St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-29
NihilistS Have Produced a
Perfectly Satisfactory In
fernal Machine.
When Charged 1t Can Be Car
ried in the Breast Pocket
Of a Coat.
It Will Explode Without the
Help OF Clockwork or a
Lighted Match.
Instead Of Dynamite a Secret
Explosive Of High Power
Is Used.

New YORK, Aug. 2S.-A morning pa
per says: After years of labor the Rus
sian nihilists have at last succeeded in
inyenting a perfectly satisfactory in
fernal machine. The machine was fin
ished in London few days ago, and a
report which has reached this country
says that those who examined it pro-
nounce it as perfect death-dealing in
strument as could be devised.
The machine is 16 centimentreS in
height and in width. 1t is rectangular
in shape, portable, and looks somewhat
like a small book. Even when charged
it can be carried with the utmust safety
in the breast pocket of coat, and none
but the initiated would ever imagine
that it was anything bnt bulky purse.
When the time for action comes the
nihiiiSt can take it out of his pocket
place it where the explosion is to occur
and then calmly walk off to a place of
safety. At the appointed moment the
machine will explode without the aid Of
clockwork Or even lighted match.
Instead of dynamite secret explosive
is used, and with this the bottom of the
machine is filled. Over the explosive is
placed Il detonator, which consists of a
chemical product. and is set OH fire. by
coming i'll contact with drop of
Some Secret Liquid.
A glass ball holds this liquid, and
when an explosion is desired all that is
necessary is to let it trickle drop by
drop through tube, at the lower eX
tremity of which is the small chemical
mass resting on the explosive.
Whap tho nonhipn ic fnrbpd y,ncida
down so that the glass ball is at the boz
tom no explosion can take place. but
when the machine is held UPRIGHT so the
liquid can trickle down to the detonator,
an explosion is bound to follow.
In the eyes of revoIutionists the merit
OF this machine lies in the fact that it
can be operated without danger to the
operator. Moreover, it is always ready,
and can be regulated to moment.
Heretofore clockwork or lighted match
was necessary to produce all explosion,
and the result was that once set going
the machine could not be stopped. This
new machine, however, can be stopped
at any moment before the explosion
takes place.
After placing it in position the opera
tor may decide to postpone the shake
up for a while, and then all that will be
necessary for him to do will be to turn
the internal device upside down and
put it back in his pocket. He will
Run Absolutely No Risk
in handling the machine, for by means
of the five plugs of blotting paper in the
glass tube he can determine the very
moment at which the explosion is to
take place. If he allows the liquid to
trickle very quickly he may confidently
expect an explosion in five minutes,
whereas, if he uses the five plugs of
plotting paper he may reckon a full
hour for flight before the liquid touches
the detOnateE
Nihilists consider the invention of this
machine almost as important as the in
vention of dynamite, and are very
anxious to learn what steps the
authorities will take to guard them
selves from it. When dynamite bombs
came into use among anarchists the au
thoritieS in France and other countries
placed many restrictions OH the sale of
dynamite, and it is assumed i'll revOlu
tionary circles that they will pursue the
same policy now, and, by restricting
the sale of dangerous chemicals and eX
plOsiveS, render it difficult, though
hardly impossible for their implacable
enemies TO do much harm with this new
instrument of destructlom: What will
make their task especially difficult is
the fact that they do not know what
kind of explosive and liquid is used in
in the new machine, and nihiliStS are
determined that they shall not be en-
lightened on this point,