Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1915-04-29
FROM COAL TAR.

From coal tar are obtained such sub
stances as benzene and toluene, which,
treated with nitric acid, make explosives
OF the insensitive kind. One OF them,
called 1T. N. T." short for trinitro-
toluene) has been largely used by the
Germans in the present war for filling
shells.
In accounts OF the fighting that is now
going on in Europe, you read OF the use
of meiinite by the French, and OF lyddite
by the British. The Japanese, in their
recent attack on the Germans in China,
Shimose. All three of these high explo-
sives are one and the same thing; namely,
picric acid, which is derived from coal
tar, and which is melted and poured into
the proiectleS.
The gases generated by all explosives
are poisonous. For example, picric acid
gives off prussc acid, one OF the most
deadly OF chemical substances. But the
stories OF the recent use Of shells that
liberate vapors OF suffocating or other
wise killing whole regiments OF soldiers
are fabrications. No one has ever con-
trived means whereby, according to an
idea long ago suggested, bursting proiec-
tiles may humanely distribute over bat
tlefeld a gas that will plunge fan army
into deep and helpless Slumber until the
soldiers are gathered in as prisoners.
What we call an explosion is sudden
expansion OF gases in a confined place.
II often happens that houses in the path
of tornado explode, and that their walls
are thrown violently outward. We used
to regard that as very mysterious, but
now we know that the rapidly whrling
funnel cloud, which contains vacuum,
sucks up and removes all the air from
round a building, that thus the house is
converted into huge bomb, and that the
expansion of the air inside it rends it tc
pieces.
Every housewife keeps the "makings"
of explosives in her pantry. We find
them in the flour she kneads into dough,
in the sugar with which she Sweetens
her pie crust, and in the soap with which
she cleans her platters. You will ask,
who ever heard of an explosion from
soap? Well, in the city OF Providence
only few years ago, disastrous acci-
dent was caused by soap. The accident
occurred in a soap-powder factory the
air inside the building was laden with
clouds of the finely divided product.
Some one lighted match, and The ex-
pIosion instantly followed Soap is made
from fat, and will therefore burn. When
il is distributed in multitudes OF dry par
ticleS through the air, and when, there
fore, plenty OF oxygen is at hand, it will,
if ignited, burn with explosive rapidity.
A log in an open fire burns slowly, and
is hard to ignite. Ii the log is in the form
of kindlngs or shayings, it will burn much
faster; but in the form OF fine sawdust,
suspended IN quantities in the air OF
room, ii will, when ignited, convert itself
into gases so quickly that il will blow up
the house.
A scuttleful OF coal seems the most
harmless thing in the world. Burned in
the CRATE, it slowly reduces itself to inert
ashes; but if distributed in the air in the
form of dust, il is an explosive as dan
gerous as gunpowder.
, instantaneous burning, by which solids
are suddenly converted into gases, is what
does the mischief. The gases must ex-
pand. If lack OF space restricts their ex-
pansion, they exhibit bursting force.
That is only another way OF saying that
an explosion takes place.
If there is substance on earth that is
apparently innocent il is the flour from
which the housewife makes her bread;
but if she were TO take it frem the barrel
and throw il about the kitchen until the
air of the room was laden with IT, she
would only need to light match in order
TO set off very literal domestic explo-
sion.
Oxygen is the chief agent of ordinary
combustion. Without it the things we
are accustomed TO regard as combustible
would not burn. One-fifth part OF air is
oxygen, and therefore where there is
plenty OF air there is also great quantity
Of the chief agent OF combustion. That
explains the explosiyeneSS OF flour, or
soap powder, or fine sawdust, when set
afloat in the air and ignited.
In Boston few years ago very seri-
Gus explosion occurred in marshmallow
factory. 1t is by no means to be inferred
that marshmallows are likely TO go of
with bang Unexpectedly but under
conditions such as those already de-
cribed, the powdered sugar with which
they are coated can be as dangerous as
gunpowder. In this case if was floating
in the air OF a room some one ignited
it, and the disastrous explosion followed.
Air, however. is not the only thing that