Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-03-25
SUGAR BOWL DYNAMITE.
Making from Sweets the GIyeerine Of
High Explosives.

A few cubes of sugar and presto!
A shell breaiss over the terrain to
, shiver into fragments which main
and kill! Just few tablespoonfuls
blow the gnarled stumps out Of the
unyielding earth with the same ma
terial which makes the farmer wifes
gingerbread
Ely the direction Of Daniel c. Roper
the commissioner Of internal rev.
enue Of the United States Treasury
department, a new process has been
perfected for obtaining glycerine from
sugar and sweets. The experiments
on which the report. has been filed
were made under the supervision OF
the chief chemist Of the department,
A. B. Adams, a member Of the Amer
lean chemical society.
When DR.. Alonzo Taylor was in Ger
many about two years ago he found
that the Teutons had run short of
fats from which slycerine Is usually
made and had raided the sugar bowl.
It was on this information that spe-
cial laboratory was established in the
United States treasury and several exI
perts, including John r. Eoff, w. E.
Lindne- end B. F. Boyer began the
resee ccEss into this method Of obtain
ing glyceririe
Pasteur the noted French chemist
had years before discovered that a
small quantity Of glycerine developed
in the fermentation Of sugar and that
1t was Iaceable in wine and beer
The chemist, therefore, fermented
sugars and molasses with yeast and
from the mash thus obtained pro-
duced the glycerine. The wave OF
prohibition which Is about to sweep
the country will not stop the distilla-
ton Of alcohol for Industrial and me.
chanictl purposes and for fuel. There
will probably be more alcohol distilled
than ever before, but 1t will be dcna-
tured and made absolutely unfit for
drinking purposes. The manufactur-
ns chemists Of the United States are
prcpartngs none the less to produce it
on a larger scale than ever before,
jubject to the supervision Of the de-
partmcnt of internal revenue.
Several large, concerns are making
alcohol om cheap molasses brought
rom the Vest Indies. This fnolnsses,
which is uneatable is known as "black
trap" The treasury department of
he internal revenue chemists have
been able. however, to ferment 1t and
70 obtain not only alcohol but to SO use
Et6s restdge.5 I'm. .eAklo ssnhinas---
Four lots of "black strap" Of 1000
gallons each. subjected to the new
process turned out a very excellent
luantity of glycerine. There are 100
gallons Of this clear dynamite gly-
cerine as 1t is called, now on exhibi-
ton in the treasury department
Samples Of 1t treated with nitric acid
by a well-known firm of explosive
makers at the request Of the govern
nent, produced as good a nitrogly-
,erinc as the market affords.
Nitroglycerine. when incorporated
with pulp or other inert substances.
becomes dynamite. Thus out of the
simple sweets Of the sugar bowl comes
forth the strength which will rend
the rock.
Now that the war is over the de-
mand for high explosives will not be
so great, but at the same time there
are many uses to which it can be
turned in times of peace. 1t Is es-
pecially valuable for blowing up heavy
and clavy soils which would ordi-
narily resist the plow Of the farmer.
Excellent crops are produced from
land treated in this way and general
shaking up is conducive Of the better
action Of the nitrifying bacteria IN the
ground.