The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1898-05-08
EXPLOSIVES USED
IN THE WAR
There Are a Great Many, Each With
Special PurpOse--Manu-
1acturc of GUnCOttOn.

The various powerful explosives that
are used in modern warfare i'll subma-
rine mines and in the high-power guns
are quite numerous and while some are
more powerful than others, each has
been found suited to some special pur-
pose.
For instance guncottOn, or nitro-ccllu
lose, which has relative intensity OF
action per unit of weight Of 100, has
been known number OF years and is
particularly suited to submarine work,
although it is not by any means the
most powerful explosive used for that
purpose. 1t was discovered by the ceIc-
brated German chemist Professor
Schonbein, who made explosives his life
study.
One Of the CHIEF advantages of gun
cotton is the great safety with which it
can he manipulated in a wet state, and
although it can be used as an explosive
in that condition, it is not liable to be
exploded by sympathetic explosion when
ncghboring charges are fired.
When wet it is like wood and can be
sawn and cut into any desired shape
The United States Government has
made very extensive experiments with
this explosive at WiIIct's Point, and il
has been adopted by the navy.
Many other nations particularly Ans
tria and Great Britain, have slso spent
vast sums OF money in experimenting
with this substance
Dynamite, which has composition of
- per cent. OF n:tro.gIyccline and - per
,f l,p j.. al ,i,,i
as guucotton. 1t is manufactured en-
tensively by private concerns in both
Europe and America and is sold at Il
comparatively low price, this being one
OF its principal advantages. 1t is power
ful, easily detonatcd, and only loses 6
per cent. Of its power when water
soaked.
1t is comparatively safe when handled
with reasonable care and when used in a
granulated state. 1t is not, however, as
powerful as blasting gclatine or forcite
geIatine, but it has no i'll effects on the
men who make it and does not produce
nitro-g lycerinc headache.
Duxlin is composed OF 50 per cent.
nitro-glycerine and 20 per cent. nitro
cellulose, and is more powerful than
either guncotton or dynamite, having Il
relative intensity Of III. Despite its
great power it is not well suited to sub
marine work, because it is dangerous
when frozen and loses half its normal
strength when saturated with water.
Rendrock, or litEofractelr, is less
powerful ex Explosive, used largely for
powerful blasting charges. 1t is com
posed of 10 per cent. OF nitro-glycerine
and 40 per cent. sodium or potassium
nitrate, Is per cent. OF cellulOse and Z
per cent. paratline. Its relative power is
given as o.
Giant powder is well known, and has
composition of 3G per cent. of nitro
glycerine, 45 per cent. sodium or potas-
SUM nitrate, $ per cent. of sui phur and
] per cent charcoal. 1t only has an in
tensity OF So.
Vulcan powder has practically the
sanecomposition and strength as giant
powder, except that the percentage Of
charcoal is somewhat larger, being in
this instance about 10 per cent
Mica powder is another form of nitro
glyccrlne explosive, containing 80 per
cent. Of that substance and IS per cent.
of powdered mica. Its strength is also
about So.
Ntro-g ycerine in pure state has
strength OF 81, but it is rather too quick
in action for some purposes, it being de-
slrable that Il minute interval of time
should elapse after the firing before the
full strength is developed.
llercu les powder has greater strength
than either guncotton or dynamite
being rated at LOG. Its composition is II
per cent. nitro-glyccrine, 20 per cent
magnesium carbonate, 2 per cent. cellu-
lose and per cent. sodium nitrate. The