Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-03-19
MODERN EXPLOSIVES.
An Outline OF Their Effect on Progress and
Civilization.

An Outline of Their Eject on Progress and
Civilization.
Though gunpowder has exerted SO
wide an influence, Its adoption marks
a distinct advance in the progress oil
man, for, with the obvious exception oil
heat, 1t was the first instance in which
man bent subtle and invisible force to
do his work, and he thereby greatly
enhanced his own power. How great
this gain Is may best be realized when
we learn that pound OF gunpowder is
theoretically capable OF doing 1856 foot
tons OF work or exerting 52.o horse
power, and that as a modern high-power
gun requires for each charge $50 pounds
oil powder, the theoretical efficiency OF
Its charge is 2I1l0 horsepower. Only
civilized people could construct and
properly employ so enormous, and yet
nice a weapon; and 1t is not surprising
that the races who possess 1t should
maintain their supremacy. With the
present century there came fresh de-
velopment in explosives. and this time
the discoveries resulted during the
study OF the science OF chemistry one
OF the sciences which had grown up
under the freedom which gunpowder
had brought In 1900 Howard discov-
cred mercury illuminate, In 1919 Schon-
bein discovered gun-cotton, In 1916 So
bero discovered nitro-glycerine, In 1866
Nobel discovered dynamite, and since
then. especially during the last decade,
there have been discovered or devised
great number OF explosive compounds
or mixtures Each OF those mentioned
is vastly more powerful than gun-pow-
der, but thus far they have played little
or no part In war. However,
the knowledge which has been
gained oil their properties had the
progress which has been made In ap-
plying them, especially as charges for
shell. lead to the belief that they VIII
be used with great elect In future wars
and Will cause revolution in the pre-
vaillng systems oil iortihcatlons and
methods OF warfare, But 1t Is not in
war only that gunpowder has played
an important part for 1t has been OF
immense assistance to man In tho arts
and Industries NO one can gaze WITH
out surprise on those stupendous works.
the temples and tomos' the aqueducts
and viaducts' which exist In the East
and this surprise becomes amazement
when we learn that the enormous
blocks which form these structures
were quarried with lever and wedge.
Such simple tools, together with the
slow and laoorious system OF "hre-
setting constituted the only means
employed In excavatlng' ana IN such
mining operations as were carried on
until 1919 when martin "elgfl. the
mine superintendent at Freioerg'
brought gunpowder into use Tor TINS
purpose AS 1t has been iound' from
largo number OF observations on va
rlous materials, that one pound OF pow
der Will displace 3Z'o3z pounds OF
material, we see what an improve
ment was wrought In the arts OF min
ing and quarrylng; and when we con-
slider what hardshlps Inc miner must
have endured under the oaroarous sys-
lem oil "hre-setting, the civlllzlng IN
huence oil the introduction oil this store
house oil energy becomes apparent
But the Improvement must have
been as noticeable In another
direction Tor the much greater ease
with which both the precious and the
useful metals could be won with TINS
agent, must nave 80 cheapened their
cost and Increased the available supply
as to have greatly fastened and ex-
Tended their uses AS in mining so In |
operations gun-powder
has been OF immense assistance, and 1t
s especially In these two fields that