The Dillon tribune. [volume] (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941, 1886-12-10
DYNAMITE.
Written for the Dillon TRIBUNE
ARTICLE SECOND.

ARTICLE SECOND
Nitro.glycerine is heavy oily liquid,
clear and nearly colorless when perfectly
pure. It is quite poisonous. Sobrero
killed dog with few drops. Its physio-
logical effect in minute doses upon the
human economy is interesting, its princi.
pal effect being to excite and stimulate the
circulatory system. When the skin is
touched with it, or it is tasted from the
point Of pin, the patient in minute or
two becomes conscious that something has
happened to him. Flis pulse begins to
throb like a trip hammer, he feels full.
ness about the face and head and presently
he has q violent and persistent headache.
To persons handling it regularly, this ef.
feet ceases and they do their work without
discomfort. Novices are generally made
very sick by it. A partial antidote for its
poisonous effect is Potassium Bromide in
large doses. Miners are we'll acquainted
with the nitro glycerine headache, which
is often caused by handling dynamite, es.
pecially If it is little leaky. Very few
persons, unless they are specially placed
on their guard, can walk through dyna.
mite factory without getting this headache.
The first time they see harmless looking
pile Of powder, they stick their hands in
to It. I heard story Of an Admiral in
the navy, who with his brilliant staff was
inspecting the Torpedo school. Some.
what awed by the magni6cence OF the oc.
casion, the chemist in charge forgot his
usual admonitions to visitors. Coming to
= heap Of innocent looking dynamite, the
Admiral said, ut looks like sugar" and be-
fore the Mortified chemist could interfere,
took up small handful and put it in his
mouth. The inspection terminated then
and there, and soon afterwards limp Off.
cial in brilliant unifor n was carried out
Of the building. However, the taste Of nj.
tro.glycerine is not unpleasant. It is
sweet, aromatic and pungent.
Even as a liquid, nitro.glycerine is not
SO sensitive to slight shocks and jars as
most people think. At all factories it has
to be handled more or less beforeit is made
up into powder. While undoubtedly too
dangerous to be transported as an article
Of commerce, it has been used successfully
on large scale for engineering operations.
The Hoosac Tunnel was mainly made with
It, as also the earlier He'll Gate improve.
ments, and it is wagoned over miles of
mountain roads In Pennsylvania for shoot.
ing the oil wells, though its transportation
and use for the latter purpose has left a ter.
rible chapter of accidents.
If when manufactured, 1t is not properly
washed and purified, It is liable to undergo
slow decomposition, which at a certain
stage makes It very sensitive and danger.
Gus. II undisturbed and kept at moder.
ate temperature, the decomposition goes
on quietly and finally renders it absolutely
harmless. In its earlier history, it is prob
able that the importance Of thorough
washing was not fully recognized and mos
Of the accidents which happenedto Nobel''
consignment, seem to have been due d.
rectly or indirectly to decomposition. 1
is this property Of nitro-glycerine which
should deter the rash "dynamiter." If h
has TO keep his impure product on hane
awaiting his chance or biding his time, h,
may be hoist with his own petard.
The first dynamite was as, we hav'
already told, very simple product, oh
tanned by mixing one part by weight Q
Kicselgmhr with three parts Of nitro.gly
cerine. The result was moist, reddish
brown powder something like brown su
gar. Simple as it seemed, this was grea
achievement-a real stroke Of genius.
had been proved that the liquid was to-
dangerous for general use. Being incom
pressible, il was sensitive to shocks. Tn
powder was soft and yielding and the nj
tro.glycerine was cushioned against all o,
binary blows while still sensitive to tn
blow Of the primer or cap. It was foun
to have the strength Of the ni.ro.glycerin
contained in it. It had the advantage {
convenience in handling. Made into cal
tridges, /! could be pushed into blast hole
pointing upwards as we'll as downward
It did not need tin case in seamy grounc
and finally it could be safely tampes
Making allowance for the natural prejudic