The morning call., 1892-07-17
4 Migratory Compound Of Nervous
Temperament
Composed Mainly Of Ingredients-Great Care
Exercised to Preserve the Anatomical
Details Of the Mixers.

The report of that gigantic explosion set
| the people TO thinking. Those who were
| too far away to hear the report read it in
| the papers next morning, and are now be-
ginning to warm up on the subject of
| dynamite, what it is for, what ii does, and
how it does it, also how ii is made.
| Few persons aside from those engaged in
the manufacture, handling and employment
| OF the stun as an explosive agent have ever
probed into its private affairs. There is
something repellant in the very thought Of
! inquiring too closely, which, to say the least
| is somewhat perplexing when one considers
| the natural curiosity of mankind. The
| writer does not profess to be an expert on
| high explosives, never having been Gar,
nor yet a prominent millionaire. Neither
has he ever visited the site of the late de-
| parted Juds0n Works at Berkeley, but he
| once toyed recklessly with death while
| passing few pleasant hours in an establish
| nent where earthquakes are put up in
packages to suit the purchaser. and was
therefore able TO CLEAN few stray facts
AN EXCITABLE TEMPERAMENT
Under the most favorable conditions dy-
mantle VIII at times develop fitful, excita-
bic temperament and desire to rove that
makes 1t very unpopular in thickly popu-
lated districts. And yet, when brought in
contact with any grade of society it is
treated with q Difference due the exalted
eminence it may attain ON short notice.
Great care Is observed in its manufacture to
prevent an outbreak, and also to preserve
the anatomical details of the men who do
the work. The workmen and their fami-
lies, who generally live close by, carry their
lives In their hanos, and so adept do they
become that they can carry il in either hand
desired. During the day the men work in
the mill and put in the night wondering hat
VIII happen before morning.
As a rule a manufacturing plant is one
large building, in which the work is done
but with dynamite it is different The pro-
cess Is conducted IN a number of small,
cheap buildings scattered over wide ex-
panSe OF territory. Sometimes one or more
Of them ara scattered over the adjacent
township. Dynamite is migratory as we'll
as clannish in its habits, ana if one building
starts the others are liable TO be overcome
with an almost irresistible desire to accom-
pany It. Unusual care is exercised in the
selection OF workmen. a man with palpi-
tatiOn OF the heart could lot get job, as
the j0its of his finttering organ might lead
to sensational catastrophe. And yet their
Day is no more than they would get for max
ing plows.
EXTREME CAUTION.
Housewives living near the works also
use great caution, and put up their winter
fruit IN tin pals, as the smallest jar might
cause frigbiful disaster. One half the
world doesn't know how the other half
lives.
A careful analysis of dynamite shows
that 1t Is composed mainly Of ingredients.
This will be cheerful Intelligence to those
who thought that it was made of something
more complex and therefore harder to
grasp. 1t Is comparatively easy to under
stand the making of the stuff, but the
trouble has been, and always will be- to
divine Its subsequent Inten tiOns in time to
make ones self as remote as possible.
The ingredients are nitrate of soda, wood
pulp, sulphurc and nitric acid aud glycerine
oil. a mixture OF the acids and oil forms
nit civ
and wood-pulp making an absorbent to con-
tain the liquid earthquake. Nitro glycerine
in the form of dynamite retains its ex-
plOSive powers in full, while the absorbent
facilitates handling and lessons the liability
OF premature death. Dynamite Is not near
so feverish as nltro-glyeerine. ana for this
reason the woTkmen are intensely polite in
their demeanor toward the last-named
quality.
MIXING THE INGREDIENTS.
The nitrate of soda and wood-pulp are
first PREPARED. Equal quantities of both are
thoroughly mixed In Il machine like the pug
mill used in brickvards. There is no
danger IN this department, and the man
who does the work can think of something
else at the time. This machine is run by
power which comes from an engine al far
away as it is possible to locale it from the
works. The engine-house is placed near
the frontier. otherwise the engineer could
not get an Insurance policy on his life.
When In proper condition the pulp is taken
10 the Westinghouse.
1t Is in the making Of the nitro-glyeerine
that the greatest danger is incurred and re-
qulTeS man with a cool head and
thorough knowledge of bis business. The
mixture of acids is twO-thirds sulphuric and
one-third nitric. and its action takes place in
an underground lead-lned tank as far re-
moved from the busy haunts of man as pos
sible. i. Is then conducted to the glyceripe-
house. where mixture of so per cent oil
and 20 Der cent acids is made in tank.
Cold water is kept moving in the lead coils
In the tank during the mixing process and
the utmost care is exercised to prevent
disaster.
DEADLY NITROGEN.
While this is going on the man in charge
slps away a half mile or so TO breathe
lest he precipltate trouble for himself At
the proper time the mixture is drawn off into
another tank, where the innate cussedness of
tue acids is chemically impaired 10 the
heretofore harmless glycerlne. The sui
phurIc acid initiates the process, and is re-
covered In bulk with its system somewhat
enervated. The nitric, in expelling the
oxygen and hydrogen and contributing the
deadly nitrogen. is decomposed ard lost
forever but lis works will live in the men,
oTy OF man, as per West Berkeley
When ready for the trip the now nitro
glycerine ls respectfully escorted to the
separating room, where the acid is recoy-
cred from the mixture. In the separating
room the stuff stands in cool tanks. where
the explosive rises to the top, after the man
ner of oil, and is run off through rubber
pipes embedded In downy sawdust to the
mixing Department, whls the acid is con-
Quoted to the regaining works. By some
chemical process the sulphuric is separated
from the refuse of the nitric acid and can be
used again. There Is no particular danger
attached to this department. but the noxiOus
yapors evolved are something long to be re-
mem0ered.
PACKING THE SHELLS.
In Twin
dumped into large wooden pan. the nitro
glycerine is poured in and the stuff stirred
with long-handled wooden rake. The
The quantity OF glycerine used depends
on the grade of the dynamite turned out.
when thoroughly mixed The dynamite is
taken to the paeking-room and made into
cartridges known as the giant powder of
commerce. The packers sit at a table,
each with wooden bod in front of him,
into which the yellowish, greasy mixture is
shnveled with wooden scoop. A tin fun
mel fits under the mouth of the hod, the
horn OF the funnel running through hole
IN the tubes. The packer takes a paper
cartridge in his left hand aud draws it over
the horn of the funnel from below. Then
he fills the funnel with dynamite, and
taking wooden hammer in his right hand
he punches the stuff into the sheli until it
is finn and solid, after which be folds in the
oren end of the cartridge and losses it into
box. The cartridge in size and shape re-
sembes the ordinary saloon sausage and
weighs half pound When finished the
dynamite Is packed IN boxes and stored
away in magaz zine houses for shipment.
Sometimes, however. it grows impatient
and doesn't wait to be shipped.
EXPLODING THE DEADLY COMPOUND.
But dynamite is not so easily exploded as
some people think. Ii can be placed on an
anvil and pounded with a sledge thrown
into the fire and burned or dumped over
cliff and it will not explode. sometimes. If
struck by lightning 1t will 60 off. and so will