The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-15

candles ten inches long and an inch in
diameter. FOR some work the sticks are
made five times as large but an order
for that size is uncommon. The stock
house where the absorhents are prepared
looks very much like the interior of a grist
mill; You see hundreds of canvas bags
filled with nitrate of soda that resent les
common salt bins filled with wood pillD
ground as fine as bolted meal. sacks Of
kieseguhr, light absorbent that comes
from Germany. and is made out of sea
shells that have been burned in a kiln like
lime. and bushels of peat moss that comes
from southern sWamps The nitrate of
soda is run through large coffee mill and
ground up fine. The keselguhr and peat
moss are run through a boiler and come
out as fine as bolted flour. From the stock
house the absorbents are run on a lit-
tie tram car to the mixing house
The mixing house has many windows,
and IS heated by steam. On the door YOU
Will fnd half dozen signs telling you 10
look out and keep out, that no one except
employees is admitted, and that no matches
are allowed in the building In the center
OF the floor are several square wooden
poXes three feet in size Each box will
hold 500 pounds of dynamite The dynamite
varies In strength according to the amount
OF nitro-glycerine used, which is from
10 10 ~ per cent. The usual mixture for
general use is so per cent. of nitro-glycer-
me. The absorbents are dumped into the
DoX and stirred up thoroughly. Then the
foreman takes a can of nitro-g lycerine
that has been brought from the magazine
and pourS it out evenly over the absorb
ents. a wooden shovel and a wooden rake
are used to mix, and when the mixing has
been thoroughly done the compound, now
the color of putty and very damp, is shov-
eled INTO hods with wooden scoop. The
hods are paced on a bench in front Of the
nllers, who force the mixture through a
tunnel into paper cartridges that
nave been thoroughly soaked in para
tine and made waterproof The stuff
Is rammed in tightly with a wooden
punch, and the cartridges are then placed
IN ooxes that hold fifty pounds each,
cLhlnked in tightly with sawdust. Then
Lhey are ready for shipment There is
really little danger to be feared from dy-
namlte, The railroads receive it after the
boxes have been labelled Dangerous
Explosives and move 1t across the coun-
try at double first-class rates. and the
shipper must take his chances on an ex-
ploslon. Dynamite is exploded by a full
inmate cap and fuse. In railroad work
as high as 10000 pounds have been fred
at one charge 1t acts much slower than
nitro-glycerine, and is much preferred for
tunnel work and in coal mine blasting.
Hundreds of millions of pounds are used
every year, and there are factories for it's
manufacture in nearly every part of the
world. TWO men can make 700 pounds
day, and the price ranges from II to Is
cents pound. The paper cartridges are
made by girls, ten Of whom work in a lit
tie building near the foot of the hill out
OF harm s way. Every fall and spring he
newspapers tell of farmers who thaW out
dynamite cartridges on the kitchen stove
with the usual result: The farmer and
his family are blown through the side Of
the mouse and Killed Sometimes dyna-
mite will burn and not explode but ii is
not safe to make the experiment
The present mixing house al the Rock
glycerine factory was blown up curious
~ two years ago. only one employee was
in the building. He shook a match head
out Of his pocket and IL fell on the floor
lie accidentally stepped on 1t and it blaz-
ed. In moment the blaze followed the
trial of dust and powder that always set
ties on the floor Snap, snap II went, and
the employe ran, as all dynamite ems
ployes do. and was lucky enough to reach
a safe place whenthe explosion took place.
There were only 800 podnds of dynamite
building, but the largest splinter to he
found was not longer than lead pencil
1t is not often that an employe is so
lucky as that. Usually there Is no one
left TO tell the cause of the explosion