The morning times., 1896-01-12

I
tine were packed In spaces left by the
construction In various parts of the safe
The result was that the plate was torn
completely Off the screws being sheared Off
at the points where they entered the
block.
] ONLY A FEW MINUTES REQUIRED.
| The experiment required for the entire
| operations, from the beginning of the
| charging of the explosives 10 the tearing
Off of the pia te. but fifteen minutes. The
firing took place In the underground pass
| age. f1'' ~
A person who was unaware that the
experiment was being made stood on the
ground above the passage, about twenty
feet from the specimen, when the final
charge was made. He heard the report, but
IL seemed so dull and muffled that he i'm
agined it was miles away.
From this, aud similar experiments
tried In the vaults of The Treasury, DR..
Mumrue reported that the laminated struc-
against the use Of high explosives. The
Corliss safe proved more trustworthy,
and was accordingly Recommended.
Another interest ing experiment took
place under Dr.. Munroe's direction last
summer at Pullman, III. A presumably
impregnable safe was blown open in ten
minutes time. DIR. Munroe knelt on the
/
Immediately, and The contents OF the safe
were exposed To yieW- The, charge did not
even jar window, did no injury to the
doctor, and Gen. Alger, AR. Pullman and
several workmen employed in the shops,
who witBessedthe explosion. could scarcely
realize the exact nome mt il occurred.
DR.. Monroe is man OF wonderful mag
netic personality. Here In Washington,
where he has been some time dean or the
Graduate and .Corcoran Scientific Schools
OF the Columbian University, he counts his
friends by the hundreds.
DIR. MUNROE's BIOGRAPHY.
He is a native OF Cambridge. Mass, and
was born May "a, 1919. In June, 1870,
he graduated with high hOnors from the
Lawrence Scientific School of Harvard.
His thesis on this occasion was a filter |
made OF pOrous porcelain biscuit, which |
was subsequently, embodied in the Pasteur |
and other filters now used go extensively |
'Or domestic purposes. For twelve years |
le was professor OF chemistry at the Naval |
cademy, Annapolis. AFTER this period he
was placed in charge of the United States |
IavaI Torpedo and War College. at New
,ort, L. l., where be remained instructor
" Officers Tor six years.
DR.. Munroe's greatest achievement was
is invention or snokeless powder, first
ested by him at the torpedo station. Presi-
ent Harrison in his last message to Con-
ress, commended this great discovery. |
lie IS the author OF many scientific works,
yhich have been translated into every
uropean language, and which have estab-
shed his reputation as one of the best au-
lorities on the subject OF high ex plosives
ow living. In appearance DR.. Monroe is
ledium sized ana slight. with perfectly
Thite hair. He has the calm face OF Il STU
ent, and the courtly, gentle manners OF
le polished Bostonian- He has counted
le most distinguished men of our century
5 his friends, teachers. and students.
mong these are Oliver Wendell Holmes, |
enry ". Longfeilow, John q. Whittier,
sa Gray, the eminent botanist; Josiah |
Couke. the mineraIogist; Louis Agassiz,
'olcott Gibbs and hosts of other equally ia
Gus names.