El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-07-02
ABOUT HIGH EXPLOSIVES.
Some Interesting Facts CONCERNING
Dynamite and Gun Cotton,

At the pre- sent time, when the con
| alteration of effective war engine,
brings 80 prominently before the woriG
the dynamite gun. OF which SO mnct
ia expected by the officers of the Vesu
vius and Nictheroy, the two dynamite
cruisers of the United States navy, i,
mig ht not be amiss to consider the gen.
eral subject of dynamite and other high
explosives and tell something OF their
appearence and proportions. Taking
| E rst the best known, let US consider
the properties of dynamite.
| Dynamite, or giant powder. the in.
, vention of Alfred Nobel of Sweden,
says the Philadelphia Times, can be
made into cakes, or it may be con-
, verted into sticky paste called tex
plosive gum" or enveloped in cases of
paper, pasteboard or metal to form
Cartridges. 1t is q desiccated mixture
of three liquid ineredients-nitric acid,
sulphuric acid and gylcerin-combined
with sawdust or some similar sub
stance, the compound constituting a
mass resembling damp graham flour or
pale cocoa. To some it appears like
coarse brown sugar. Explosive gum
is of pure nitroglycerin and gun cot
ton more highly charged with nitrate.
The pulverized form prevents the
transmission of ordinary shocks except
under pressure in a confined space.
The pressure of the inert mineral con-
stituents serves likewise to absorb heat,
and consequently high temperature
cannot be readily impaired to the
whole, but when impaired this temper
AZURE effects great expansion of the
gases and increased effectiveness of ex-
plosion.
Ignited in the open air, dynamite
burns quietly with nitrous fumes. Ex-
bloded, usually by means of q fulmin-
ating fuse or cap, it gives off carbonic
acid, nitrogen and hydrogen, with lit
tie or no smoke, leaving only white
ash. Under favorable conditions the
effectiveness of dynamite is always at
least equal and frequently superior to
that of nttroglycerin, for the latter is
liable to scatter unexploded drops by
reason of the maxium rapidity of its
ignition.
Dynamite is now recognized as the
safest of all high explosives. It is not
affected by prolonged temperature
OF 100 degrees centigrade, nor is it as
danger as nitroglycerin when it
solidfies at degrees centigrade.
Neither light electricity nor ordinary
shocks, contrary to the popular falls-
cy, cause it to decOmbose or explode.
The principal dangers CONNECTED with
its use are those arising from the strong
Illuminating powders used in the per-
cussion fuses to explode it. It is also
possible that 1t dynamite is carelessly
made it may contain an excess of nitro
glycerin, which overcoming the capil-
larly force of the mineral PARTICLES, may
collect in drops and settle from the
mass, becoming q source of serious ac-
cidents. Moreover, it may be that
freezing or thawing after freezing has
q tendency to segregate the oil.
In the pine woods of southern New
Jersey, far from any human habita-
tion, there are several dynamite fac
tories. which are harmless looking
structers, as they are scattered franz
ed buildings, generally one story high
and remote from one another. In Eu-
rope there are many notable factories
In France and other countries, but the