Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-07-06
THE NOBEL WORKS.
xcyiptIon OF the Largest Dynamite Fao-
tory In the World.

The factory lies in the heart Of
hat exparse Of sandy plain on the
uthwest coast of Scotland. On APP
Coaching it visitor is hailed by the
ounted guard that patrols the envi-
Snments of the factory. and he will
We to show very satisfactory creden-
Els before he is allowed to go further.
b the way to the managers house
llage is passed where live the whole
the operatives employed in the man
hcture Of nitro-glycerine. 1t is mere
street of small tenements stand
q on the threshold OF the palisades
bich inclose M. Nobers houses Some
6tance from the managers house is
shed where the practical process of
liking ntro-glycerine is seen at
nnce. Bef re the visitor gets there.
5wever, he is Invested of his
Itch, chain. money, keys and every
eticle Of metal he may have
but him. This seemingly excessive
caution is perfectly necessary, for
fall OF even a penny on floor con-
lining grain of the explosive
int be attended with disaster. Felt
Yes have to be worn. In the first shed
ched there is large tank in which
two parts of oil of vitriol and one
~ Of the flaming nitric acid. A els
A above the tank contains glycer-
NM, and when this is introduced into
acid the compound known as nitro
Xcerine is at once formed. The
oration is, however, an extremely
2cate one. The tank is in charge of
Eorkman, upon whom the sole re-
feasibility of an explosion rests II
much glycerine is introduced into
"a acids at one time the tenn
MIXTURE of the mixture may rise above
degrees Fahr., and spontaneous
Splosion will at once follow, SO that
~ operatives eyes are never Off the
4Drmometer; his own hope of safety
in keeping down the temperature
~ the mixture to some seven or eight
agrees below its explosive heat He
aided somewhat by ice and cold
tier. which are outside the. vat; but
~ compound is occasionally erratic,
- will gain heat Notwithstanding all
QxAcautions. For such case the only
Informative is to move lever, which
lowers one side of the tank and allow
'the whole of the contents to run
t140ugh sluice into pond, when it
\ about an even chance whether it will
explode ere it leaves the shed or wait
until it reaches the open.
The sectond step is to wash the new
Informed chemical combination in
WAter, which very slightly absorbs it.
It's then put into Winchester quarts"
md conveyed with the utmost care into
wooden huts or dug-outs. AS an in
stance of the extreme susceptibility of
tho nitro-glycerine to conclusion, it is
related that a man was once seen to
Zip in the act Of depositing bottle in
hut; he merely tripped, in the ordi-
nary sense of the word, but there was
~ sinstant explosion, and hardly a
fr&gment of the poor fellow was gath
cred for decent burial. Passing on
thr0ugh ,ther sheds. we see the mix
ture of the nitro = glycerine with
peculiar foramifcrous earth, the
new substance being dyna-
mite. This is then carried
stO Hong shed, where it is pressed into
cartridges by machinery, the operatives
being young women. Not the least
curious of the many curiosities at these
works are the ponds into which the wash
Ing water is run. Tradition has it that
the detonative property of the waters
was not discovered until an angler one
day attempted to seduce the fish with
May-tiy. At his first cast, however,
the pond blew up, and he found him.
sell hundreds of yards away, happily
unhurt To obviate similar danger
nov. Saturday is reserved exclusively
Tor cleaning the works IN every depart
msIat. and among other things for de-
lilerately blowing up the ponds. After
congratulating himself on safe journey
through the various houses, the stran-
ger Is apt to hurry from the factory
and only to breathe freely when he is
again at the station. He will not have
failed, however, to notice the many
pfecautions taken to insure safety foi
( those who daily risk their lives in these
y9rT hazardous operations. Each sec.
ti0n of the operatives is distinguished
bya peculiar canvas suit with col.
orea marking; no one may go on any
pretense, leaving his own department
The women work in felt shoes ant
bathing dresses, and every single
wpfkman or workwoman is stripped
! AID reclothed before going to their la
b0K The explosives, too. are handled
n NE smallest possible quantities, say,
= If the first room of manufacture
where enough is made at one time t.
blow up city. The nitro glycerin'
itself is a transparent, colorless, oily
huid. slightly soluble in water, bu
readily SO in spirit, ether or fat On,
faTorite way ofdestroying it is by boil
ingi in potash when it decomposes
glycerine and nitre being formed. Per
haps the most curious use to which i
'hq4ever been put is the result of tn
adAfching Investigations ofits medicin
~ properties by DR.. VIM, Murrcll, VIII,
found it almost aspecifc for angin
pactoris, neuralgia and many develop
nSents of heart disease.-iSt. James Ga
sstfe
CAina has become the great dia