The morning call., 1893-09-26
EXPERTS ON EXPLOSIVES.

Julian Sonntag, agent of the Giant
Powder Company Consolidated. expressed
some very decided opinions yesterday as
to the explosion.
He said ne thought there could be no
doubt, from the position and aspect of the
hole in the sidewalk beneath Curtin's
house, that the explosive used was dyna-
mite or giant powder. The popularity of
that explosive was ma infested in the
effects. Giant powder explodeS vertically.
or in popular parlance, "up and down."
Hence the hole in the sidewalk and the
shaItering of the front of the house be-
meath which the fatal parcel was placed.
Black powder expands laterally on explO-
sion.
AS 10 the means used, that, said Mr..
Sonntag, must be for the present a matter
of conjecture. The usual method of ex-
plOding a giant powder cartridge was TO
Insert into its end Illuminating cap and
into that the end of a fuse, which was
thereupOn lighted. The force OF the eX-
pl0siOn depended upon two circumstances
the con finement Of the cartridge and the
size of the cap.
In this case as much as ten pounds of
giant powder in sticks might have been
used. The sticks might possibly have
been placed in bundle and bound about
with wire or other confiniug agent. the
and the loose ends plated together, leay-
ing a single end for ignition.
This Internal machine might then have
been dropped into valise. lighted at some
convenient point and dropped at will.
The fuse. said Mr. SODntag, will burn
under water. so that there would be no
fear of its suffering inside the valise for
want of air. Fifty feet of il take seven
Teen minutes to consume, and as IL comes
in small'colls OF fifty fee; each il would be
comparatively easy for the manipulation to
gauge the length required TO enable him to
seek place OF safety.
One danger which all manipulators have
to run is that OF the fuse 'Spluttering" A
badly made fuse sometimes splutteTs or
casts out sparks which may possibly
ignite the coil higher up or explode the cap
prematurely. In that case the manipu-
lator would De apt 10 be hoisted with his
own petaTd.
An important point illustrated by Mr..
Sonntag was the fact that the ordinary
fnse when consuming produces a dense
white smoke and acrid odor. He thought
1t likely that any one approaching the fatal
valise as closely as John Curtin Jr. is said
10 have done could not fail to have noticed
these necessary effects.
MI. SOnntag explained that individuals
were not able under the law to secure
sticks or even a small quantity Of dyna-
mite. II was sold in large quantities, how
tNrIs ~ GODli dClOlcs WIN uoCu ~ III
ing roads and railroads, quarrying stone,
coal and other minerals. 1t was of course
possible for some miner or emplOye of a
contractor to surreptitiously secrete the
sticks or cartridges and afterward manu-
1acture his Internal arrangement at will.
Another theory in circulation that some
more complicated method than The ordinary
fuse had Deeu employed to effect the eX-
plOson OF the giant powder cartridges led
to visit to the Electrical Construction
and Maintenance Company, which has its
Offices on Market street.
There the courteous manager explained
the peculiar kind of insulated fuse used
when it was designed to explode a charge
by a long distance battery.
1t consists of several fine wires of copper
enclosed IN some Insulating materia. and
terminating in a Illuminating cap which is
inserted in the cartridge. The other ex-
tremity of the insulated fuse is attached TO
copper wire of any desired len 9Th
which is carried to the magnetic blaster"
or lighting dynamo"
This "blaster" is little box-like machine
about 12x6x6 inches, from the top OF which
two screws and large handle prOtrude.
The wire is attached to one of the screws
ara a grouDd-l line to the other.
The large handle is then drawn ND 10
its full extent, and when it is desired to
explode the charge all that Is necessary is
to thrust the handle down as far as posi-
bic. The dynamite cartridge would be at
once exploded.
Very few of these machines are used in
this city, The last Of which the electrical
company is cngniZant having been en-
ployed by the contractor grading the west
ern limits of Ellis street. BY its means
an explosion could he caused at any de-
sired time. and it was not necessary to
clear the street first. When the contractor
found the street clear he gave the signal
and the explosion was instantaneous.
at the same time this method necessi-
tated long, trailing wire. and the mana
ger thought that circums tances would be
against its use by the miscreants who
committed the outrage on Sunday morn
ing last.