Year: 1870

Nitro-glycerine is a combination
of glycerine (the sweet principle
of animal fat) and nitric and sui
phuric acids. The process of man
ufacture is very simple. Take,
for instance, one pound of glycer.
inc and ten pounds of the acids
and place them in a proper vessel.
The sulphuric acid operates on
the rest of the mass, extracts all
aqueous matter, while the nitre
sinks to the bottom of the vessel,
and joins with the glycerine whose
destiny carries it there at once.
The result is an oleaginous sub
stance, not unlike castor oil in
color, but rather more thick, which
on being washed and thoroughly
cleansed from such particles of
sulphuric acid as may have re-
mained, is nitro glycerine. Nitro
glycerine strikes in all directions
when it explodes; but the greatest
foEce is always turned toward
that point Offering the greatest
resistance. Thus, if you should
explode a mass Of the "oil7 (which
is ''sliort' for nitro glycerine) in
the center of an emyty room, the
great force of the explosion would
be downward, in the direction of
the floor. A cartridge submerged
and having for it's base a rock,
would act most forcibly on the
rock, although it would also dis
| place the water.


In removing the obstruction at
He'll Gate, it was intended to
use nitro glycerine. in the form
of what is known as silicious
powder; but as 1t was lowered in
frozen condition, the experiment
was a failure. AT some future
day, there is no doubt that this
explosive; which is thirteen times
more powerful than gunpowder,
and is, moreover, capable of being
exploded at the bottam of the sea,
if need be, will be used in this
great work.


Although nitro -glycerine has
been in use for SO short a time, it
has already been used with great
success in war. In 1864, during
the war of the Austrians and
Prussians against the Danes, a
detachment Of threehundred Dan
ish troops retreated to Alsen, q
town near which a great battle
had just been fought, and were
beseiged by 10000 of the allied
troops. But the Danish engineers
had undermined all of the ap-
prOaches to the town with nitro
glycerine, the town and the mines
being connected By electric wires,
and the immense force was kept
at bay for three days. In the
Russian war, the nitro glycerine
tOrpedoes kept the French and
English ships out of the harbor of
Cornstadt. These torpedoes were
SO constructed as to explode either
by concussion or electricity, and
it would have been bold sailor
who would dare to approach an
harbor so guarded. Experiments
have frequently been made to see
if nitro o-glycerine could not be
made available as the explosive
power for shells, but little success
has been attained. 1t has been
found that the heat and concus-
sion caused the sensitive oil to ex-
plode before the shell had left the
mouth of the cannon. Expert
ments were tried with "cushioned'
sheis-those containing some soft
substance between, the nitro-g glyc-
crime and the iron-but this also
failed. t


Notwithstanding the discour-
agements which have beset the
introduction of the new explosive,
it has persistently worked its way
into favor with practical men, and
there is now scarcely a large pQ


lie work in this country wheI


is not used. As time progres


inventive minds will devise


more ingenious methods of usfiYl|
it than those now in vogue, and it
is safe to predict that within a
short period, gunpowder will be
forced to give way to this more
potent rival ECekGage.


A writer says with more force
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