The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-31
>: Progress in Explosives ::

=, SHokeiess powder. which is used in
the American army 4 navy gunnery
WIN 'eiilnS effect, T. fectly Innocent
and harmless except ipr certain con-
ditions. ~ stick OF ~ can be held In
INC hand when lit and it will burn
Slowly without AN explosion. AT the
| Indian Head naval proving ground.
near Washington, where smokeless
powder is made by the government and
stored In large quantities., there IL !.
/ workman WHO daily smokes pipe
whose stem is made OF smokclcss
powder. y former chief OF tho Bureau
of Ordnance of tho Navy Department.
used to carry n cane which was notli-
ing but a stick of smokeless powder
IRE TO light cigars.
The making OF explosives has de-
| veloped into 81 fine art mud a great In
dustry since the use of Greek fire"
ana ana burning liquids by the ancient
the .reputcd discovery OF gunpowder
by Roger Bacon In 1867, or Berthoid
\ schwartz in 1880 This industry began
about half century ago. Cum cotton.
which is cotton waste soaked with
nitro glycerine, was Invented in 1915
by German named Schonbein, but the
process of its manufacture was not
perfected until nearly twenty years
later. Dynamite was invented in 1867.
by Alfred Nobel, Swedish civil en-
gineer. who originated the plan OF Civ
ing annual prizes for the advancement
or science and the cause OF philan-
| thropy, and, in odd contrast TO MIS-
invention Tor warfare. prize for the
promotion OF universal peace In sim
pie form dynamite is made of base
of sawdust, fullers earth. or some other
| absorbent material saturated with
nitro glycerine.
Many explosives are made in isolated
plants according 10 secret process
Some of them are government
forlnnise: such as the Japanese shimose
, neliinite, maximite, bobbinite. corditc
and tonite. In 1876, Nobel introduced
explosive gelatin: in 1889 he invented
| bsllistlte, which led to tho discovery
| commonly perhaps for military puf-
poses than any other explosive. There
are two things yet to be attained by
ane explosive experts One is a high
fumes, the other a less sensitive de-
donating cap to replace that OF ful-
inmate of mercury. Every energy is
being bent toward the solution OF this
and other problems BY such experts as
Dr.. Charles L. Munroe, OF mashngton,
VINO is said to experiment with eXpIo-
sives more successfully than any other
man in the United States.
The demand for explosives is grow
Ing continually. About century ago
French Immigrant to this country.
named dupont, undertook to manufac-
ture explosives. He prospered and his
business grew, until now the Dupont
interests operate mills and factories
IN many parts OF the country. There
are other concerns also, the annual
production of the industry In the
United states being about 414.Ooo.ooO
pounds OF explosives. Some of this is
made IN every State in the Union. Dell
vahla manufactures the greatest
amount of dynamite and black powder.
Michigan coming second in dynamite
ana Illinois in black powder
SO important is the explosive indus
Try, and so many are the accidents re-
sulting from careessncss in connection
with II, that for several years an eff
fort has been made In Congress TO So
cure the passage of a law such as Great
Britain has. regulating the Transporter
tion OF explosives. This would protect
the travelling public. railway employees
and all persons living in proximity to
tne railroads transporting these explo-
sives. That a law ought to be passed
TO regulate the sale and handling of
. explosives is also contendcd. A man
cannot buy poison for suicide without
| Identifying himself. but he can without
difficulty get enough dynamite to wine
out whole community.
me use of nauid air in blasting has
been experimental with moro or less
successfully. The field of usefulness for
explosives is constantly widening. In
| addition to their military uses, explo-
s ,nn, ar, are used In driving piles, digging
up buildings to check the progress of
fire., driving water from qnicksand
the soil for farming. killing fish
against the law, averting halstorms,
producing showers, sinking ocean dcrc-
iicts, testing metals, breaking ice
sorges and lumber jams, salving
grounded ships by blowing tho sand
from under them, killing vermn in
VINEYARDS, and for other purposes.
Dreamers have thought that explo-
SlNes might do the worlds work if
their force could be controlled. This
may yet prove true, for in one blast
there has been liberated for a brief
pressure of 800 tons to the square
men. This enormous force could do
much If the power could be dirislbic
and mana geable.
To-morrow-Negro Industrial Educa
ton,