Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-02-01
Dynamite.
CARE TAKEN IN MANUFACTURING
DANGEROUS EXPLOSIVE.

years ago, in comparison with that
which would occur now if an earth
quaks should shake the dynamite fac
tory just below the town, while the
operatives are running off ton Of
nitro-glycerine.
Six months ago" said Mr.. Volney
Dunning, Mr.. Clark Robinson came to
Gainesville from Pittsburg to look
about with view to establishing Il
dynamite factory there. The result is
that the factory is completed and in
operation.
"Where is the factory and how
large is it?"
at is a frame building, about 90 feet
square, with watts, mixers and drawing
baths, located on the East and West
railroad, at Mr.. Ladds lime kiln,
about three miles below Cartersville."
"What is its capacity?"
"About 5000 pounds OF dynamite
day"
"And what will that do?"
"It will blow Stone mountain to
atoms"
"What are you making SO much
for?"
For the trade; there is a great de-
mand for dynamite in mining, rail-
road work, excavating, shooting, oil
wells, and the like"
"What is dynamite made Off"
The cartridges in ordinary use are
about forty per cent. nitro-glycerine,
diffused through about sixty per cent.
of some porous substance like clay or
sawdust."
"What is nitro -glycerine?"
alt is composed of hogs fat, nitric
acid, and sulphuric acid. The pure
hogs fat may be used but the glycer-
inoin the fat is all that is needed, and
to save waste that is extracted, and the
rest of the fat is left for some other
purpose"
"How much glycerine is there in a
hog"
81 cln't tell you exactly, but in a
hog large enough to furnish two hun
dred pounds of fat, l should think
there would be something like twenty
pounds OF glycerine."
"How much acid do you put in
that?'
ave take two parts .Of the glycer-
inc, five parts of nitric acid, and five
parts of sulphuric acid and mix them
to make the nitro-glycerine. In that
way we will make, with the fat of one
hog. sixty to one hundred and twen-
ty pounds of nitro-glycerine."
"What will that much of nitro
glycerine do?"
at will blow up the capital and
scatter it all over Atlanta"
But you must observe" continued
Mr.. Dunning, "that the explosion of
nitro-glycerine is SO instantaneous, and
the expansion so tremendous that there
is not time enough to pack the air
above and make room for the great
expansion; SO nitro-glycerine works
downward as well as upward"
How does it explode?"
"With very slight jar"
"And you make dynamite out Of
this dangerous explosive?"
eyes, We mix it with sawdust or
clay"
How do you ever get nitro-glycer-
inc to your factory?"
"We take the ingredients and mix
them. 1t would be extremely hazard
GUS to ship nitro-glycerine."
How do you manage to mix it with
out getting blown up?"
"Well, We put the ingredients in
vat which has been reduced to non-
explosive temperature of thirty-five de-
grees. In the vat is mixer, made
something like a revolving fan, and
the acids and glycerine are thoroughly
mixed. Then the nitro-glycerine is
put into a drowning bath of clear water
which purifies the mixture, and it is
run off in the form of yellowish sub
stance about the consistency of the
white of an egg."
"How much do you make at one
timer"
Sometimes over a ton"
"Is dynamite very easy TO explode?'
"No, nothing like as easy to explode
as nitro-glycerine. Having in its or
dinary form about forty per cent. OF
nitro-glycerine diffused through a por-
Gus substance, dynamite is not easily
exploded. We make dynamite, when
it is desired, as high as eighty per cent.
nitro-glycerihe, and that is more dam
gerOus to handle"
What is dynamite worth "A pound?"
From sixteen to forty cents Il
pound, according AS it has forty per
cent. or more of nitro-giycerine." At
ldntd Constitution.
The old Wings elected two Presi-
dents and both died in the morning of
their reign. The Republicans have
elected four exclusive OF Harrison, of
whom two were murdered. The DEM
Ocrats have elected ten and all pulled
through to the end. Had it been the
other way, lots of chaps would have
seen the hand of Providence in it.
When thing goes our Way it is al
ways the hand of Providence, but
when it goes the other fellows way it
is the DEVILS hand, you know.
IT cannot be too widely known" )"