The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-03-28
TWO KINDS OF EXPLOSIVES
GUNPoWDEE THE BEST KNOWN OFF
Tow EXPLOSIVES.

Nitro-Glycerfne's Use-It Ia the Most
Powerful of the High ExpiosIves-Gun
Cotton Extensively Employed in the
Navy-Terrible Compounds.
There are two kinds of explosives
low and high. Lieutenant Edward
Simpson, u. S. N, who is an authority,
writes that the term explosive is one
applied to those substances, solid or
liquid which upon the application of
heat or shock are converted either by
combustion or decomposition into gases
having many times the volume of the
original substance. A low explosive,
like gunpowder, is one which can be
exploded by ignition. Further, the rate
of this combustion can be regulated by
mechanical treatment Thus, black
gunpowder goes off quickly, like a
flash, whereas brown gunpowder burns
as slowly as punk. Gunpowder is a
mechanical mixture, as are all low ex-
plosives; but high explosives, with
which this article has to deal, are
chemical compounds.
Gunpowder is the best known repre-
sentative of the former, nitro glycerine
of the latter. High explosives are used
where SCATTERING ana rending effects
are to be produced, and they can only
be made to explode by what is called
detonation-that is, by so suddenly
shocking or heating the surrounding
high explosive that the mass is instant
ly chemically changed into gases many
times greater than the original volume
of the explosive, and this gas in its eff
forts to escape rips, tears. destroys,
annihilates, anything and everything
around or about it. The havoc it can
work is terrific and is irresistible.
A great many kinds Of high explo-
sives have been compounded; in all
those used for commercial purposes
nitro-glycerine furnished the active
principal. Nitro glycerne is formed
by the action of concentrated nitric
acid upon glycerine. 1t is a colorless,
| oily liquid, having a pungent aromatic
taste. 1t produces a violent, Temporal
ry headache If taken into the human
! system, either by placing a drop on the
tongue or on the skin, but when per
sons habitually handle it they lose
their Susceptibility to this action.
AT a temperature of 40 degrees Fab
renheit, nitro-glycerine freezes to a
white crystalline mass, and it is usu-
\ ally kept in this condition until ready
to be used; it can thus be transported
easily and safely. In it's liquid form it
it dangerous to handle in any way. To
bring it from it's frozen state into Id
/ uid form, the cans containing it are,
placed In hot water Of a temnerature
I Of 100 degrees. The point of firing is
1856 degrees.
Nitro lycerine Is the most powerful
explosive agent in use; it can be fired
4 by fuse charged with illuminate Of
mercury. However, nitro-glycerine in
its pure state is rarely used for explo-
4 sive purposes, principally because of
its dangerous nature. Three essentials
are required in a high explosive
strength or disruptive power, safety in
4 handling and keeping qualities-and in
q their efforts to secure these many sci
entists have brought out different ex-
n plosives.
u familiar to people; it has become to a
great extent generic, and means a high
d explosive with consideration of the in
4 gradients of which the compound may
u be manufactured. Dynamite the gen
v uine article to which the name was
a first given and by which in the army
4 and navy it is still called is prepara-
h tion made by mixing nitro-glycerine
Gil orth OH
4 kieselguhr, or rotten stone from which
" the water and other organic sub
N stances have been driven out The
n proportion Of the mixture is rs per cent.
Of nitro-glycerine and Is Of rotten
& stone. The resulting compound is soft,
/; of a pale brown color, in general ap-
4 pearance and consistency not unlike
idamp brown sugar.
Il The rotten stone in dynamite proper
II lis replaced in other high explosives by
some other substance which inventors
II claim adds certain specific qualities to
III the resultant This absorbent is called
a dope. 1t is this employment of this
Ill dope that renders dynamite safer to
III handle and less. liable to explosion from
III a shock than is the case with pure nit
n ro-glycerine. Dynamite freezes at 40
$# QGST6GS. IL is Always IFOIGIi IOE JTel0S-
III portation; it explodes at 800 degrees.
ITO thaw it is dangerous unless done
"a with the greatest care. Ninety-fve
HI per cent. of the accidents in mines due
II to explosions of dynamite have been
lowing to the carelessness of thawing.
Fl In blasting, dynamite is very extern
sssively used though generally it goes
4sunder the name of powder. For SUBJ
8amarine Mines planted in channel, to
sobstruct the fairway, dynamite is ex-
8Htensively used. 1t is put up in copper
5fspheres or cylinders, which are anchor
a8ed so as to float ten or twelve feet be-
1llow the surface, or still lower to these
lare connected electric fuses, operated
i:sby an electric circuit from the Shore
sPressing a key will cause the fuse to
aldetonate the dynamite, and the explo-
Slsion follows.
81 Gun cotton, however, is more extern
ISEsively used for military purposes than
iAany other form of high explosive It
sis produced by the action of concen-
Htrated nitric acid on cotton or cellulose.
AAfter compression the white cakes re-
+ sulting look very much like ordinary
shard- pressed cotton, white and hard