The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-11-04

From the Chicago Tribune.
 T 2NEST REMAIN once said that with
 the advance of scientific knowledge A it some time might be possible for a group of learned anarchists, or madmen to subjugate the whole world. They would have in their hands the most terrible means of destruction, against which so- ciety would be powerless.
 That time has not come. but the re- suits of the recent terrorist outbreaks show that there has been great in- crease of skill on the part of bombmakers. Morales, who threw the bomb at young King Alfonso and his bride, was a pro found chemist He knew the nature of explosives and was able to make terri ble engine of destruction. That the King and Queen escaped was d wonder, for more than 100 persons were killed or mutilated by the explosion.
 The old style of percussion bombs, which are exploded by a blow or by being thrown against the ground or d hard wal now are not employed by anarchists who understand the science of chemistry EX- plosives are made of gun cotton, nitro- glycern, nitrates. chlorates, peroXides, and permanganates. The most formidable 
 are made of chlorates.
 Chlorate of potash and bran, the basis of sphaline, can be handled almost with out danger. It is set off by powder, either lthe green powder which is made of chlo- ,rate of potassium, picrlc acid and an- other product, or turpin powder in which there is an admiXture of pitch.
 Many of the modern Russian bombs are almost as dangerous to the makers as lto the princes against which they are lained This perhaps, is because the Rus sian makers are ignorant of chemistry ,or careless in the handling. At any rate the deaths due to accidental discharge lof bombs have been almost as numerous las the assassinEtions. In Warsaw recently Ian explosion in bomb factory created tfrghtful havoc. The room was so full of Imangled remains that the police were Ihnable to tell how many anarchists had been killed.
 Last summer two Russians in Paris who had made a bomb which they were lrot vet ready to use decided to take it ant and bury it. While they were carry ing if in the Bos de Nincennes IL eNplod- ed tearing them to pieces.
 The easiest bomb to make, aside from lnhe old percussion bomb, is set Ill oper- Istion merely by turning it upside down. twhep a bottle which contains acid IS l,nilled and mingles with the dry powder "a cause an explosion. An improvement mn this is to cork the bottle in such a manner that the acid must eat away the stopper before the liquid escapes. This gives the anarchist an opportunity to take 1o his heels before the explosion comes. Inf the bomb be incased in cement the eX- plosion becomes more terrific.
 AS an instance of the increased chem ical knowledge of the bombmakers 1t is necessary only to contrast the bombs that were made fifteen or twenty years ago with those made during the last year. During the terrorist reign in Paris. about twelve years ago. numerous bombs were exploded with only trifiing effect. Per baps a single room in large building would be wrecked. or a small section of the wall blown out But some Of the bombs exploded in Russia last summer were powerful enough 10 jar whole section of the city creating havoc for half block.
 The anarchists seem of late months to take A certain pride in thelr work. A mis- sile thrown at a Russian governor was found 70 be nickel plated. It did not ex- plode because he caught it in his hands. making as fine play as any first baseman in a big leage. Later on. however, the reyolutionists got him with another bomb, which he was unable to catch. They did not take the trouble to nckel-plate the second one
 So far as known among the almost in- numera ble explosives used by the anar- chists. none of them has tried liquid air, which. under favorable circumstances, is one of the most destructive agencies known to science. Liquid air may be set off by wireless telegraphy and the suggestion is made by scientist that 1t would be practically. impossible to dis cover the perpetrator of an outrage if a liquid air bomb were placed In conceal rnent beforehand, say in the darkness of the night and afterward discharged by wireless from some distant part of the city.
 Liquid acetylene also is a powerful ex-