Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-14
DANGER IN USING DYNAMITE.
Lack of knowledge Regarding It Has
Brought About Many Decisions.
on Transcript.


Many people have, of course only. q gen
eral or perhaps vague idea OF just what
dynamite really is; they view It as danger
Gus and as an explosive. some thing 10 be
given a wide berth. Yet on the authority
of an expert in these matters. a man of
this city who has manufactured dynamite
and who has travelled throughout the coun-
try from Maine to California to instruct
people in it's proper use and handling, dyna-
mite is not an explosive, but is rather
Getonator; a difference in degree only. yet
a wide difference in effects. An explosion
is caused by the generating or liberating of
gases from a solid. liquid or other gaseous
substance SO quickly that the gases formed
cannot be confined in the space of the orig
inal substance. a more or less slow process,
whereas decorators liberate their gases al
most instantaneously. The greater bulk
must find an outlet at once. and does not
have time to seek the place of least re-
sistance. but must find space Immediately.
A detonation is. in round numbers, 1000
times quicker than an explosion. A strong
conclusion and a spark in combination Will
cause 1t.
Dynamite is not quite the dangerous SUBJ
stance that most people suppose ii to De.
1t can be handled with impunity and even
recklessly If one knows just how this should
be done. and will not detonate except under
Certain Weli-QenneQ circumstances. Inc
marketable article in order to fit into drill
holes. is generally in the form OF sticks,
varying from half an inch to three inches
in diameter and in length from two and d
half to twelve inches. These sticks. are
formed by packing dynamite into oiled
paper cases of the required size. Only I'M
der certain conditions will dynamite act TO
the purpose for which it is made so under
ordinary circumstances it may be viewed
as safe to handle and cart about probably
as safely as coal oil or naphtha could be
carted.'
In the early days of it's manufacture be
fore its properties were we'll understood
and before perfection of combinations in its
manufacture had been reached. there were
some unaccountable explosions and queer
actions which gave dynamite bad name.
which ever since has chung to it. Knowl-
edge regarding 1t has not grown to be gen.
eral. however, with the passing of years.
Now and then one hears of children finding
pieces of dynamite sticks and playing with
them until some one rescues the children
from supposed great danger, which proba-
bly, really did not exist. for the children
would have difficulty in causing an ex-
plosion. Careless workmen, well accus-
toned to handling and knowing all about
its properties throw away pieces sometimes,
and these, of course, while not absolutely
dangerous as playthings for children or for
others to handle, may just as well be let
alone. 1t is one of the many things which
children should not employ in their play.
Now and then mysterious explosion -
laid to the use of dynamite, yet experts
know, when they see explanations regard
ing the affair, that the conditions were not
right for dynamite, and that undoubtedly
it was not present at ALL and was not the
agency causing the explosion. Usually 1t
is some less powerful agent that is used.
Again, some man prominent in the public
eye receives mysterious box by express or
otherwise that is thought to be an internal
machine The police are notified, and take
the machine and usually soak 1t well in
water before opening it. But if it is dyna-
mite, as it is usually reported to be, 1t will
detonate just readily, even though IL
may have been SOAKED in water for twenty
four hours or as many days, for that mat
ter Therefore, it is probable that these
machines dc not contain dynamite at ALL
Water will destroy matches or matchheads,
gunpowder and other substances but not
dynamite which to render ii harmless must
be soaked in some substance which viii
dissolve its ingredients.