Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-01-26


/ and Switzerland las a nationD were
candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize,
affords a fitting opportunity for re-
calling, in the midst OF the greatest
of all wars, the romance OF a bene-
faction whose founder did as much
to make war terrible as any man who
| ever lived.
By a curious piece Of irony the foun-
der OF the Nobel Peace Prize was
! the inventor OF dynamite! Alfred Ber-
nard Nobel, the man who left q fort
une Of nearly two millions sterling
in order to reward those who have
rendered most service to their fellow
creatures, was Of Swedish origin. hay
ing been born at Stockholm on Octo-
Der q, 1888 His father a man of
considerable eminence In his own
day, was the founder Of the Nobel
firm. He was educated as an archi-
tect and became a professor OF geom-
etry, but failed to find the true bent
Of genius till he went to Petrograd,
where he undertook the manufacture
of torpedoes and established great
engineering and shipbuilding works.
There he proSpered for nearly 20
years, until after the Crimean war the
enfeebled resources of the Russian
government no longer afforded him
sufficient business to make IL worth
his while to remain on the Neva. He
returned to Stockholm and betook
himself to the study and the fabri-
cation Of explosives Between 1861
and 1862 he discovered a method Of
preparing nitro-giycerfne which rem
dered 1t possible to make practical
use Of it. In October, 1868. Alfred
Nobel, the son, took out the first pat
ent for the manufacture Of an explo-
sive compound Of nitro-glycerine and
of ordinary powder. In 1854 he took
out a second patent, but for some
years the use Of nitroglycerine was
attended by many accidents. One of
the worst of these took place in
Brussels in 1858, when the Belgian
representative OF the firm and nine
other persons were blown to atoms.
An explosion near Newcastleon-Tyne,
when the sheriff, Mr.. Mawson, and
several others lost their lives, Great
ed a great prejudice in England
against the use of this high explosive,
and various proposals were made in
many countries for prohibiting its
use.
Dynamite invented
In 1867, however, Alfred Nobel in
vented dynamite, a compound of nitro
glycerine with Kieselguhr, q very fine
~ powdered siliceous substance. and
from being the most dangerous, nitro
glycerine thus compounded became
one, of the safest of all explosives.
About 1899 Nobel patented ballistite,
the first Of the high explosives which
inaugurated the era of the smokeless
powder that was destined to effect so
rapid q revolution in the methods OF
war. ~ a.. ?, p. % - l.
AS the result of his prodigious sue.
cess in the development of gigantic
business--the manufacture of explo, |
revolutionized modern
Industry, Alfred Nobel acquired q for.
tune which was estimated on his |
death at 100000 pounds sterling. He
views as to the unwis-
dom Of leaving large sums to heirs,
and in order To carry out his ideas
the distribution of wealth,
he made q win In which he left the
whole Of his fortune to form fuLd,
The annual interest of which was to
be- divided into five annual prizes OF /
$40, 900 each. The prizes were to be
awarded equally among the men who
made the greatest discoveries in the
domains of physical science. chemis-
Try, or medicine, tho writer who pro-
iuced the greatest work OF lteraturel
Of an idealistic tendency" and, final
", to the man who shall have done
The most or the best work for the
fraternity of nations, the suppression
Dr. reduction Of standing armies, and
he formation and propagation OF
peace congresses"
Needless almost to say 1t is the
peace prize which has attracted by
lar the most attention throughout the
world. II was intended to be a last
ng monument to Eobefs devotion to
he cause OF international peace. At
me time, indeed, he Is said to have
that he wished to devote the
bulk OF his fortune to founding this
prize. In his win, however, II ranked
asst of the five objects among which
his fortune was equally divided.
Nobels Ideal ,a.
His idea was thus expressed:
would like to dispose Of most Of my
ortune In founding prize to be CIV
N to whoever had made Europe make
he greatest advance towards the idea
IL universal peace.
Some people imagine that the be-
quest was prompted by q feeling OF
,emorse at the thought Of the extent
o which high explosives had been
lsed in warfare Nothing was further |
rom NobeRs mind. He was very much
disposed to believe that the more you
Increase the dsadliness Of weapons the
more you diminish the chances Of
var.
The Dynamite King as Alfred No.
,el has been described. became q cos
nopolitan European, and as such he
vas constantly reminded Of the absur.
Iity Of the present state system OF
he old world. He believed in the
United States of Europe, and wished
o hasten the day when the armed
of the cd world could be su-