Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-01-11
DEADLY DYNAMITE
How Bombs Are Prepared by
Anarchists,
THEY ARE OF VARIOUS FORMS.
How the Explosive Was Invented, and the
Different Methods by Which Its Use Has
Been Brought to Observation-Disclosures
Between Gunpowder and Dynamite.

How the Explosive Was Invented, and the
Different Methods by Which Its Use Has
Been Brought to observation-disclosures
Between Gunpowder and Dynamite.
The dynamite bomb, so far as the rest of
the United States is concerned, started its
career in New York, and in that city still re-
side John Most and John B. King, the two
greatest authorities on the cheap manufact-
ure Of high explosives
Dynamite is nothing but nitro-glycerine in
another form. The latter is one Of the most
terrific explosives known, and was discovered
in the sixties by Professor Nobel, a great
Swedish chemist. Unlike gunpowder, which
is safe until fired, it explodes from percussion
rather than ignition. The slightest percus-
sion or conclusion is often sufficient to ex-
plode the liquid. Among these slight shocks
are such actions as Earring the tin in which
it Is contained, striking it with q small stone
or even pebble, exploding toy torpedo In
its neighborhood, or even the shaking Of q
railroad.
In some instances nitro-glycerine has been
known to blow up without any perceptible
reason. Despite the terrible dangers attached
TO its use, it has long been afavorite explosive
with miner, diver and quarryman, and is used
in large quantities at the present time. In
his studies on the subject Nobel found that
all of these dangers were removed by-Slixing
nitro-glycerine with some absorbing powder
Of passive character. He and his successors
have thus utilized sawdust, clay, lime, infu-
serial earth, charcoal, magnesia, vegetable
mold and other substances. According to
the material used has some name been in
81 - fha nt-yo,,ita rav,d
rock, rack a rock, lithofractor, carbite, cellu-
lite and nitro-carbon are instances in point.
SOME HISTORICAL FACTS.
The dynamite bomb is more correctly a
hand grenade, and made its appearance
among the Russian Nihilists. 1t was shaped
like the ordinary percussion bombshell and
was ignited by the explosion of Illuminating
powder or the use Of fuse. Its distinctive
ness and efficiency made it forthwith the ia
vorite weapon Of the Muscovite revolution
lists Shortly after this it was adopted for
similar reasons by the O'Donovan Rosa
Irish agitators.
at Is hard to realize the power" said John
B. King to the writer, ''that dynamite gives
to the individual Gunpowder destroyed the
superiority of physical strength by making
the smallest dwarf the equal of the largest
giant Dynamite goes much further and
makes one man the equal Of hundreds. One
well made bomb would destroy any public
building in the United States, tear to pieces
the largest steamship af1oat, and discharged
in great crowd might kill thousand peo-
pie"
The success of the early bomb throwers
called public attention to the manufacture Of
the grenades, and caused SO many legal, mil
~ fN no
around every process Of the trade as to make
1t almost impossible for any one to produce
the missiles In their early forms Circum.
vented by the authorities, the Anarchist and
Invincible went to work and by degrees in
vented and discovered system whereby dy-
Mantle bombs could be made cheaply, safely
and, above all, secretly.
HOW BOMBS ARE MADE.
The former school issues little book writ
ten by John Most on the subject which, from
8 scientific standpoint, is admirable
The latter school have remained content
with the work and workmanship of King.
In neither instance is there any use of the re-
torts and apparatus of the chemical cabinet.
The first stage, the making of nitro-gl ycerine,
is carried on as follows: According to the
amount Of dynamite required is the number
of bowls used These are the plain stoneware
affairs seen in every kitchen and dining
room. Into each pint bowl is poured five
ounces Of strong oil Of vitriol, to which Is
slowly added the same quantity of nitric
acid. To prevent any heating OF the china
or the liquid it contains, the bowls are placed
In tin wash basin, half immersed in water,
or, what Is more highly recommended by
both Most and King, in a box full Of cracked
Ice Into the mixed acids Is slowly poured
six ounces Of glyceriue.
The acids attack the glycerine. which, as i,
known to most readers, is sweetish, insipid,
inert and white, converting it into nitro
glycerine, which is sourish, pungent, poison
GUS and greenish yellow. In six hours the
transformation has almost occurred, but in
practice it is well to wait twerty-four, when
every possible molecule Of the explosive ha,
been created
The nitro-glycerine and the residual mixed
ACIDS are now separated by careful pouring,
and the nitro-glycerine finally washed with
cold water to remove all traces of the acids
Were this not done they would be present in
the future dynamite, and by corrodins
everything they touched produce premature
explosions.
The second stage is the conversion of nitro
slycerine into dynamite and is effected by
pouring any absorbent powder into the for
mer in quantities just sufficient to remain
dry. The resulting product is a coarse,
dampish and sticky powder. If charcoal be
used as the base the color is black; if -four,
yellowish white; if earth, a dark brown
King has experimental with not only all the
articles named, but with such grotesque sub
stances as bread crumbs, pulverized sugar,
stale bread crusts, dried cake, oat meal, corn
starch, plaster Of paris, Portland cement,
Stacked lime, broken mortar and brick dust
Each made q very sarviceable dynamite
Most has made similar experiments. In one
address he said: ut is possible for a rev olu
ZIONIST TO carry, under the very eyes of his
enemies, what seems ~ be a sandwich, q slice
Of bread and butter, piece Of cake, cheap
plaster image of the Madonna, couple Of
pounds Of brown sugar, a flower pot in which
blooms q rosebud or pail of coal dust for a
pauper's fire, but in reality is an explosive
more destructive than the largest shell
turned out in Woolwich or Essen"
The dynamite made, the third and last
process is the manufacture of the grenade, OF
the bomb, as it is better known. The shells
Of iron, steel, brass and copper are never used
by Anarchist or Invincible In the first place
they are too costly. The bombs used by Or
SIM in his attempt to assassinate Napoleon
III were of English make, and said to have
cost 60 Is. apiece.
Those with which the Nihilists made an I'm.
successful attempt on the life of the late car
we're very cheap and poorly made by Ger
man machinists, and yet cost five marks
each. In the second place they are easily
traced by the police, are inconvenient to
carry and always suspicious in appearance.
THE GAS PIPE BOMB.
Most's fayorite bomb is the familiar gas
pipe. A piece as large as policeman's club
is sufficient for almost every possible purpose
Each end is closed with the ordinary cap, into
which nipple is fitted and through which
fuse hole is bored. In charging it fuses are
inserted In the caps, one of which is fitted on,
the pipe is then filed with dynamite, the sec
ond cap screwed down and percussion caps
placed on the nipples. A round mustard box,
baking powder box or sardne box is equally
sufficient and even cheaper In using any Of
these the fuse is cut according to the time re-
quired, ignited ard the bomb thrown at the
object to be destroyed. To blow up a for
tress, Jail or vast building n tomato can,
which holds from three TO ten pounds of dy-
Mantle, is employed, and fired by slow
match. When exploded this will kill any
man within a radius of 200 yards, and con-
vert the most powerful safe into an iron
rain.
CHEAP FORM OF BOMB.
John B. King has worked along another
line and produced bombs ss efficient as and
much cheaper than has Most. One is made
from package Of toy torpedoes. The saw
dust and torpedoes removed and the coarse
paper bag refilled by pouring in little loose
dynamite, packing it down, placing on top a
few torDedoes in q layer then adding nm.