih-
er trough containing FIVE or six times is
voiuEie Of cold water. TO which rotary mo-
ton is giTen- The nitroxlyceiin p-ecipi-
iaies rapidly in the form OF heavy liquid
which = separated By decantafion. L Is
then washed in cold water. Whether the
mixture had reached the temperature a,
which i. explodes. or whether Mr. Beach
let something fall that caused the concns-
sion viii never be kzovn and can only be
s1rrnised. The run he had been engaged
in making. had it been completed. would
have made
so Pou>Ds OF STrso-slYcrzIx
which exploded and wrought such terrible
havoc This amount OF glycerin when
mixed With the other ingredients would
have made 800 pounds Of dynamite Dy-
Mantle may be made ont OF hundred and
one different things. srch Is sulphur. szltpet-
er and birthstone Bot here niso-glycerin
Vas exclusively used with wood pulp ss the
princpsl absorbent although fulles earth.
magnesia and other ahecrhant< are also used
1t looks precisely like vet 2vduss and one
cculd rot tel the difference til tasting j.
when they would snd the slycersne impsrts
sweet favor. IL Is worth from IS to IS
cents per pound. II Is put mp in cartridges,
as general thing. eight inches long and
from three quarters Of sn inch to four in
ches ia diameter. These cartridges are
made Of heavy brown paper and when filed