Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-11-11
a New Explosive.

DR.. Bernhard Flurseheim OF Rusi-
more Fleet, Hampshire. England,
described a new high explosive, more
powerful than dynamite. and seeoha
only to nitroglycerine itself in des-
truetive action 1t has the imposing
name of notwithstanding, and the
nickname of T. n. a. "A compound
SAYS DR.. Flurscheim. which wouia
combine the stability of. an aromatic
nitro-derivative. with the explosive
mower of an aromatic nitro ether has
long been an object of research work
on explosives" This is the character
of T. n. A. The doctor describes 1t as
stable. safe, easy to work, ana Whei
detonated by a primer, giving NJ
residue or smoke. 1t differs from
other aromatic nitro-compouhus II.
that it can be compressed at hisil
pressure without losing it's capacity
of being easily detonated. NothihS
is said regarding cost of manhfac-
ture.
Al. Robinson of the Panama Canai
Zone gives an interesting ana m
structive history of the troubles eN-
nerienced in the use of decorators Ill
the construction of the canal An
enormous quantity of dynamite mas
been used in the work. During the
single year of 1907 over 100000
mounds were consumed-many of the
blasts running up to 1000 pounds OF
dynamite per hole. At this tlins
serious trouble was experienced
through the encountering by the
steam shovels of unexploded dyna-
mite. number of serious accidents
occurred, resulting in injury OF the
men. and partial destruction OF many
steam shovels. The conditions of the
work required that after the hoies
were charged and the detonators III
| place twenty-four hours often elapsed
! before the blast was set off.
Naturally. therefore, attention was
first turned to ability /. of the de-
| tonators to withstand immersion IN
| water under considerable pressure for
| these long periods. Many of them
were found to fail under these con-
| ditions. Whereupon the manufac-
| turers were notified, and new water
| proof decorators obtained. The en-
| gineers now supposed the trouble was
| all over. But in 1908 the same dis
astrous results from the uncovering
| of old unexploded charges became so
numerous that new inquiry was in
| stituted. This time it was found that
the method of connecting the de-
/ tonators to the firing batteries was 10
blame. ''The results demonstrated
| the impracticability of avoiding
missed holes when using large num-
| Der of decorators wired in series, no
matter what or how powerful the
source of current supply" In such
series, the detonator requiring the
lowest current value to explode is the
| first one to "go off" thus cutting on
the current from the decorators re-
curing higher current values ana
leaving them unexploded.
| The situation was met by wiring the
holes in parallel and firing the de-
tonator from a power line-all the
| blasting batteries being eliminated
Mr.. Robinson believes that blasts
wired in series are never all exploded
by the battery current, but that where
| the holes are close together the de-
tonators that do explode "set off, the
| others. 1.-The tests made on the
Isthmus and the practical results OBJ
tanned from the parallel wiring and
firing of decorators confirm most
positively the conclusion that blasting
| batteries and series wiring of de-
| tonators is an unsafe and questionable
practice" AS the latter apparatus IS
that now universally used. Mr.. Robin
i sons conclusions are of the utmost
! practical Importance.
| The government mint at Denver Is