The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-07-22
'TROTOL" NEWEST
Continued from First Page.l

compared with the best dynamite. But
from it he developed ''trotol"
"Trotol' can be exploded only by
illuminate of mercury, the substance
used to explode dynamite. 1t can
not be set off by any shock. however
great. In a test at Fort Wadsworth
'trotol' was packed into a l2-inch
shell and the shell was fired at ar
NOR plate 1000 yards away. The
shell struck the armor plate while
going at a rate of ALSO feet a second,
but the "trotol' inside remained I'M
exploded in spite. of the terrific con-
cussion.
Six ounces of "trotor will do the
explosive work of twelve ounces OF
dynamite. Dynamite deteriorates In
water or on the water and under GER
tain atmospheric conditions. "Trotol''
be as good as ever.
Safety It's CHIEF Recommendation.
The standard high explosive of the
army is wet gun cotton. "Trotor' can
be carried wet or dry and the full
inmate of mercury, which must be
kept yards away from dynamite lest
premature explosion result may
come as close as six inches to
''trotoI' without danger.
Like dynamite "trotol" cannot be
exploded by ignition and merely hurns
when Are touches 1t.
''Trotol'' has a longer name 1t Is
derived from a coal tar by-product,
which has been subjected to step-up
nitration. that is. reduced to dregs.
After Mr.. Woodward had worked over
it for year. the United States gov
eminent began experiments which
lasted for two years and which were
concluded at Peekskill a short time
ago. No possible tests remain to be
made of the new explosive: II there
are further ones they will have TO be
especially invented for it,
Tests were conducted at Fort
wadsworth and Peekskill and the
Dupont de Nemours Powder company
has exhausted it's tests on "trotof'
without finding a flaw in 1t. The secret
formula Is possessed In its entirety
only by Lieutenant Woodward. Gov
eminent engineers have parts of the
secret and the Dupont people have
parts.
Lieutenant Woodward declared to-
night that he will give the full secret
of "trotol' only to Uncle Sam and will
take no money for it in spite of Its
immense value.
except with the idea of developing a
means of defense possessed by no other
nation" he said.
shown in Moving Pictures.
He exhibited moving picture Aims
showing the work of the new explosive.
1t was recorded by the Vitagraph Com
pany of America cutting off trees with
the precision of a woodman. Fifteen
sticks. exploded under water, sent up a
column hundreds of feet high and Atty
feet hroad-like a waterspout Two
hundred pounds under the water will
destroy the largest battleship afloat.
The explosive Ia not costly to make.
Fifteen sticks planted Ave feet under
ground will make hole ten feet deep
when set off and twenty-five to thirty
feet In diameter. That would destroy
half A company, fifty men, attacking a
fortress, for they would be In close
formation.
1t la in mines that "trotol" will do its
greatest work. So used it will max @
possible the capture of the most re-
doubtable stronghold. and will cause
an unprecedented slaughter when used
by defenders of q fortress.
Lieutenant Woodward Is also the in
ventor of contrivance for setting off
explosives. which can be carried in the
coat pocket.