The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1903-02-19
LIABLE TO EXPLODE.
HARMLESS HOUSEHOLD GOODS T4AT
ARE REALLY DANGEROUS

wicked Combination. and Iungr
Dust and Dry Air D. Trnmght ttIfh
Danrer--O6dities Of Gunrotton.
At the premises or an English com.
pauy there occurred some time ago 20
disastrous Ore which completely 2ulici
IN enormous building aud caused losses
aggrceauug 10000. The Gre was at.
tributed 10 an explosion OF malt
Any Gne innammable dust when
mixed with certain proportion of dry
air viii explode There was a previous
similar accident in New York candy
mandatory. a terrific explosion
which wrecked the entire building was
discovered 10 be- due to the fact that
particles OF fine icing sugar had been
allowed 10 invade the room where the
furnaces were
An eminent authority on explosives
declares Tint many of those accidents
in coal mines usually attributed 10 Gre
damp have been caused by dry cOal
dust suspended in the galleries having
been accidentally fred Even so appar
emily as innocent a substance as lour
becomes fearfully explosive when
mixed ln suitable proportions with dry
air
Another substance that has proved 10
be extremely dangerous when stored ln
large quantities IS chloratc Of potash
A disaster some years ago Ia big Lon
don fncioy proved the destructive
powers of this simple remedy for colds
Sugar aud chiOrate ~ potash mixed
form an explosive which has been tried
FOR blasting purposes, but 80 dangerous
compound Is II that any explosive
containing these ingredients Is not like.
ly to pass the government tests In this
country.
A good many years ago 1t was dis
covered that cellnlose soaked In strong
nitric acid changed from substance
40 more harmful than paper 90 fierce
explosive. The number Of materials on
which nitric acid will work a similar
Transformation Is almost endless.
Wood, paper, straw. coal. peat pitch,
starch, sugar tea tan, phosphorus, iron.
zinc copper and magnesium are only n
few that could be named
Qne OF the best known aud most ter.
rible Of these mixtures ~ nitroglycerln,
which Is simply nitric acid and com
mon glyccrin mixed together and al
lowed TO fall into a stream OF water
Dynamite IL nothing more than nitro
giyccrin absorbed by some spongy sub
stance. Alum. asbestus. plaster OF par.
IN. sawdust bran, meal, even dried aud
pounded potatoes, have been employed
for this purpose, but the substance
most commonly employed IL what is
known ns "klesel guhr." or spongy
earth. This Is the kind OF clay formed
OF minute fossil shells. great beds Of
which are found In Germany aud 9th
CO parts OF the world
Guncotton. which was FIRST made In
1S49. IL the form OF nitro compound
usually employed in war. II Is manu-
facturcd from ordinary cotton waste
treated with n mixture OF nitric and
sulphurlc acids.
There ~ one very curious point about
guncottOn II cannot he made from
raw cotton In the bale; waste cotton Is
necessary for its manufacture. II seems
as II the bleaching to which manufac-
turcd cotton has been subjected has
something 10 do with ntting the waste
for becoming explosive material. Oily
waste Is, however, completely useless
for making guncotton, aud if even a
little Is carclcssly used whole batch
OF the manufactured product may be
spoiled.
Guucotton Is so extraordinarily sud.
den IN It's action that small quantity
has been exploded In contact with
heap Of gunpowdcr ana has failed 10
set fire To IT,
The great advantage which guncot.
ton possesses over all other explosives
IL that damp does not injure II. In
fact wet guncottou cXplodes with Just
~ great violence ns dry, but Is OF
course much harder 10 fire. Conse
qucntly II is one Of the safest eNplo-
sivcs to carry, as Il can be thoroughly
wcttcd before packing and kept wet
during transport. For mining purposes
or for use In war guncotton Is usually
compressed into hard cakes.
The corditc which Is now used In
British military rides Is a rather more
compound substance. being composed
OF thrty-seycn parts OF guncottou
mixed with fifty-cight of nitroglyccrin
aud i've parts OF mineral Jelly. II IL
formed into little cords each three
cighths Of an inch in diameter, These
arc made up into little fagots which
are placed in the cartridges.
What seems very odd substance
from which 20 make an explosive is
gutta percha, But by the action OF nj
tric acid Il can be turned Into a formi
dable detouator,
Each country has It's pet powder. The
United States uses pcrate OF ammonia;
the French have beautiful, semi
transparent, chestnut cOlored powder
made Of the nItrutes OF potassium and
bnrium. BESIDES these there are dozens
OF explosives with fancy names such
as ballistite, cannonitc, rineitc, randite,
plastOmcnitc These vary In size and
shape of grain. color aud power, but