Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-07-15

The Effect OF Dynamite Explosions.
Henri de Parvilie In lie corrcspondantl
At this time Of explosions much atten-
ton is bestowed on the question whether
the nature of an explosion can be deter
mined by the appearance of the objects or
the victims The solution is not difficult
Dynamite burns completely and leaves no
trace. Powder, on the contrary, and poor
powder especially, covers all objects with
the authors of these attempts follow the
directions of the Manual of the Perfect
Anarchist with the dynamite they mix
powder and ssbastine, which contains coal
reduced to dust. There is no reason tor
astonishment that persons present at an
explosion are blackened with powder
The explosive employed is dynamite and
sebastine-sebsstine simplifed. The true
sebsstine, that which was patented by the
Swede Beckmsn in 1872. is a complex COM
position. 1t is composed of nitro-glycs-
rine, nitro-cellulose, coal reduced to pow
der, nitrate of potash, bicarbonate of soda.
peroxide of lead and parafin. The an
archists, in order to simplify the COM
pound, dispense with the bicarbonate of
soda and the peroxide of lead; they mix
together the nitrate and the coal, and pour
on the mixture drop by drop, and with
great caution the nitro -glycsrine. Even
this caution does not remove the danger
of the mixture exploding while in course
of preparation.
The physiological effects of the explo-
sions are very well established. 1 do not
speak of wounds; those may be, alas! very
I II Ill Il .-.,1.
| shock on the organism. Persons near the
point of explosion may be singularly af-
fected. They often become deaf for seye-
| raj day; and without the body showing
| any lesion, the nervous system is so sbak-
| en- that there results a sort of stupefac-
tion, general debility, lasting for longer
| or shorter time. An example of this kind
appeared as a consequence of the catas-
| trophe at the Very restaurant. This is q
fact, however, previously well known and
| studied by neuro-pathologists. English
| physicians have observed these nervous
troubles, especially after railway accidents,
and have named the malady railway
| spine" These troubles h we been known
to last for several months. The subject
has been, as it were, taken possession OF
| by this nervous shock; he does not speak,
he is without consciousness; he is like one
| hypnotized. Strong vibrations act on GER
tain very nervous subjects by provoking
crises, and even lethargy. Vibrations
produced by explosions have such violence
that the hold they take on the nervous
system of persons predisposed thereto can
be easily explained.
| DIR. Paul Regnard has recently studied
this kind of trouble in animals. He has
subjected fish to explosions of Dynamite
at distance. Water transmits vibrations
more energetically than air. Naturally
this results are intensified. DIR. Regnard
exploded cartridges containing one and
| one-tenth ounce of dynamite in q stagnani
pool filed with fish. Instantly after the
mass of water raised in the air had fallen
he saw all the animals living in the pool
| fish, frogs, tadpolss-lying on the surface
| of the water, belly upwards, immovabls
and appearing to be dead. Yet they were
not dead at all, for the touch of a hand.
net, delicstely handled, suficed to awake
them from their torpor and caused them
to make their escape nimbly. These ami.
mails showed no lesion; they were simply
stunned by the vibration of the explosion.
Moreover DIR. Regnsrd was informed by G
poaching fisherman accustomed to use dy-
Mantle that the explosion killed those fish
only which were directly within its field
| of aLtion. The fish at q distance come tc
the surface, but they recover 90 quickly
from the shock that IL Is necessary to bs
very spry If you want TO catch them. Ir
explosions of fire-dsmp the same facts an
observed. The vibration acts at q greai
distance. Workmen are found extended
on the ground unconscious; their hearts
beat; they show no external injury. Some
times these stunned miners are discovered
in places in the galleries where no materi
al destruction is observed. They hav,
simply undergone nervous shock. Al
these phenomena are of the same kind
and their gravity is only apparent, moi
| real.