Year: 1876




or invention in 1863. lie found that Il
required conclusion, or suddenly applied
force, to explode it, and from this he pro.
ceeded to place the nitrO.glyccrine in II
vessel or bore-hole for blasting, and explode
IN or near IL large percussion cap or a
charge of gunpowder, or other explosive
substance. This was the climax of tho
invention.


Nitro-glycerine is made by the same
acid mixture required for making gun cot.
ton. Suppose you have the acids mixed
in glass jar holding gallon. Surround
it with ice, as is used around freezing
tub for making ice cream then agitate
the acids with glass rod until they become
cold, say go Fab; then pour some ordina.
ry glyccrine, as found in the drug stores
gradually into the acids, the mixture being
stirred all the time. In that quantity of
acids you may Use pound Of glycerine
When thus mixed, pour the whole into ten
times its quantity of pure water. The
product will be about two pounds. II is
six-tenths heavier than water. If the
nitro -glycerine be well washed, you will
have pure article.


Dynamite is compound that has come
into use within few years. Some ten
years ago, in 1866, Col. Shaifer discovered
that for general purposes of blasting the
nitro-glycerine was too much concentrated
in the bore.hole of the rock, and in order
TO spread it throughout the drill hole he
mixed with it fine sand; the finer the
sand the greater would be the absorption
After this, Nobel found that when nitro.
glycerine was thus mixed it could be safely
transported, and that the finest siicious
matter that could be found would be Tho
most advantageous. With this view he
selected the earth known as infusoria
found in large quantities in Holland
This infusara is composed Of small micro
silicious shell, which have lost their livin.
creatures in the unknown ages Of the past
The cellular parts receive the nitro glycer
inc and hold it by capillary attraction
both inside and outside. This earth il
very light. The water is expelled from il
by a furnace, and then, in the form o
powder, it is mixed with the nitro o-glycer
inc, twenty-five parts of the former an,
seventy-fve parts Of the latter, by weight
This compound is known in Europe a,
dynamite, and in America it is callet
giant powder.


Since the success, us to safety, in tn,
transportation and use of the above com
pound, various substitutes have been intro
duced by rivals dealing in that class O
explosives. Among them may be men
toned rend rock powder, being mixture
of nitro-glycerine and gunpowder pulver
lied dualin, mixture of nitrated fibre
or gun.cotton, with nitro -glyccrine; Her
cules powder, mixture of chalk with nj
tro-glycerine. Besides these there ar,
many Others that have been introduced
for blasting purposes, but they all follow
the formula of the giant powder mixture


The explosive power of giant powde
is about the same as gun-cotton, weigh
for weight, but cube for cube the former
far excels the latter, and is more general,
used for the blasting Of rock. 1t has don,
wonders in advancing the excavation o
tunnels and heavy rock cuts on railways
and has economical that class of work a
least 100 per cent. over the old style o
blasting with gunpowder.


The success of dynamite, or giant pow
der, has caused many adventures t,
make up explosive compounds and to
some extent, these supposed improvement:
have been more or less disastrous, and
|, destructive to life and property. Clam
, powder cannot be exploded by ordinary
handling, and if a carload was precipitat
ed down hill thousand feet it woult
, not explode. If you set fire to the car
load it would burn free, but would moi
explode, If you explode large percus
, sion cap in the midst of the giant powder
there viii be an explosion of the powder
The infusoria serves as a cushion to what
ever force may bo applied to it, and thus
n sharp or close impingement of great
power must be made, or an explosion can
not be effected. The nitro-glycerine does
not leak or evaporate from this silicious
earth, and this circumstance further adds
to the safety of the compound.


Gunpowder and gun cotton will explode
by spark, but giant powder will not in
that manner. There must be powerful
explosive force applied to it, and hence il
Is far less dangerous as an article to
handle or transport than any other explo-
sive. Thomassen, the author of the Bre
merhaven calamity, knew the safety Of
dynamite, and hence he had arranged his
clockwork to let fall hammer with q
force of 80 TBS. upon percussion cap in
the midst of the powder, to effect its ex.
plosiou. The jar or fall of the eask let &C
the hammer, and hence the premature
result.


A Home Recipe for Otto Of Roses.