The Dillon tribune., 1886-12-03
DYNAMITE.
Written for the Dillon TRIBUNE,
First Article.

First Article.
In the mind ofthe ordinary reader, the
word dynamite is associated with anarchy
and nihilism If we wish 10 define 4 hum.
an fiend, an enemy Of his kind and would
be destroyer Of society, we call him "dy.
namiter". Dynamite is an embodiment Of
force, cheaply and simply compounded,
easily restrained and as readily set free to
wreck and ruin or to do useful work in
mans battle with tn e forces Of nature.
Unfortunately its attributes fit it to the
hand Of the anarchist. A crude knowledge
of chemistry, few materials readily pro-
cured in commerce, and certain rude ap.
pliances are all that are needed to make it,
and to arm the arch foes Of society with a
weapon Of almost irresistible power. In the
language Of The nihilist orator, ut is the
sword which science has given the weak
against the strong"
To the honest miner, the word suggests
only a familiar and friendly agent-one
that he is accustomed to handle in his
daily work. It has no terrors for him,
though he knows that he must handle it
carefully unless he is axious to have his
widow draw his life insurance. Under the
names Of Hercules, Giant, Vigorit and Vul.
can, the miners ofthe Pacific coast and the
Rocky mountains have been handling dy.
Mantle for the last decade or more, and
their comparative immunity from acct.
dent speaks we'll, not only for their good
sense, and prudence, but also for the care
and skill of the manufacturers.
Dynamite is simply nitro.glycerine
powder-that is, powder made by absorb
ing nitro.glycerine in some porous, pulver.
lied material which serves as vehicle
and reduces it to the powder form. To treat
Of dynamite before treating Of nitro.glycer-
inc would be putting the cart before the
horse.
NIrRo.GLYcER1NE.
Nitro.glycerine preceded dynamite many
years. 1t was one Of the many gifts Of
chemistry to the arts. About 1886 Swiss
chemist, Prof. Schonbein, submitted cotton
wool to bath Of mixed sulphuric and nj.
trio acid. He removed and washed it and
placed it on 4 stove to dry. While his
back was turned, It disappeared. We can
picture the astonishment of the specialized
scientist when he found his product nor
est. OF course he made more Of II, expert.
mented with 1t and announced his discov-
cry Of gun.cotton to the world. He also
enunciated the correct theory for its pro.
duction, but this looked SO fanciful that
few chemists were willing At first to accept
it. The theory has long since taken it,
place in the classics Of chemistry and |,
epitomized in the name Of nitro. substitution
compounds, given to the remarkable elias,
Of products Of which gun.cotton Is type.
The theory briefly stated is as follows
Nitric acid, the formula Of which Is HNO;
(Which means that each molecule contain,
one atom Of hydrogen, one Of nitrogen anc
three Of oxygen) Is capable OF splitting W
into two smaller molecules HO and NO,,
Many organic substances such as cotton
Tor other form of cellulose) g'ycerine, 81
gar, etc, contain 80 many atoms Of carbon
hydrogen and oxygen. When under Ger
tain conditions, strong nitric acid IL brough
in contact with these substances, an ex
change Of courtesies takes place: An atom
Of hydrogen will leave each molecule O
the organic substance and 60 over to the
nitric, while the little group of atoms NO;
will leave the nitric and take the place Va
Gated by the hydrogen. On one side, VI
will have H2O or water formed, on tn
other a new nitro. substitution COMPOUND
which is generally An explosive. Thu
cotton or cellulose C6H1oO6 will lose
atoms of H, the places of which will b.
filled with ; molecules Of NO7, making
gun.cotton C6H7O6 3(NOa). Now a cur
ious thing is that the structure Of the fiber
even under the strongest microscope, i
not altered. It has gained, however
greatly in weight and is little harsher t
the touch. The in6nitesimal entity NO;
has fitted itself snugiy in the seat left b.
the still smaller H, but probably his elbow
stick out little or his corpulency crowd
his neighbors. What wonderful illustrs
ton this is of the keenness of scent show
by the chemists, who have followed an