Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-03-17
NITROGLYCERIN.
HOW SOME DEADLY EXPLOSIVES
ARE MANUFACTURED.

IN show you how we make nitroglycerin, #"
was the invitation | received one afternoon
in the oil country from an extensive manu-
facturer of the terrible explosive.
The invitation was very cordial one,
but there were considerations which made
me somewhat slow in accepting it. I'VE
have about seven tons Of dynamite in one
magazine and two tons of glycerin in an
other" said my would be host. These
were among the considerations which de
TERED me.
But" he added, there's no particular
danger in looking at the dynamite unless
the building catches fire. You can play
baseball with the cartridges, and they will
never strike back, or you can pour the
dynamite out on the ground and set fire
TO it without being injured. Unconfned
the explosive will burn harmlessly but
should not advise you to touch a match to
loaded cartridge When the gases ex.
pand they do 50 in extreme haste, and if
anything tries TO restrain them it breaks.
and some one gets hurt"
The nitroglyCerin man laughed rather
grimly Then, apparently thinking that
he had not made his invitation quite allur-
ing enough. he continued But it's diff
ferent with nitroglycerin. Baseball and
fireworks are strictly prohibited. Glycerin
is easily offended, and when it resents an
affront the world hears about it, but the
object Of its dispeasure never does.
"Glycerin is as tickle and changeable,
too, as the wind One day slight shock
will explode it, and the next you may hit
can with a hammer and live to tell the
story
The glycerin's readiness or reluctance
to explode doubtless depends upon its quail
ity One run of stock may be well washed
and clean, and another may be full of i'm
purities. II a can is filled to the very
corks, too so that the substance within
has no opportunity to wash against the
sides, do not think it will explode so cas-
lily as one which is three-quarters or seven.
eighths full
TONS OF DYNAMITE.
1 found the dynamite and nitroglycerin
factories at opposite ends of a picturesque
little valley, several miles from the town
Both structures were of very crude archi
lecture and resembled ordinary sheds OF
barns But from the moment we rode
down into the narrow gulch the air seemed
filled with whispers Of death
When we entered the dynamite factory
and the glycerin man pointed out the big
boxes full OF loaded cartridges, explaining
that the dynamite made here was merely
wood pulp saturated with uitroglycerin, /
hardly heard what he said. but watched
him with hawklike vigilance.
He picked up slender brown paper tube
that looked like a Roman candle, and
which be said was dynamite cartridge
held my breath until the tube was safely
deposited upon the table again He poured
some Of the dynamite, which closely re
sembled sawdu~t, into a she'll and rammed
IL down with round stick as one would
load musket.
Nothing Of an alarming character hap
pened and began TO breathe with more
regularity ! was more at ease as we left
the seven tons Of dynamite behind, but the
same horrible feeling Of sufocation and
GOODNESS came over me again as we ap
preached the more dangerous nitrogly
Germ mandatory
This building contained several huge
wooden watts, "A few pals and barrels, an en-
g1ne and great iron kettlelike re
ceptacle.
The iron receptacle was called an "agi
tator" and, simply described, consisted Of
a small kettle within a large one. The
space between the two was constantly filled
with a stream of cold water from tank
on the hillside. The inner kettle was fitted
with several paddles which were turned
by a crank
About l,5OO pounds Of acids, sulphuric
and nitric mixed we're poured into the
smaller kettle. A thin but continuous
stream Of glyceun slowly followed the
engine began TO pant, the crank revolved,
the paddles churned the glycerin and
acids and the manufacture Of nitroglyc-
erin was going on before my eyes.
MAKING THE DEADLY LIQUID.
My host controlled the flow Of glycerin
by means OF a stopcock, and watched the
agitator and the thermometer which reg
istered the heat Of the perilous mixture
with unremitting vigilance
"Nitroglycerin." my friend said, sis
formed by the action Of nitric and sui
phuric acids upon glycerin. When those
red fumes come up, the greatest caution
must be observed. They indicate that the /
oil Is on fire and II the mixture gets warm
enough an explosion will follow
"Do you see that thermometer The
mercury registered g. dogs centigrade a
minute ago, but il is 20 dogs. now and still
climbing higher We must stop this at
once Hallool More steam thereP'
tie shut off the oil as he spoke, and sec
ond later the paddles in the agitator were
began TO edge toward the door but the
glycerin man called me back
I've got IL under control now" he said
'"fhe paddles have whipped the oil under
the acids and extinguished the fire The
mercury Is falling, and can turn on the
OF. again now with safety But II had
not shut IL OF ~ once, and If the paddles
had not developed more speed, you and
would have enjoyed a foot race together
down the valley When the mercury gets
mp TO about 20 dogs centigrade it is much
safer TO be somewhere else than in It's viein
ity This stream Of cold water constantly
circulating about the base Of the agtator
Keeps the mixture cool When the weather |
becomes warmer we are Obliged TO use ice" |
After 225 or go pounds Of gycerin had |
been put IN the agitator and stirred a long |
time. the mixture WAS emptied into the /
81 rox.~n5ny tank Then IL WIS frs, ms farrad