The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1896-07-11
Tho Handling Of Dynamite.

knows what he is talking about are In
tended for those miners who handle dyna
mite like . stick Of wood. Those VII
stick piece Of the stun down thei
bootlegs or inside of their shirt front
might also he interested:
Powder should he stored In q dry, COO
And we'll ventilated magazine built fo
thst purpose. A brick or stone maaaxiz'
u preferable to frame, both on accoun
OF being affected less by sudden changes
in temperature and freed from any danger
of bullets BY careless marksmen. Wher
built Of wood tho frame or studdins
should be covered inside and out viii
boards, and 30 set that the air can circu
late all around, and the inner boards b
but little affected BY the heat of the sun
Caps should not be stored with powder
Regarding the age of powder-wheu
powder has had proper care in manufac.
ture and storage, decomposition will moi
Get in. If there is no decomposition
there is no chemical change, and unde,
these circumstances powder ten years old
or older is just as good aud safe to handle
as powder ten days old.
One of the main sources of accident i.
from thawing powder, and the only safe
plan is the use of heat from hot water
The powder should not be dipped in hot
water but placed in a water-tight vessel
set in hot water, or regular powder
warmer should be made. These vessels
Can be obtained from any of the mechani-
cal firms or from the powder companies,
at nominal cost. Do not place powder
under or on stove, or in the oven. Do
not lay on boiler wall or on q back
plate of boiler. Do not heat around q
blacksmith forge, or over burning can.
die. Do not lay on hot sand, or in short
do not thaw powder with dry heat. DO
not consider these precautions not neces.
sary, or reason that because you have
done so many times there is no danger.
An explosion is usually fatal, and num-
berless escapes in no manner reduce the
explosive force.
Powder freezes At from 40 deg. to A
deg. F., explodes, when confined, at from
$50 deg. to 800 deg. F. From a quick
application of dry heat, powder is liable
to explode at 100 deg. F. A stick of
powder heated to 100 deg. F. can be held
In the hand with little inconvenience, and
this degree of heat is soon reached when
placed under or above stove.
That frozen dynamite is liable to ex.
plode from heat quickly applied has been
demonstrated many times, and to ienor.
ance, nom appreciation or carelessness of
this fact, most accidents are due. If you
have heated powder about stove for
years without harm, consider yourself
fortunate and stop it. If the warning of
those who make the powder has no effect,
let the accidents constantly occurring
from this cause convince you. If you
cannot procure powder warmer, take q
ID. lard bucket. fill it with powder, and
set in warm water. If you have no
warm water put some sharp rocks in the
bottom Of larger vessel to keep smaller
vessel off the bottom, surround the inner
vessel with water and set two lighted
"snuffs" about an inch long under the big
can, throw an ore sack over the whole.
and in q short time the powder is in good
condition for use and no risk incurred.
With slow heat thus applied dynamite
may be heated to temperature of boil
ing with safety. Do not use frozen pow
der to load hole. 1t is unfit for use. If
it explodes at all it will do poor work. If
it does not seemingly burn or explode it
may be smouldering or decomposing, and
the dropping in of spoon or drill OF
the stroke of q pick or hammer may be
sufficient to explode what is left.
Constant care IN preparing charge and
loading will avoid "missed holes" Next
to warming powder with quick, dry heat,
picking out shot" is the cause of the
Most fatal accidents. If hole "misses, ~
do not be in hurry TO return, and es
pecially if the hole was tamped close.
More accidents are caused from supposed
missed holes than from actual. A small,
sharp rock may be tamped into a piece
OF fuse, so that the fire will not pass that
point for hours; this Is often mistaken
for "missed hole" The hole Is picked
out, this particular rock removed, and m
explosion follows. To fully demonstrate
this, put some V-shaped clamps on 81
piece OF fuse and see how long it will
take to burn by certain points. Long after
the fuse is supposed to be out, loosen the
clamps and see how quickly It will "spit"
at the other end. Some holes do miss fire |
and have to be picked out. In these,
great care should be exercised to clean
down not nearer than five inches from
cap, then reload with another charge,
and, instead of using small piece of
powder, use plenty. A heavy charge on
top may destroy the effectiveness of the
lower charge, but it will explode It and
get rid Of bad job. If the 'collar" of
The hole IL aimnlv' hlovn n3 and N.