The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-11-15
Surplus War Explosive
for Highway Building

prepared By the United States Department !
of Agriculture)
Eighteen million pounds of sodatol, |
q surplus war explosive, is to be dis
tributed by the bureau OF public roads
Of the United States Department Of
Agriculture for road BUILDING and land
clearing purposes. The new supply of
explosive is very similar to dynamite
and picric acid, 12,UUO,OOO pounds Of
the latter having already been distriD-
uted to road builders and farmers. The
only charge made will be for cartridg
ing and freight.
Sodatol is a high explosive made
by mixing INT and nitrate of soda.
The cartridges are packed in wooden
boxes eacn containing 80 pounds of
sodatol Sodatol is a comparatively
safe explosive. While it is more senSi-
tive than INT or picric acid, there is
no danger whatever in handling It pro-
vided the ordinary care used IN ham
ding dynamite or other explosive is ex-
ercised. 1t viii burn without explod-
ing, at least in small quantities, and
should not be exposed TO fire or flame.
1t can be used in any open-air blast
ing operations ard viii not cause
headaches, stain the hands, or cause
other i'll effects. A cartridge of soda
toll, as 1t has been prepared for dis
tribution, weighs about seven ounces
and is equal In strength for agricul-
tural blasting TO the usual cartridge
of dynamite which weighs eight
ounces That is, in a 5O-pound box Of
dynamite there are 100 cartridges while
in a 50-pound box of sodatol there are
about 120 cartridges, each one of which
is equal in strength to cartridge Of
40 per cent dynamite.
Sodatol will not freeze and will give
good results at all ordinary temporal
lures. 1t should be stored in q dry
place The cartridges, as prepared for
distribution, can be left in wet holes
for several hours without being dam
aged by the moisture. In such wet
holes the opening in the cartridge shell
which is made so admit a primer
should be covered with soft soap, axle
grease, or other water-proofng mate
rial, after the primer has been put in
place.
Sodatol can be completely exploded
by No. cap of either the electric
or the fuse type. The department will
furnish No. 6 blasting caps at the rate
of approximately one cap for each
pound of sodatol SO long Els the supply
lasts. These viii be furnished without
cost except for the freight charges.
On account of the high freight
charges on explosives in small lots, ship
ments Of sodatol cannot be made by
the department In less than carload
lots. To prevent this material from
falling into the hands Of spectators,
no individual landowner is permitted
10 secure more than 1000 pounds. In
each state, where there is sufficient de-
mand to warrant it, some state agency
usually the state agricultural col
lege-handles the distribution within
the state. The same agency handles
the distributing Of the blasting caps.
| Information as TO what agency is
handling the distribution in any state
can be obtained from county agricul-
tural agents or from the state agricui-
tural college The Department Of Ag-
riculture cannot accept individual or
! ders for either sodatol or caps
| Sodatol is made from surplus war
materials which have been made avail
able by congress for distribution to the
farmers of the country. There is no
charge for the explosive itself but the
cost OF preparation and the freight
charges must be paid by the con-
sumner. These costs are necessarily
different in various parts Of the coun-
| try. but, In general, they amount TO
about one-third the cost of an equiva-
! lent amount of dynamite Full infor-
nation as TO the costs in any state may
be secured from the state distributing
agency. For road building purposes
distribution will be made through the
various state highway departments.
For stump and rock blasting. soda
toll can be used in exactly the same
way as dynamite is used. The charges
should be placed In the same manner
and the same number of cartridges
should be used in the charges as In the
case Of dynamite. For blasting bitches
the electric method Of firing must be
used
Detailed Instructions as to the use
OF explosives in stump blasting are
contained In Department Circular 1s1,
1.-THE Use of Explosives In Blasting
Stumps," which can be. secured by sp-
plication TO the Office Of publications,
Department Of Agriculture. Washing
ton, d. c.