The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-06
HIGH EXPLOSIVES.
MYSTERIES IN THE MAKING OF
NITRO-GLN
How the Numerous Compounds
are Made-Wonderful Uses or
the Explosives in Mimi.
and Agriculture.

I powder, Dlr tQc discovery OF newer ana
/ far more powerful explosive compounds
/ have taken the name away from gun-cot-
/ ton entirely. Iowerfu. explosive IS il j.,
+ that substance IS weak compared with
/ he numerous compounds based upon
/ nitro z yceriue-
The first high explosive, according to
the Classification OF the present, was
/ originally discovered and put into prac-
teal use by q distinguished chemist. He
made it by slowly digcs,ing ordinary
glyccrlne Al low Temperature, in d mi =
ture Of equal parts # nitric aud sUIphurlC
ids. In this operation the OF. slow '
separates and falls to the bottom of the
vessel. 1t IS of a yeI.oNish color, and
has swedish, not UNPLEASANT tate. #
jgnited in the ordinary methods en-
ployed in burning other intammable
oils 1t burns in a similar manner 10
them, but if it be Iguited by percussion
it instantly eXplodes with Almost incon-
ceivabIe force.
So sensitive IS nitro gIycerlne to con-
cussion and percussion that if it be
dropped only a few feet or struck even a
slight blow it will explode An ex-
ample Of this wonderful property of the
stuff occurred few years "a 0 in Panama,
when the sudden ignIt on of quantity
Of 1t converted a wharf and ware.
house INTO mass OF unrecognizable
fragments, inflicted damage to the ex-
tent Of about a million dollars and sud-
denly ended number of lives.
Careful Investigations soon demon
strated that the change which converts
harmless substance ike glycerine into
such powerful explosive is made By
the substitution O. mo ecules Of nitrogen
and oxygen Tor atoms of hydrogen in
the original compound. " hen this is
1one with great care and the process IS
carried through the last stage the re-
mItant liquid is nothing more than a
vast mass of gas held together by the
weakest and most uns able bonds.
1t was soon seen that the same law of
substitution could be applied to other
bodies with exactly the same results. If
applied to cotton fibre it produces the
familiar gun cotton. Applied to ordi-
nary gelatine it produces nitro gelatine.
As matter of curiosity it has been APP
piled by chemists to great variety Of
substances, and high explosives have
been produced from linen, sawdust.
bread, coffee grounds, tea leaves, cigar
C'ICS, O4O ClOtIltS, anu Il Dulnt'Gr OF
other materials. In fact, Dr. handler,
who is IN his line the most distinguished
authority in the country, once SAID that
there was hardly a substance in ordinary
use IN household life, but what by prop.
er trea ment could be converted into an
explosive compound powerful enough to
totally destroy the largest building in
the city.
The alarming number of accidents
viii, h occurred from the use of Mobiles
oil, as well as the great value of the dis.
covery mining, quarrying and ex.
cavat ng operations, called the attention
of scientists to the matter and they went
to work to find some means of DESTROYING
the danger without impa ring the
efficacy of the compound. They soon
discovered that if Mir ,-glycerine be
asserted by any puveruIent body it
would afterwards explode only 10y per
cuss on, and that the perc dssion had to
be comparatively powerful. 1t was
mixed with fine clay made into cart
ridges or nodded in forms, to be sold in
bulk. Some German chemists employed
'aWdust as an absorbent and produced
what is now known as dynamite. Others
nave used pIaSterOl- paris, chalk,
nagnesla, iullers earth and other inert
powders, and have produced the various
eXpl0sl es known as rendrOck, racka-
'ock and the like
The latest discovery in this line was
cry recently reported from London aud
that OF a new compound called cabr0-
dynamite. 1t is composed Of ninety
parts of nitro gIycerine
1t is difficult to Over-estimate the
value Of these high explosives. |
>Ome ores, like the copper ores of the |
upper Lake Superior region, are almost |
'roof against gunpowdcr blasting. The |
ock and metal together are so hard that !
Wo charges out Of every three Of gun |
powder are fired out as if from cannon |
without shatter ng the ore. If the HIGH |
XpIoslles are used the expansive power |
5 found to be so great that the ore is
battered N every direc ion. The di err ,
nee is SO great that viii lie gunp0wde4
nay be said to blow u and sideways. /
IL the great high eXplos YES blown
oWnward as wei This property has
cen utilized IN many ways, notably in
he removal Of reefs and other oJstruc-
IONS IN the New orh harDor. Diamond .
,eet, off the Battery, and a number Of
liz 0liA'1'ot 4OCNo vi ICIl NTdIe were de. |
troyed by lowering a heavy charge of
ltro-glycerine or dynamite directly
pom the sub-aquoous surface Of the
ock and exploding it by means of an
Iectric Wire. In every case the rocks
'ere shattered and the channel improved
rom one to five feet in depth
Farmers find the high explosives espe-
tally valuable in clearing new land of
Jumps, as a single cartridge will make
ne kindIing wood of a stump that it
'ould take two men a week to remove
mother and a most reprehensible use
the explosives is the killing Of fish
he small cartridge exploded under
alter will Kill every fish within 200 feet
it.
In shooting wells, too, the high ex-
losives are valuable. When a well
lbs dry two or three heavy charges are
ommoniy lowered to the bottom and
EplOdcd with an electric wire, the
leory being that the little veins or fis-
Tres IN the subs,ratum, through which
lie oil or water lows, have become
o'2cd or choHed up so that the fluid
o longer finds its way through. Tie
lgh explosives are powerful enough to
natter the rock for many yards in every
rection, SO that a multitude of new
lanneIs are Opened, and commonly the
ud finds It's way again at once into the
lafr.-N<H and III ress.