St. Landry democrat., 1885-03-07

pos. In 1865 a prisoner was con-
demned to hard labor in German
mine. He escaped and carried small
three-pound can of nitro-glycerine-
Ignorant of the nature of the stuff, he
judged it to be of value from the care
with which it was guarded in the mine.
He sailed for New York, and slept on
ship-board with the can under his pill
low. Reaching New York, he put up
at sailor clearinghouse in Greenwich
street. The can he left in the bar-room,
and the boarders used it for foot-rest
to have their boots BACKED on. One
day fight occurred in the bar-room
and one of the combatants in trying to
kick the other struck the can. The
fight ended. There was general scat
tering of all the inmates, crash OF
falling bricks and a splintering OF tim
bers, together with a noise like a seven
ty-eight-pounder. A horse that was
passing was knocked dead by stick OF
falling timber, and, odd enough, none
of tho inmates were killed-onty plunged
up. :.
In the following year the West India
packet ship European, lying at Aspin-
wall, was blown to pieces, and forty
seven persons lost their lives by the ex-
plosion of lot Of nitro-glycerine that
was styled ''glonvene" or ''glonoin
OIL" which was en- route for the Pa
cific States. The loss was over 81, OOO,-
600.
GUN-COTToN.
This explosive was brought to light
by Prof. Schonbein, of Basic, SwItzer-
land, in 1916. Cotton wool is converted
into an explosive by the action of
mixture of sulphuric and nitric acids.
The name of gun-cotton was first given
to the product; then it was called py-
roxaline and trinitro-celluiose A solu-
ton of gun-cotton in a mixture Of alco-
hol and ether yields collodion, which
is so essential in photography. A solu-
ton in camphor produces the substance
called celluloid, which is so extensively
used for making collars, shirt fronts,
brush-handles, etc.
Gun-cotton has been subjected to
many tests, and when diluted with I'M
changed cotton and compressed or spun
into yarn or rope its use in artillery or
blasting has been very efectual. 1t
can be stored under water, and dried
by steam when required for use. Left
to itself in dry packages, it is liable to
spontaneous decomposition. The chem
lists, Abel and Link have much improved
its preparation, but it has never come
into general use either in the army or
in mines, yet it is absolutely essential
in photography. Gunpowder and gum
cotton will explode by a spark. Giant
powder and dynamite will not.
ELIMINATES.
There is q class of explosives known
Eliminates, which have long been
known In 1898 Howard discovered
illuminate of mercury, but its character
was so violent that for q number of
years chemists were deferred from ex-
perimenting with it, Baron Liebig at
last conducted his researches into its
properties and preparation. Three parts
of mercury are dissolved in thirty-six
parts Of nitric acid, and thirty
parts of alcohol are added A stormy
reaction takes place, and crystals of the
illuminate collect on the bottom of the
vessel. These are packed in very small
packages in paper. or are best pre-
served under water. Eliminates of
of silver and gold of an analogous COM
position are prepared and used in per-
cussion caps anti patent explosives.
GUNPOWDER FROM PICRIC ACID.
Was used during the siege of Paris. It
was made by treating picric acid with
carbolic acid and nitric acid, When
combined with ammonia or potash it
was exceedingly combustible. The
powder was fired bya the active modifi-
cation of oxygen called ozone, and
hence is liable to explode by electricity.
1t is difficult to store it, and is only of
use during times of warfare.
SchuItze, of Potsdam, invented pow.
der that is named from him. 1t is pre-
pared by acting on wood by means of
sulphuric acid and nitric acid, and mix
ing the product with twenty-six per
cent. of saltpeter. It is white, power
full, and must be kept moist.
Sebastine, or Write, in its improved
form, is said to be superior to dyna-
mite, as it is cheaper, safer to handle
and more explosive. It is made of nitro
glycerine and a specially prepared char
coal, in which all the oil is absorbed.
No percussion cap is required to ex-
plode it; simply fuse, providing the
fuse-hole or bore-hole is properly Sc
cured by stronger Wadding, as in an
ordinary case of blasting powder. It is
said that the Government of Sweden
prefers this explosive in blasting to
dynamite.
NTTRo-GLYCERNE.
As will be seen, this substance is the
basis Of nearly all modern explosives.
It is made of nitric acid one part, and
sulphuric acid two parts, to which is
added ordinary glycerine, and the mix
ture is well washed with pure water.