Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1892-02-19
eMoKELEss POWDER.
4 ohloako Maa rrl.. ~. naaa a. M.s.

ting IT.
eyes, this smokelcss powder they
are talking about in Europe,n said a
Chicago druggist, is few evenings ago.
'fs undoubtedly great discovery,
but know something about such
things myself. i had q little experi-
ence with high explosives once which
nearly cost Inc my life. l was
student then and my favoritc study
was chemistry. ! had always had n
penchant toward experimenting with
explosives, gaseous, fluid, and solid,
and IN the course Of my work In the
laboratory l finally evolved one OF
such terrific power that l don't think
amy other to equal it has ever been
found. 1t was Il illuminate, and when
had succeeded in producing the first
few grains of white powder l decided
to try 1t. A half grain was all
used, l. didn't know how powerful
the stun was. put it in Il big iron
mortar, suspended pcstle over it by
thread, and fixed cord so by Jerk
ing 1t l could let the pcstle fall. 1
retired to the other side of the room,
pulled the string and-wcll, i was
Knocked down, two windows were
shattered and l had to pay $3.50 for
delicate apparatus ruined by the ex-
plosion.
''Knowing how frightfully danger
Gus the stuff was, and yet unwilling
to quit experimenting, | fitted ND a
little laboratory of my own in IN
abandoned stable about mile from
the college building. This was neces-
sary, for the faculty notified me to
stop monkcying with my illuminate
on the college property. 1 worked
away In my own improviscd shop,
however, and soon had IN ounce or SO
of the stuff made. Then l invited
friend of mine, good rifle shot, to
coiue out with me and try It. /
wasn't taking any more chances on
testing 1t indoors. Well, we went to
little lake, about quarter of
mile wide, l carrying the illuminate
very daintily, you may be sure, and
he his rifle. We took Il boat, went
out about Il hundred yards from shore,
buoyed piece board and on 1t set
The can with the illuminate in It,
only used half an ounce. Returning
to the shore we took up positions on
little knoll, and l asked my friend
to shoot at the can. lie missed 1t
the first time, but the second, coinci-
dentally with the crack of his rifle,
came ripping crash like the heavens
were being torn asundcr. Both OF us
were thrown flat to the ground and
half stunned by the conclusion.
Jaw just flash, Il splitting of the
waters to the bottom of the lake, and
fcll. When We arose an enormous
wave rolled shoveward and we could
see the water for hundred yards,
all muddy, though IL was very deep.
we took the skill and pulled out
into the lake, and in Il moment dead
fish began to rise on all sides. The
water was fairly covered with them
IN half an hour, all sorts and sizes
floating OIL all parts of the lake. / |
think we killed every fish in the little
body of water, for there were thou
sands OF them. We were mile from
the college buildings, but when we re.
turned we found everything excite
ment there. They thought IL was an
earthquake, for the walls had trcm.
bled, and dozens of pancs OF glass
were broken. I've never given away |
the formula Of my illuminate. It's |
too dangerous to be I'm the possession |
even Of scientists n-{Uicnuo Tru,eY