,transcriber's ,notes3 ,underscores 80 before and after a word or phrase indicate italics in the original text4 ,small capitals have been converted to ,,solid capitals4 ,illustrations have been moved so they do not break up paragraphs4 ,typographical and punctuation errors have been silently corrected4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,tri-,,nitro-,,glycerin1 ,,as ,,applied ,,in ,,the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 ,submarine ,blasting1 ,,etc41 ,,etc41 ,,etc4 ,,by ,,geo4 ,m4 ,,mowbray1 ,,north ,,adams1 ,,mass4 #ahgb4 ,,north ,,adams3 ,,james ,t4 ,,robinson ,,son1 ,,printers ,,and ,,binders1 ,,transcript ,,office1 ,transcript ,building1 ,bank ,street4 #ahgb4 ,entered according to ,act of ,congress1 in the year #ahgb1 by ,,george ,m4 ,,mowbray1 ,in the ,clerk's ,office of the ,district ,court of the ,district of ,massachusetts4 ,,dedication4 ,,to ,,walter ,,shanly1 ,m4 ,p4 ,indebted to you for the resources which have enabled me to investigate the properties of ,nitro-,glycerin1 and render its manufacture a commercial success1 permit me to dedicate the following pages in token of my appreciation of the indomitable energy1 admirable organization1 integrity of purpose1 and engineering talent which have rescued the ,hoosac ,tunnel from the mire of politics and rendered it an engineering success2 notwithstanding extraordinary impediments of flood1 water fissures1 strikes1 jealousy and indifference on the part of those chiefly interested1 that must have been most disheartening to your mind1 and challenged a resolution and resources seldom combined with the abilities you have shewn in this work4 ,our relations during the past three years having been without a ripple1 render this1 my simple duty1 an agreeable task4 ,,geo4 ,m4 ,,mowbray4 ,,preface4 ,a paper read by request at the ,albany ,institute1 was the germ of the following pages2 its publication in this form1 ,i considered would furnish engineers1 contractors and railroad directors1 who occasionally apply to me for particulars as to the use of ,nitro-,glycerin in the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 with detailed information impossible to condense in a business letter4 ,hurriedly composed during the spare hours of a manufacture involving grave responsibility1 the writer weighted with the additional task of defeating an attempt to monopolize the use 7not the manufacture7 of ,nitro-,glycerin throughout the ,united ,states1 whilst the subject itself1 8,explosives1 and firing mines by ,electricity10 constantly demanded experimental research1 this work has not the arrangement nor the completeness ,i could desire2 but the author hopes it will create a more favorable regard in the public mind1 towards the most powerful blasting agent known1 by correcting errors in respect to its properties1 and the casualties attending its use2 and assist miners and contractors to a more intelligent acquaintance with some of the materials the present advanced state of engineering progress has brought into practical use4 ,,geo4 ,m4 ,,mowbray4 ,north ,adams1 ,mass41 ,june #ast1 #ahgb4 ,,contents4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,nitro-,glycerin--,introduction of the explosive in ,new ,york1 ,san ,francisco1 ,lake ,superior1 and the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 ,massachusetts2 ,accidents2 ,reports of ,engineers ,thos4 ,a4 ,doane1 ,w4 ,p4 ,granger and ,b4 ,d4 ,frost1 of the ,manufacturer2 ,miners' statement4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,submarine ,blasting--,erie ,harbor--,dimon's ,reef1 ,new ,york--,coenties ,reef1 ,n4 ,y4--,oil ,wells1 ,penn4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,nitro-,glycerin considered in its chemical details4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,electricity in blasting operations4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,the ,tri-,nitro-,glycerin manufactured at the ,hoosac ,tunnel--,how ,tri-,nitro-,glycerin is made--,how stored--,how ,gutta-,percha is purified--,how the ,exploders are manufactured4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,explosive mixtures4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,nitro-,glycerin patents and litigation4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,hoosac ,tunnel--,drilling by machine--,blasting with ,powder--,nitro-,glycerin4 ,,directions ,,for ,,handling ,,and ,,using ,,tri-,,nitro-,,glycerin4 ,,appendix4 ,a4 ,memoranda for ,contractors4 ,b4 ,over-sensitive ,exploders4 ,c4 ,professor ,abel on effects of initial explosion on explosives4 ,d4 ,car freighted with #d1hjj lbs4 ,nitro-,glycerin off the track4 ,e4 ,accidents at the ,hoosac ,tunnel4 ,,illustrations4 ,,page4 ,i4 ,vignette4 ,,ii4 ,drilling machine at heading1 a photograph taken in ,tunnel by ,magnesium light1 #g1gfj feet from ,west ,portal4 ,,iii4 ,stereoscopic view4 ,twelve cans after an explosion1 #ah ,,iv4 8 8 ,west ,end1 ,hoosac ,tunnel1 #bh ,v4 8 8 ,east ,end1 ,hoosac ,tunnel1 #ci ,,vi4 8 8 ,nitro-,glycerin factory1 #dc ,,vii4 8 8 8 8 interior of converting room1 #df ,,viii4 8 8 ,central shaft1 ,hoosac ,tunnel1 #ej ,,ix4 ,miners ascending 8 8 8 8 #eh ,x4 ,bursting of can1 whilst conveying ,nitro-,glycerin1 ,hoosac ,tunnel1 #ff ,,xi4 ,sinking ,central ,shaft1 ,hoosac ,tunnel1 #gd ,,xii4 ,profile of the ,hoosac ,mountain1 shewing progress ,january #a1 #ahgb1 #hj ,,xiii4 ,stopeing out enlargement1 ,east ,end1 #he ,,xiv4 ,driving bench work and dumping from heading1 ,west ,end1 #ij 7,photographs taken by ,l4 ,daft1 operating for ,messrs4 ,thompson ,co41 of ,albany1 the drawings by ,assistant ,engineers ,c4 ,o4 ,wederkinch and ,g4 ,lunt1 the wood-cuts by ,andrew ,son1 ,boston47 ,,chapter ,i4 ,nitro-,glycerin--,introduction of the explosive in ,new ,york1 ,san ,francisco1 ,lake ,superior1 and the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 ,massachusetts4 ,accidents1 ,reports of ,engineers ,thos4 ,a4 ,doane1 ,w4 ,p4 ,granger and ,b4 ,d4 ,frost1 of the ,manufacturer1 ,miners' statement4 ,the city of ,new ,york was startled one fine ,sunday morning 7#ahfe7 by an explosion in ,greenwich ,street1 opposite the ,wyoming ,hotel1 the windows of every house within one hundred yards of the entrance to the ,wyoming ,hotel were shattered1 pedestrians were thrown down1 and the pavement broken up4 ,a few minutes previous to the explosion1 one of the guests in the hotel had been engaged polishing his boots2 for this purpose he had drawn from under the counter of the hotel office a small box1 on which he had rested his foot2 noticing a reddish vapor emanating from there1 he drew the attention of the hotel clerk to it1 who taking the box in his hands made his way to the front door and threw it into the gutter1 whereupon explosion instantly followed4 ,an investigation of the circumstances connected with the storage of this box1 developed the following facts3 ,some time previously a passenger from ,germany who had occupied a room at the hotel1 being unsuccessful in obtaining employment had left it as security for his board1 stating that it was ,glonoin ,oil1 a new material that had been used in ,germany for blasting purposes with great success1 that he1 the passenger1 had been entrusted with an agency for introducing the same to miners and others1 but had failed to get it introduced into use2 undoubtedly the box contained ,nitro-,glycerin1 manufactured by the ,nobel ,brothers1 who had a manufactory where this explosive was compounded1 at ,hamburgh4 ,in the early part of the year #ahff this substance was again a prominent subject of discussion1 owing to an explosion which was attended with the burning and ultimate destruction of the steamer 8,european10 one of the ,west ,india mail packets1 while she was lying at the railway wharf of ,colon or ,aspinwall1 on the ,atlantic side of the isthmus of ,panama4 ,knowing that ,nitro-,glycerin was on board under the name of 8glonvene0 or 8glonoin oil10 on its way to the gold mining districts of the ,north ,american ,pacific ,states1 as an explosive or blasting agent1 it was concluded that the explosion was due to this substance4 ,unfortunately1 forty-seven persons were either killed at the time of the explosion or died shortly afterward from the injuries they sustained4 ,immediately succeeding this accident another explosion occurred in the office of ,wells1 ,fargo ,co41 in ,san ,francisco1 by which eight persons lost their lives4 ,the damages by the explosion on board the 8,european0 were estimated at one million dollars1 for the vessel1 built of iron and of unusual strength1 was destroyed1 and the pier with an upper railroad track for unloading cargo1 and warehouses for storing freight1 were completely wrecked4 ,the ,san ,francisco explosion involved a further loss of a quarter million dollars4 ,in all the above cases the ,nitro-,glycerin manufactured at ,hamburgh reached ,new ,york safely2 in the ,wyoming ,hotel explosion it had been lying in the hotel several weeks1 in the ,aspinwall catastrophe it had been transported over the ,isthmus and reshipped by steamer as express freight by ,wells1 ,fargo ,co41 to ,san ,francisco1 and carted to their office in ,montgomery ,street before the explosion occurred4 ,it subsequently transpired that the immediate cause of the explosion at ,aspinwall was a case slipping from the slings whilst being hoisted out of the hold of the vessel2 in ,san ,francisco1 the circumstances as detailed to the writer1 were as follows3 a man passing by ,wells1 ,fargo ,co4's office heard one of the employee's address a gentleman riding past on horseback1 saying1 8,doctor1 we have got a case of glonoin oil and it seems to be smoking1 ,i wish you would step in and advise us what had better be done with it20 the doctor 7,hill7 dismounted1 requesting a passer-by to take charge of his horse and walk it up and down the block1 the animal being too high spirited to stand without an attendant2 scarcely had the person in charge gone a block from the office when the explosion occurred4 ,it can only be inferred that in breaking open the case to discover the cause of leakage of red fumes1 the ,nitro-,glycerin was exploded4 ,i have since ascertained from the ,new ,york consignee of this parcel of ,nitro-,glycerin1 7,messrs4 ,nobel's agent7 that after the shipment to ,panama1 which was only a part of the consignment from ,hamburgh1 the agent leaving another portion in warehouse in ,tenth ,street1 ,new ,york1 proceeded to ,lake ,superior in the winter season with a part of the same shipment1 where1 on arrival and opening the cases1 he found it had been packed in bottles surrounded with sawdust1 and in congealing had burst the bottles1 a portion of the ,nitro-,glycerin being found solid in the neck of the bottle4 ,this therefore1 if correctly reported1 would go to prove the ,nobel ,nitro-,glycerin expands during congelation4#a ,what had been bottles containing ,nitro-,glycerin were now fragments of broken glass1 whilst the ,nitro-,glycerin itself1 owing to the extremely cold temperature of a ,lake ,superior winter1 was found in solid mass of the exact mould of the bottle that had contained it4 ,upon discovering this condition of the cases and their contents the consignee at ,lake ,superior telegraphed to his correspondent in ,new ,york3 8,direct ,messrs4 ,bandmann to throw the cases of ,nitro-,glycerin1 shipped to them1 overboard on arrival40 ,probably in the belief that the temperature of the upper lakes was the cause of the broken bottles and that the warmer temperature of the tropics and ,san ,francisco did not apply1 this advice was neglected4 #a ,this property distinguishes it from the ,mowbray ,tri-,nitro-,glycerin1 the latter contracting about one-twelfth of its bulk in congealing2 further1 the ,nobel patents claim a preparation which congeals at #ee;,f1 whereas the ,mowbray ,tri-,nitro-,glycerin congeals at #de;,f4 ,no further evidence is necessary to prove that a real difference of component parts exists between the two preparations4 ,reflecting as a chemist upon these explosions1 that here was a compound made at ,hamburgh1 carted to the wharf1 loaded on board steamer by the stevedores1 voyaging to ,london1 reshipped to ,panama1 the express portion of it forwarded across the ,isthmus by railway1 thence lightered to and loaded upon the steamer1 bearing twelve days' voyage to ,san ,francisco1 where on arrival it is taken to the express office1 previous to being forwarded to the mines2 now how did it happen1 since there is no effect without a cause1 after all this handling that an explosion took place8 ,determined to solve this problem1 ,i undertook the preparation and qualitative examination of ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,residing at that time at ,titusville in the oil region of ,pennsylvania1 where the disastrous results of speculations in oil territory during the previous year1 compelled most of us to 8masterly inactivity10 ,i had the leisure1 whilst my curiosity was piqued to discover1 the apparently anomalous properties which this explosive seemed to present1 and in #ahff1 after maturing the process patented ,april #g1 #ahfh1 ,i inserted a brief advertisement in the ,scientific ,american1 offering to manufacture ,nitro-,glycerin on a large scale for miners and others4 ,in #ahff1 ,i received a communication from ,thomas ,a4 ,doane1 ,esq41 chief engineer of the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 who was keenly alive to the necessity of more efficient means for driving that work4 ,i extract from his annual report to the ,commissioners of the ,troy and ,greenfield ,railroad and ,hoosac ,tunnel1 ,james ,m4 ,shute1 ,alvah ,crocker and ,charles ,hudson1 dated ,dec4 #ai1 #ahff1 and having reference to the work of the current year1 as follows3 8,page #ba4 ,it has been my continual desire since entering upon this work to learn how to fire several charges at the same time4 ,this ,i hoped to do of ,colonel ,tal ,p4 ,shaffner1 but his coming upon our work was so long delayed1 it being something more than a year after his first brief visit here1 that it began to seem hopeless4 ,last spring1 in making a visit to the ,bessemer steel works in ,troy1 partly in way of business1 but more out of curiosity to see and learn something concerning this process of making steel1 it was my good fortune to obtain an introduction through ,mr4 ,holley of the steel works1 to ,j4 ,j4 ,revey of ,london4 ,mr4 ,revey is connected with the gun-cotton works of ,london1 and was acquainted with the most approved methods of simultaneous firing4 ,he very kindly and fully explained to me the process and gave me a description of the electrical machine and fuses necessary1 and also afterwards made a visit to our ,tunnel4 ,the ,commissioners ordered for me two electric machines1 four thousand fuses1 and several miles of conducting and connecting wire4 ,these were several months in transit and before their arrival ,colonel ,shaffner came with his material4 ,his machine for exploding was ,wheatstone's magneto-electric exploder1 and by it and his system of connecting wires it was found impossible to fire more than about five charges at once1 and these not simultaneously4 ,this of course was far from satisfactory4 ,shortly after1 the ebonite 7or ,austrian pattern7 machines with the ,abel fuses ordered for me1 arrived1 and we very soon learned how to use them both1 and have been able to fire at once as many as thirty-one charges4 8,while it is important to save the time which can be saved by this process in firing1 and to reduce the risk of accident1 and to avoid the smoke made by the burning of the common fuse1 it is much more important to the progress that simultaneity of firing be secured4 ,if charges in adjoining holes can be fired as though but one charge1 then they help each other and much more rock will be torn away4 ,the whole top may be thrown down or the bottom brought up by proper arrangement of holes1 and by means of a ring of converging holes the center may be dragged out4 ,the passage of the electric spark through one system of wires occupies practically no appreciable time1 while through several systems it may4 ,if the charges in adjoining holes are fired with the interval of an instant1 it may just as well be a week so far as the tearing of the rock is concerned4 8,the number of fuses obtained was so small that their influence upon progress is hardly appreciable1 except possibly at the ,central ,shaft4 8,under the direction of ,colonel ,shaffner1 experiments have been tried at the ,west ,shaft with ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,the article used was imported from ,europe1 and much time was consumed in ordering1 shipping1 and passing it through the custom house4 ,in these experiments ,colonel ,shaffner has been eminently successful4 ,no accident has resulted1 and indeed there seems to be comparatively little risk if the article is good and ordinary care is taken in its use4 8,the ,glycerin will occasion to some persons1 if they are exposed to it in a particular manner1 a headache#b for an hour or two1 while others are not thus affected4 ,our men have made very little complaint in this respect1 and indeed there has been no difficulty experienced in introducing this new and powerful explosive among men who never before have used anything but powder4 #b ,this effect has never been produced by the ,tri-,nitro-,glycerin 78,mowbray's07 and is another and very emphatic proof of the difference between the two preparations4 8,it was some time ago demonstrated by experiment1 that double progress could be made with ,glycerin over that made with powder at less cost4 ,this is a wonderful achievement and its effect upon the prospect of this work1 in regard to its early completion at reasonable cost cannot but be good4 ,it is true that the experiment was limited to a shorter time by reason of the small supply of electrical fuses and ,nitro-,glycerin than could have been wished1 and that my views may upon further experience be modified or changed even1 but with what information ,i now have there is no room to doubt its fitness for our purpose4 ,it is the testimony of all who have seen our work1 including ,mr4 ,revey1 ,george ,berkeley of ,london1 ,c4 ,e41 ,dr4 ,erhardt of ,london1 ,colonel ,shaffner1 and others familiar with tunnelling1 that while our rock is not in general harder to drill than many others1 it is most persistently tough4 ,that is1 the number of charges we fire1 if they could be in granite or lime or in any brittle stone1 would bring out two or three times more of debris than now4 ,it is therefore necessary that we should have the quickest explosive to get the best result4 ,as preparations of mercury are not to be thought of on account of their danger1 we take ,nitro-,glycerin as being next in power1 while it is comparatively safe4 ,whenever its extensive use shall be concluded upon it will be necessary to secure the services of some scientific person expert in handling it1 that some antidote against headache may be discovered1 and that the risk may be reduced to the lowest possible point4 ,bulk for bulk1 which is the only useful comparison to be made here1 ,nitro-,glycerin is eight times more powerful than common powder40 ,in same report1 page #fd1 the consulting engineer1 ,benj4 ,h4 ,latrobe1 states3 8,in the east heading of the ,west ,shaft experiments with ,nitro-,glycerin as an explosive were made with highly favorable results1 as reported by the chief engineer who states1 the forward progress in the heading proper 7six by fifteen in section7 as doubled1 and in the heading enlargement 7to ten and a half and fifteen7 as trebled by this new agent when compared with gunpowder4 ,he also reports #aj4bj per cubic yard saved in the heading1 and #c4fd in the enlargement1 on a similar comparison with gunpowder1 results certainly of the most encouraging character1 and inviting to farther and persevering effort for the safe and successful use of the new explosive40 ,the ,commissioners themselves report--page #f3 8,the value and economy of ,nitro-,glycerin as an explosive seems to have been fully demonstrated and the method of using it with safety to the employees appears to be the only question now undetermined4 ,its early introduction is very desirable and preparations are making to bring this about whenever it shall appear prudent to do so1 since it is believed1 on the strength of numerous experiments made in the tunnel at the ,west ,end1 that by the use of this agent alone1 as compared with gunpowder1 the time required for completing the work may be greatly reduced40 ,between the issuing of the above report and that of #ahfg1 circumstances led to the withdrawal of ,mr4 ,doane from the ,tunnel1 and ,commissioner ,hon4 ,alvah ,crocker personally undertook the superintendence of the work4 ,in his report dated ,january1 #ahfh1 the following remarks occur3 8,nitro-,glycerin--experiments as made in the ,west ,shaft as given by ,mr4 ,doane and referred to by ,hon4 ,tappan ,wentworth1 chairman of the ,tunnel ,committee of that year1 induced early action by the ,commission4 ,as long ago as ,february last ,i visited ,new ,york1 and spent several days in endeavoring to ascertain if the article had been made there1 or in the vicinity1 but to no purpose4 ,finding subsequently that the railroads refused absolutely to transport it1 the matter rested until the first of ,july1 when ,i addressed ,george ,m4 ,mowbray1 ,esq41 of ,titusville1 operative chemist1 and with the permission of the ,commission he was called to ,north ,adams and a contract concluded with him highly advantageous to the ,commonwealth4 ,as will appear in the appendix1 the public will be gratified to learn that we are on the eve of giving it a fair trial40 ,on the #bith of ,october1 #ahfg1 the writer arrived in ,north ,adams and ,i subjoin my report to the superintending commissioner1 dated ,january #aa1 #ahfh1 and addressed to ,hon4 ,alvah ,crocker1 ,superintendent of ,hoosac ,tunnel3 8,sir3 ,i avail myself of permission to report progress of the arrangement to introduce ,nitro-,glycerin for the purpose of blasting in the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 subject to the conditions imposed by you at an interview held in the engineer's office1 during the latter part of ,october1 #ahfg4 ,these conditions were-- 8,first4 ,to conduct the operations with a strict regard to the safety of the miners1 and to avoid all risks that might endanger the property of the ,state1 connected with the ,tunnel4 8,second4 ,the outlay of capital for the necessary works to be defrayed at my own cost and expense4 8,third4 ,that the ,nitro-,glycerin should be supplied at current market rates1 freight added2 the ,state of ,massachusetts furnishing a convenient site for the buildings1 compressed air1 and a supply of water1 free of cost1 and to give the subscriber a preference in consideration of his erecting the works adjacent to the ,tunnel4 8,the reasons that led to this arrangement were1 that as the rock found in excavating the ,tunnel was exceedingly tough1 any increased progress or lineal advance per month without any increased expenditure2 in other words1 diminished cost per lineal foot and quickened advance1 seemed possible only by the use of a more effective explosive agent than gunpowder2 that in ,nitro-,glycerin this greater power existed1 and therefore its use was desirable2 the problem being convenience of supply1 guarding against the possibility of accident1 by planning carefully every detail in its use1 rigidly enforcing every precaution1 a failure in any of these points involving pecuniary loss in outlay for the works by the party undertaking its supply and superintending its use in the ,tunnel4 8,agreeing with you in the propriety of these views1 ,i commenced operations on the #cjth of ,october4 ,during the past two months a convenient two-story factory has been erected1 and the necessary apparatus set up therein1 about #ajjj feet south of the west shaft2 within twenty feet of this factory1 a small dwelling for myself and an experienced assistant1 and about #ejj feet further south on the extreme line of land owned by the ,state1 a magazine for storing ,nitro-,glycerin has been constructed4 ,inclement weather somewhat retarded these operations1 nevertheless1 the crude articles used in the manufacture and every appliance to render the labor of making a 8chemically pure0 ,nitro-,glycerin1 without danger to those engaged in its manufacture1 were completed and in good working order on the #cast of ,december1 #ahfg4 8,the assistance rendered me by the gentlemen superintending the various departments of the tunnel work1 materially contributed to this result1 and ,i gratefully acknowledge their uniform courtesy and promptitude in forwarding my undertaking4 ,your own constant attendance at the engineer's office permitted me almost daily to submit my plans1 which therefore met no delay in being subjected to the scrutiny of the engineer in charge1 who as promptly reported on them4 8,on the #b;d of ,january1 #ahfh1 ,i moved up to the works and on the following day tested the apparatus by manufacturing1 and although somewhat delayed by the necessity of drying the plastering in the magazine1 and introducing suitable heating apparatus to maintain a moderate temperature during this inclement season1 7a neglect of which precaution remotely led to the ,bergen accident7 yet to-day we have a supply of ,nitro-,glycerin1 properly and safely stored1 ready for use4 ,samples of this have been duly tested for its explosive force by the engineer in charge and his assistant1 giving satisfaction as to its tremendous power1 and facility of explosion1 with a peculiar fuse and exploder4 ,you may therefore rely on a regular supply as needed1 and ,i submit that a month's consumption be kept on hand1 in order that it may free itself from adherent water1 which1 except other means be used to free it1 does not separate for about ten days4 ,freed from this obstinately adhering moisture1 it is safer and more effective for blasting purposes4 8,as respects its application to blasting1 during the ensuing week the conducting wires will be laid to the east heading 7west shaft7 and in order to maintain the electrical machine in working order1 ,i have arranged that the act necessary to firing a blast shall be performed in the time-keeper's office1 where the air is dry and therefore favorable to exciting the charge of electricity1 but the control and the means to signal for a discharge1 will be in the ,tunnel at a safe distance from the heading4 ,by this arrangement1 although requiring more conducting wire1 the incessant repairs to a costly and delicate instrument and disappointment and delay attending miss-fires will be avoided1 and the drillers will be detained from their labor at each discharge for a less period of time4 8,the order of charging and firing is as follows3 ,when the drill holes have been completed1 7say every four hours7 signal is made1 for the cartridges which are only then taken into the ,tunnel1 7the ,nitro-,glycerin in its containing cartridge in one vessel1 the exploders1 with priming and connecting wires attached1 in another separate vessel47 ,on arrival at the heading1 the miners are dismissed to a safe distance1 the drill holes are then gauged1 to be assured they will receive the cartridges2 now1 and for the first time the exploders are attached to the ,nitro-,glycerin cartridges1 and immediately passed into the drill holes1 these latter are plugged with a bung1 perforated to allow the delicate connecting wires to pass1 7thus avoiding cutting the insulation against the rock1 and confining the flame27 connection is made beginning with the return wire to the cartridges consecutively1 and on to the conducting wire4 ,the operator now retires from the heading some #cjj feet towards the shaft where a simple but important apparatus1 or break is arranged2 he then and there connects his return wire and his conducting wire to two similar wires that lead to the electrical discharge1 which duty is performed in the dry1 warm room before referred to1 and the explosions take place instantaneously4 ,the above modification is a necessity to avoid the damaging influence of the moisture in the ,tunnel1 so disturbing in its effect on the machine4 ,i have only to add1 that we have under-way apparatus for coating and re-covering damaged insulated wires1 an improvement to insure perfect explosion of the ,nitro-,glycerin2 the manufacture of ,abel's priming for fuse1 the formula having been published by the inventor2 matters of comparatively minor importance1 but where so many blasts are daily occurring1 involving considerable saving in cost and express charges1 and securing a better article when made by the individual for his own actual use1 than when made simply for sale1 all tending to greater safety and certainty in firing the blasts1 ameliorations that have already been submitted to and approved by your engineer in charge1 who will doubtless speedily report the actual results of blasting operations4 ,respectfully1 ,,geo4 ,m4 ,,mowbray1 ,operative ,chemist4 ,the following letter from the ,engineer in charge to the ,commissioners1 is interesting1 as showing that the ,nitro-,glycerin we had made1 was superior1 and possessed far more valuable properties1 than that which had been imported from ,hamburg3 ,,north ,,adams1 ,,feb4 #ah1 #ahfh4 ,to the ,commissioners of the ,troy and ,greenfield ,railroad and ,hoosac ,tunnel ,,gentlemen3--,i have to report that yesterday #d ,p4 ,m41 we exploded eleven cartridges of ,nitro-,glycerin in charges of #a-b lb4 each1 in open holes without tamping1 with entire success4 ,this experiment was made in the ,east heading of ,west ,shaft4 ,on approaching the heading1 the absence of foul gases and smoke was remarkable1 the mass of broken rock lay close to the heading1 and there was no appearance of any rock thrown to any distance from the heading4 ,inquiring of the miners if they experienced any headache1 elicited the remark they noticed a pleasant smell1 but nothing further4 ,this settles the question of its applicability in a close tunnel4 ,i attribute this freedom from the foul gases which we noticed in our experiments a year since1 to the evident purity of this ,nitro-,glycerin2 it differs greatly from all descriptions of the article1 and in appearance from that we imported1 being a liquid colorless as water1 and free from smell or bubbles4 ,that which we imported was a thick1 yellow liquid1 quite different in appearance from this4 ,i have requested ,mr4 ,mowbray1 who manufactures the ,nitro-,glycerin1 to take charge of the blasting1 and informed him that the ,commissioners wish him to assume the responsibility of using the ,nitro-,glycerin until further orders1 or at least until the system of firing is thoroughly organized among the employees4 ,i enclose his reply1 and approve his suggestions1 subject to your instructions4 ,i am very truly yours1 ,w4 ,p4 ,,granger1 ,engineer in charge4 ,the ,commissioners for the year #ahfh1 report as follows3 ,during the ,summer1 ,glycerin of a very good quality has been manufactured at this point1 under the direction of ,mr4 ,mowbray1 and has been used for several months in blasting in the tunnel east of the ,west ,shaft4 ,no accident has attended its use4 ,and while its effect in the heading did not meet the expectations of the ,commissioners1 the result of its operation in the bench below the heading1 justifies the belief that with due provision for its economic use1 and essential care and attention paid upon its management1 it will prove an effective agent in the prosecution of this enterprise4 ,the ,superintending ,engineer1 ,benj4 ,d4 ,frost1 ,esq41 reports as follows3 8,the following is a statement of monthly progress4 ,length ,total distance driven4 from ,w4 ,shaft4 ,in ,november1 #ahfg1 #cc feet1 #abgb feet4 ,december1 #ahfg1 #bb feet1 #abid feet4 ,january1 #ahfh1 #cc feet1 #acbg feet4 ,february1 #ahfh1 #ce feet1 #acfb feet4 ,march1 #ahfh1 #cd feet1 #acif feet4 ,april1 #ahfh1 #bd feet1 #adbj feet4 ,may1 #ahfh1 #bf feet1 #addf feet4 ,june1 #ahfh1 #c #ba feet1 #adfg feet4 ,july1 #ahfh1 7,nitro-,glycerin used7 #dg feet1 #aead feet4 ,august1 #ahfh1 8 #dd feet1 #aeeh feet4 ,september1 #ahfh1 8 #d #ea feet1 #afji feet4 #c ,preparing for machine drilling4 #d ,september #a1 to #bd1 #e-f month4 ,rate #fa feet per month4 8,but for the improved methods of working introduced1 the advance would have been much less satisfactory than that we are enabled to exhibit above4 8,concerning the employment of ,nitro-,glycerin and machine drilling at ,west ,shaft1 it is hardly necessary to remark that many difficulties are to be encountered in the training of men to a new service and in successfully employing a new description of fuse and explosive4 ,some remarks upon our experience in blasting with this compound1 will be found in a subsequent portion of this report4 ,continuous use of machine drills was commenced at the ,west ,shaft in the latter part of ,june1 and of ,nitro-,glycerin as an explosive in the month of ,august4 ,some delays were necessarily experienced at first1 but greatly improved progress was shortly attained4 ,some previous trials of machine drilling had been made earlier in the present year1 but without continuous progress1 upon which satisfactory estimates of success might be based4 ,the last workings made1 including the month of ,september1 up to the time of suspension1 about five-sixths of a working month1 attained a linear progress of #ea feet1 with six drills only4 ,the machinery provided at ,west ,shaft is only sufficient to supply the pneumatic power for the ordinary working of the above number1 to which accordingly we have been necessarily confined4 ,the two drill carriages employed are larger than those at ,east ,end1 and are intended to carry five drills each--in all1 ten drills working at the breast of the heading4 ,assuming1 as we may safely1 that the rate of progress is proportional to the number of drills employed1 ten drills would advance #ajj feet per month2 and with full power provided and further experience to be acquired by the workmen1 this and even greater average rates of monthly progress can be made and maintained4 ,these headings are run at top1 i4e41 above the excavations hereafter to be made1 and of such height1 and top outline as to correspond with the roof of the completed tunnel4 ,amounts of progress upon this section of the work during present and preceding year are exhibited in the following comparative table3-- ,west ,shaft ,heading and ,adit4 ,enlargement4 ,section4 ----------------------------------- ,linear ,cubic ,linear ,cubic ,feet4 ,yards4 ,feet4 ,yards4 ---------------------------------------- -------------- ,,year ,,ending ,november #a1 #ahfg #edc #bcdi #afa #bajj ,november #a1 #ahfh #abhj #dfif #hb #dhh ,the limited employment of ,nitro-,glycerin made previous to ,august #ast1 had been directed to excavations of enlargement1 which very nearly resemble open cut work4 ,the experience of the two months1 ,august and ,september1 is all we have that throws direct light upon its value in mining operations1 using this phrase in its more limited sense1 as applied to advance of heading only4 ,the varying hardness and tenacity of rock and other attendant conditions1 make material variations in the progress of separate days or weeks1 even in the same drift and with the same means and appliances of working4 ,for the reasons thus stated1 actual records of advance without full knowledge and discussion of all attendant circumstances1 and more especially when confined to short periods1 must not be held conclusive in regard to the measure of advantage to be derived from its use4 ,we cannot claim that in this short time1 full knowledge as to its best possible application has been obtained4 ,its superiority over the powder ordinarily used in blasting1 as demonstrated by our experience may be briefly expressed in the following items3 8#a4 ,less number of holes drilled in proportion to area of face carried forward4 ,estimated saving #cc per cent4 8#b4 ,greater depth of holes permissable4 ,average depth of ,nitro-,glycerin1 #db inches2 for blasting powder1 #cj inches4 8#c4 ,more complete avail of the full depth of hole drilled4 ,the greatly superior explosive power of the ,nitro-,glycerin rarely fails to take out the rock to the full depth of the hole4 ,powder often comes short of this1 and by reason of this loss of useful effect1 a large percentage of additional drilling becomes necessary4 8,in all the foregoing comparison1 ,i assume it to be understood that simultaneous blasting by electric battery is employed4 ,the great economy of force secured thereby1 whenever hard rock may be encountered1 is admitted by all conversant with the matter1 and since the early part of the ,summer1 ,i have continuously employed it in both the headings advancing into the mountain4 8,it is hoped and expected that further experience will demonstrate an increase in each of the several items of advantage resulting from ,glycerin blasting2 and it is only claimed that the best use was made of the short term of experiment afforded1 and the most faithful and diligent effort was put forth to attain the best results and greatest benefit therefrom to the ,commonwealth4 8,it was a source of great disappointment that ,professor ,mowbray should have been unable sooner to provide a continuous supply of the explosive1 and in view of the fact that a small quantity was furnished earlier in the year1 it is appropriate to make mention of the obstacles which for a time delayed its further manufacture4 ,the first lot produced was made with imported acids1 reaching the actual standard of purity represented4 ,in providing for more extended operations1 acids were ordered of ,american works of the same expressed standard1 but these when received1 were found so far below requirement1 that a separate process of purification became necessary4 ,for this process1 retorts of a special pattern not to be procured in market1 had to be manufactured1 and separate works erected1 and in the processes1 necessity for which was not foreseen1 much delay was unavoidably encountered4 ,i have been fully satisfied throughout of ,professor ,mowbray's earnest desire fully to meet the expectations of the ,commissioners and of the public1 and deem it proper to make this general statement of the more important circumstances1 unanticipated1 and therefore beyond his control1 which disappointed his purpose40 ,i have been thus explicit in narrating the various details connected with the introduction of ,nitro-,glycerin at the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 in order that full justice might be done to the gentlemen whose enterprise and authority were necessary to bear up against the prejudices which the three explosions hereinbefore referred to had caused on the public mind4 ,it is now five years since ,i commenced1 and have with slight intermission1 continued1 to manufacture this explosive1 and during this whole period but two accidents have occurred at my works4 ,the first occurred on the #bcrd of ,december1 #ahgj1 to my foreman1 who ,i surmised1 in the absence of proof1 in removing the clinkers from the heater1 may have thrown a red hot coal on to the inflammable floor boards of the magazine1 moistened with ,nitro-,glycerin spilt during three years use1 whilst adding fuel to the parlor stove which warmed it4 ,it is a poor consolation that ,mr4 ,velsor1 the foreman1 who had been engaged with me during the greater part of the past ten years1 had finished his day's work and was using the magazine for a bath house1 probably on account of its seclusion4 ,universally respected1 thoroughly acquainted with the properties of ,nitro-,glycerin1 careful and untiring1 cool1 courageous1 and without bravado1 his superintendence of the factory where thousands of pounds of this explosive were being handled1 and in the course of distribution to different points of the ,united ,states1 was steadily and quietly overcoming the dread of this powerful blasting agent2 accompanying me and aiding in the most difficult operations of submarine blasting1 in every case without a shadow of accident1 lead to one conclusion1 that some slip of the hand1 failure of a muscle1 started a flame1 which in a magazine crowded with receptacles for ,nitro-,glycerin no human power could arrest1 but which ,i am satisfied1 his courageous sense of duty led him to attempt1 and thereby sacrificed his valuable life4 ,the new magazine had hardly been completed1 and stored with ,nitro-,glycerin1 when on ,sunday morning1 #f3cj o'clock1 ,march #ab1 '#ga1 the neighborhood was startled by another explosion of sixteen hundred pounds of ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,the cause of this last explosion1 was continuous overheating of the magazine4 ,work at the factory had been suspended for a week1 the heating arrangement was now effected by steam1 in order to avoid a possibility of actual fire1 the weather for several days had been close and muggy1--some parties who had visited the magazine remarked to me afterwards1 they had noticed a hot1 close air1 similar to that experienced on entering the drying room of a print factory1 whilst the watchman confessed he had neglected to examine the thermometer1 made up his fire under the boiler1 and gone to bed4 ,i had been summoned during the previous week to ,washington1 taken down with sickness and unable to return home1--the new foreman having been closely at work without any ,christmas vacation1 owing to the previous accident1 availed himself with my permission1 7during the suspension of work at the factory7 to visit ,new ,york4 ,fortunately this accident involved no damage to life or limb1 whilst a very instructive lesson was taught in the following circumstance3 within twelve feet of the magazine was a shed1 #afh containing twelve #ej lb4 cans of congealed ,nitro-,glycerin ready for shipment4 ,this shed was utterly destroyed1 the floor blasted to splinters1 the joists rent to fragments1 the cans of congealed ,nitro-,glycerin driven into the ground1 the tin of which they were composed perforated1 contorted1 battered1 and portions of tin and ,nitro-,glycerin sliced off but not exploded4 ,now1 this fact proves one of two things1 either that the ,tri-,nitro-,glycerin made by the ,mowbray process1 differs from the ,german ,nitro-,glycerin in its properties1 or the statements printed in the foreign journals as quoted again and again that ,nitro-,glycerin when congealed is more dangerous than when in a fluid state1 are erroneous4 ,illustration ,the following incident is1 to say the least1 instructive3 during the severe winter of #ahfg and #ahfh1 the ,deerfield dam became obstructed with ice1 and it was important that it should be cleared out without delay2 ,w4 ,p4 ,granger1 ,esq41 engineer in charge1 determined to attempt its removal by a blast of ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,in order to appreciate the following details1 it must be borne in mind that the current literature of this explosive distinctly asserted that when congealed1 the slightest touch or jar was sufficient to explode ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,mr4 ,granger desired me to prepare for him1 ten cartridges1 and as he had to carry them in his sleigh from the ,west end of the ,tunnel to the ,east end or ,deerfield dam1 a distance of nine miles over the mountain1 he requested them to be packed in such a way that they would not be affected by the inclement weather4 ,i therefore caused the ,nitro-,glycerin to be warmed up to #ij1 warmed the cartridges1 and after charging them1 packed them in a box with sawdust that had been heated to the same temperature2 the box was tied to the back of the sleigh1 with a buffalo robe thrown over it2 in floundering across the divide where banks1 road1 hedge and water courses were indistinguishable beneath the drifted snow2 horse1 sleigh and driver were upset1 the box of cartridges got loose1 and were spread indiscriminately over the snow2 after rectifying this mishap1 picking up the various contents of sleigh1 and getting ready to start again1 it occurred to ,mr4 ,granger to examine his cartridges2 his feelings may be imagined when he discovered the ,nitro-,glycerin frozen solid2 to have left them behind and proceeded to the dam where miners1 engineers and laborers were waiting to use this then much dreaded explosive1 would never do1 so accepting the situation he replaced them in the case1 and laying it between his feet proceeded on his way1 thinking a heap but saying nothing2 arrived1 he forthwith attached fuse1 exploder1 powder and some gun cotton1 and inserted the cartridge in the ice2 lighting the fuse he retired to a proper distance to watch the explosion2 presently a sharp crack indicated that the fuse had done its work1 and on proceeding to the hole drilled in the ice1 it was found that fragments of the copper cap were imbedded in the solid cylinder of congealed ,nitro-,glycerin1 which was driven through and out of the tin cartridge into the anchor ice beneath1 but not exploded4 ,a second attempt was attended with like results4 ,foiled in attempting to explode the frozen ,nitro-,glycerin1 ,mr4 ,granger thawed the contents of another cartridge1 attached the fuse and exploder as before2 this time the explosion was entirely successful4 ,from that day ,i have never transported ,nitro-,glycerin except in a frozen condition1 and to that lesson are we indebted for the safe transmission of more than one hundred and fifty thousand pounds of this explosive1 over the roughest roads of ,new ,hampshire1 ,vermont1 ,massachusetts1 ,new ,york1 and the coal and oil regions of ,pennsylvania1 in spring wagons with our own teams4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,submarine ,blasting1--,erie ,harbor1--,dimon's ,reef1 ,n4 ,y41 --,coenties ,reef1 ,n4 ,y41--,oil ,wells1 ,penn4 ,in the winter #ahfi1 #ahgj1 ,i received a communication from the engineer in charge1 ,major ,g4 ,clinton ,gardiner1 formerly of the ,united ,states ,boundary ,line ,survey1 concerning the harbor improvements in ,erie1 ,penn41 under ,w4 ,a4 ,baldwin1 ,general ,superintendent of the ,philadelphia and ,erie ,railroad1 with a view to blasting in the harbor of ,erie1 so as to furnish from #ae to #ag feet of water for vessels laying alongside of their wharves1 instead of carrying them 7the wharves7 into deep water2 these operations were entirely successful1 and ,i subjoin the report of ,major ,gardiner to ,general ,parke1 ,u4 ,s4 ,engineer ,corps1 written previous to dredging4 ,the certificates of ,mr4 ,baldwin1 ,superintendent2 ,f4 ,j4 ,wilson1 ,ass't ,engineer2 ,chas4 ,f4 ,dunbar1 contractor for the dredging1 follow ,major ,gardiner's report4 ,these certificates it will be observed1 were given after a considerable portion of the rock had been removed by the dredging machine4 ,,letter ,,from ,,major ,g4 ,,clinton ,,gardiner ,,to ,,general ,,john ,g4 ,,parke1 ,corps of ,engineers1 ,washington ,city1 ,d4 ,c4 ,,office ,,of ,,philadelphia ,,erie ,,railroad4 ,erie ,harbor--,august #bnd1 #ahfi4 ,to ,,general ,,john ,g4 ,,parke1 ,corps of ,engineers1 ,u4 ,s4 ,a4 ,my dear ,general3 ,some days ago ,i received a letter from ,mr4 ,geo4 ,m4 ,mowbray1 who is the patentee of a most valuable improvement in the manufacture of ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,he being interested in having his material used in the improvements at ,hell ,gate1 requested me to report upon the experiment in blasting at this place4 ,being unknown to ,general ,newton1 and having no time for a report1 ,i take the liberty of writing to you on the subject4 ,since leaving the ,united ,states ,boundary ,survey1 ,i have been employed on the ,philadelphia and ,erie ,railroad1 under the direction of the ,ass't ,gen4 ,superintendent1 ,mr4 ,w4 ,a4 ,baldwin1 in the improvement of their dock at this terminus of the road4 ,the water at the end of the main pier and for a short distance inshore1 on either side of the pier1 is over #ad feet deep1 shoaling back to about #f feet1 which we had to deepen to #ad feet4 ,the bottom is a smooth hard surface of shale rock1 a portion of which when exposed to the air disintegrates1 while other parts are sufficiently hard1 and are used for1 building purposes4 ,it lies in strata of about eight inches to twelve inches thickness1 which we drilled through and blasted during the winter1 and are now dredging the rock4 ,the process of drilling was in the primitive style1 with hand drills1 mostly done through the ice1 and the blasting1 with powder in cartridges with small tubes reaching to the surface of the water1 through which the match was conducted to the powder4 ,firing however1 was afterwards done by dropping a red hot nail down the tube1 which was quite an improvement on the match1 and gave us almost simultaneous explosions4 ,the holes drilled were #e feet apart1 in rows of #e feet from each other1 and the largest charge of powder used was a canister #b inches in diameter and #dj inches long4 ,this process having been used to some extent the season before1 it was commenced again this last winter1 but the work being extended1 we thought it advisable to make some improvements in the modus operandi4 ,after a correspondence with different manufacturers of machine drills1 we found no one of them ready for business at once1 and before we were able to make terms1 our primitive style of drilling advanced almost to completion4 ,we sent to ,mr4 ,mowbray who was then in ,titusville1 ,pennsylvania1 to try his ,nitro-,glycerin1 and made an experiment in a square of a little over ten yards1 where the rock to be removed was over seven feet deep4 ,the holes were drilled a greater distance apart1 but to the same depth as used for powder 7#ae feet from surface of water74 ,in this square we blasted about #bcj square yards of rock1 using #ej pounds of ,nitro-,glycerin in cartridges fired in rows by electricity1 but without a face of rock to work from1 such as we had with the powder blast4 ,this would have taken #abe lbs4 powder4 ,upon reaching the place with the dredge1 we found the rock completely crumbled1 ,,rendering ,,dredging ,,as ,,easy ,,as ,,that ,,of ,,gravel1 and to the depth of seventeen feet1 while with the powder blasting we have had trouble1 and in two cases had to blast again to obtain fourteen feet of water1 and even then have to lift rock measuring ten and twelve cubic feet4 ,nitro-,glycerin is certainly far superior in its effect1 and would have been much cheaper to use in this case4 ,gunpowder does not blast to the depth of the holes drilled1 whilst ,nitro-,glycerin tears the rock from the bottom1 and here seems to have penetrated three feet beyond4 ,the reason it was not used before1 was the difficulty in procuring it4 ,the nearest factory was that of ,mr4 ,mowbray at ,titusville1 and the local as well as state laws were such that it could not be transported1 except by private conveyance1 which added to its cost4 ,that used was carried to ,corry in ,mr4 ,mowbray's carriage1 over a very rough road1 and thence by special train to this place4 ,if pure1 the danger in the use of ,nitro-,glycerin is no greater than that of powder1 and the premature explosions that have proved so fatal in many instances1 have without doubt been caused by decomposition1 which was the result of imperfect manufacture4 ,if regularly manufactured1 accidents will be the result only of inexperience or the neglect of instructions from those having experience4 ,in the manufacture1 the nitrous vapours that are disengaged at the time of mixing1 if not entirely expelled1 will make it liable to explosion from any concussion1 and from ,mr4 ,mowbray's experience in a number of instances with that manufactured by himself1 ,i should judge his ,nitro-,glycerin to be as safe as powder in the hands of experienced persons4 ,it is of a light yellowish color1 with pungent aromatic taste1 rather sweet than otherwise1 and is so poisonous1 that in handling1 should one allow it to remain on his hands1 it would produce intense head ache4 ,it does not explode from the application of flame to its surface1 yet will burn1 but explodes only from severe concussion1 as by the explosion of detonating mixtures and fulminates4 ,i write to you hoping you will communicate any information my letter may contain to ,general ,newton1 as it may serve ,mr4 ,mowbray1 who ,i think has made a great improvement in the manufacture of ,nitro-,glycerin1 and as he gives it his personal attention1 ,i have no doubt it is superior to any now used4 ,i was much pleased to receive the report of the blasting in ,california1 and should interesting professional papers be published by the ,bureau1 let me beg you will remember ,your sincere friend1 ,g4 ,,clinton ,,gardiner4 ,the experiments above narrated and conducted under the supervision of ,major ,gardiner1 were continued1 7on the removal of the ,major to the ,pennsylvania ,central's works at ,altoona17 by ,f4 ,j4 ,wilson1 under ,general ,superintendent ,wm4 ,a4 ,baldwin1 and the results expected were entirely fulfilled1 as will be seen by the subjoined communications3 ,,submarine ,,blasting ,,with ,,nitro-,,glycerin2 ,,results ,,as ,,compared ,,with ,,blasting ,,powder1 ,,in ,,erie ,,harbor1 ,,may1 #ahgj4 ,philadelphia and ,erie ,r4 ,r42 ,pennsylvania ,r4 ,r4 ,co41 ,lessee4 ,office of the ,general ,superintendent1 ,,erie1 ,,penn41 ,may #aith1 '#gj4 ,to ,,geo4 ,m4 ,,mowbray1 ,north ,adams1 ,mass41 ,dear ,sir3 ,the comparative values of the two materials1 ,gun-,powder and ,nitro-,glycerin1 as to results and actual cost for blasting in the harbor at ,erie1 cannot be positively obtained until the dredging is finished2 when this year's operations with ,nitro-,glycerin1 can be compared with that of last year done with powder4 ,the prospects thus far are so favorable1 however1 ,i regret that the use of ,nitro-,glycerin was not adopted last year4 ,on the completion of the work ,i shall be pleased to furnish you with statements of comparative results1 feeling confident they will prove a more full satisfactory and valuable endorsement of your ,nitro-,glycerin for submarine use1 than any theoretically based opinion can be4 ,i enclose you copy of reports of ,mr4 ,f4 ,j4 ,wilson1 ,engineer in charge of ,erie ,harbor ,works1 and of ,mr4 ,dunbar1 contractor for dredging1 which will give you an idea of the economical results to us from the use of your ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,yours truly1 ,,wm4 ,a4 ,,baldwin1 ,gen'l4 ,supt4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,erie1 ,penn41 ,may #afth1 #ahgj4 ,,wm4 ,a4 ,,baldwin1 ,esq41 ,gen'l4 ,supt4 ,p4 and ,e4 ,railroad4 ,dear ,sir3 ,below please find a statement of comparative cost of drilling and blasting where ,nitro-,glycerin is used4 ,the #abdj lbs4 of ,nitro-,glycerin were used over an area of #bf1gjj sq4 feet1 with an average depth of rock of about seven and seven-tenths feet1 making #aa1ejj cub4 yards of rock measured in the bed4 ,cost of drilling and blasting 7using ,nitro-,glycerin71 #e1aai #fg4 ,cost of drilling and blasting 7using ,powder71 #g1dge #gc4 ,difference of cost in favor of ,nitro-,glycerin1 #b1cef #jf4 ,the difference in favor of ,nitro-,glycerin in dredging and in time saved is not taken into consideration in the above 7see ,capt4 ,dunbar's letter74 ,very respectfully1 ,f4 ,j4 ,,wilson1 ,ass't ,engineer4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,erie1 ,may #ahth1 #ahgj4 ,to ,w4 ,a4 ,,baldwin1 ,esq41 ,gen'l4 ,supt4 ,p4 and ,e4 ,railroad1 ,dear ,sir3 ,in reply to your inquiry as to the relative difference in dredging rock blasted by ,nitro-,glycerin and that blasted by ,powder1 ,i have no hesitation in saying that ,i am certain we can dredge twice the number of cubic yards where it is blasted with the ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,i think ,i could speak safely and say three yards to one where the rock is hard4 ,in fact1 there are places where we could do nothing with the ,powder blasting1 when we have no trouble with the ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,truly yours1 ,,chas4 ,f4 ,,dunbar1 ,firm of ,lee ,dunbar4 ,,result4--,submarine drilling and blasting with ,nitro-,glycerin costs #dd cents per cubic yard4 ,gunpowder costs #ff cents per cubic yard4 ,nitro-,glycerin used1 one ounce and six-tenths of an ounce per cubic yard of rock removed4 ,,dimon',s ,,reef1 ,,new ,,york ,,harbor4 ,general ,newton1 ,u4 ,s4 ,corps of ,engineers1 who has been entrusted with the expenditure of the annual appropriation for the improvements in ,new ,york harbor1 having constructed a floating drilling apparatus1 with steam power to capstans1 four steam derricks1 and direct engines to lift the drop-drills1 applied to me 7#ahgj7 first1 to enter upon a competitive test1 with ,nitro-,glycerin as compared with ,dualin1 and with blasting powder1 into which a reel of lightning fuse was inserted1 to ensure more perfect and rapid combustion of the powder4 ,these tests were conducted at ,hell ,gate1 under the supervision of ,mr4 ,reitheimer2 ,mr4 ,h4 ,h4 ,pratt1 with ,nitro-,glycerin1 on my behalf2 ,mr4 ,dittmar with ,dualin1 and ,mr4 ,gomez1 for the powder and lightning fuse blasts1 who respectively directed the holes to be drilled1 charged them1 and fired the several charges4 ,the results were decisive of the superiority of ,nitro-,glycerin1 over both ,dualin1 and ,blasting ,powder1 even when assisted by a coil of lightning or fulminating fuse1 inserted in the powder4 ,two points were elicited1 as reported by my operator2 first the ,nitro-,glycerin tore out more work1 invariably reaching to the bottom1 and sometimes beyond the bottom of the drill hole1 whilst its explosion was so instantaneous it did not cause leakage in the roof1 as with ,dualin4 ,thereupon ,i was invited by ,general ,newton1 to arrange operations for blasting at ,dimon's ,reef1 between the ,staten ,island ,ferry and ,governor's ,island4 ,eight holes had been drilled in a circle of twenty feet diameter1 with a ninth or central hole1 thus leaving an average of eight feet of rock between each drill hole4 ,finding that the drilled holes were shaped like an inverted cone1 owing to the omission of the reamer2 that is1 whilst the drill1 jars1 sinker bar1 cable and cable clutch of the ,pennsylvania oil wells1 had been used1 the provision for remedying the effect of the worn edges of the drill1 had been overlooked1 and thus a very disadvantageous form of hole1 viz43 funnel shaped1 was the result1 necessitating the use of a cartridge1 whose diameter must not exceed that of the smallest1 which in this case was the lowest part of the drilled hole4 ,the irregularity1 and jagged edge of these unreamed holes1 had also to be guarded against1 lest the friction of any ,nitro-,glycerin moistening the outside of the cartridge1 might cause a casualty4 ,i therefore determined1 until better drilling could be secured1 to use #b inch two-ply rubber hose for cartridges1 a material by no means desirable1 because it afforded a cushion between the rock and the blast1 but it became a necessity from the funnel shaped drill holes1 when providing against the risk of premature explosion4 ,the holes being #d inches in diameter at the upper part1 and barely #c inches at the bottom2 the cartridge made of rubber hose1 being uniform throughout1 containing a column of liquid ,nitro-,glycerin1 #b inches in diameter only1 and #f feet long2 at the upper part of the holes there was an intervening cushion of water and hose1 over #a inch thick2 and at the lower part1 a cushion of inch of hose4 ,this should have been avoided1 and ,i have mentioned these details as a caution to future operators1 who desire the full explosive force of ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,the depth of water at or during high-tide1 is about twenty-two feet1 and at low tide1 fourteen to fifteen feet1 the tide running four miles an hour with an amount of silty matter1 drainage of ,n4 ,y4 ,city sewerage1 rendering it impossible for a diver to distinguish objects one foot from his helmet4 ,under these circumstances plugs have to be inserted in the several holes1 each plug attached to the other by a rope1 so as to enable the diver to guide himself from one hole to the other4 ,owing to various interfering circumstances the holes were only ready for blasting on the #afth of ,december1 #ahgj2 and the second day after arrival in ,new ,york1 accompanied with three assistants1 ,i proceeded to the work2 there was a stiff wind blowing from the northwest1 which1 meeting the tide1 caused a chopping sea2 the weather was cold as shown by the crust of ice attached to the scow4 ,the frozen ,nitro-,glycerin was thawed out by hot water obtained from the steam boiler on board the scow4 ,these cartridges were lowered to the diver with the connecting wire1 fuse1 and exploder attached1 one after the other1 occupying twenty minutes2 two of the holes being too small to allow the cartridge to be fully inserted1 these projected1 one about eighteen inches1 the other one foot above the surface of the holes2 the diver1 moreover1 became entangled in the wires and in order to extricate him1 it was necessary twice to haul him to the surface1 after which considerable time was occupied in moving the scow from over the site of the intended explosion1 before the order could be given to fire4 ,the amount of ,nitro-,glycerin used to fill the nine cartridges1 was one hundred and thirty-four pounds4 ,on the order being given1 the charge was successfully fired4 ,similar charges of nine cartridges1 with more perfect holes and a heavier charge were fired three weeks afterwards4 ,,nitro-,,glycerin ,,torpedoes ,,in ,,oil ,,wells4--,the ,legislature of ,massachusetts having resolved to place the further construction of the ,hoosac ,tunnel under contract1 pending the transfer from ,october1 #ahfh1 to ,april1 #ahfi1 from ,state management to the present contractors1 ,messrs4 ,f4 ,shanly ,co4 ,i proceeded to the ,oil ,region1 and there verified the fact that ,nitro-,glycerin1 properly exploded1 i4 e41 the charge completely exploded1 was more efficient in causing an increased yield of oil when applied to wells ceasing or diminishing their yield1 than any other material4 ,erhardt's powder1 ,oriental powder1 and ordinary blasting powder1 had been used very generally1 and ,nitro-,glycerin had been alleged to have been used1 but the results were unsatisfactory2 as soon however1 as we started a ,nitro-,glycerin factory at ,titusville1 and inserted charges varying from six pounds to fifty pounds1 the results were so advantageous to the well owners1 that none others would be used1 while ,nitro-,glycerin could be obtained4 ,the first explosion was in ,d4 ,crossley's well on the ,weed farm1 a charge of six pounds having been inserted1 and fired4 ,the well whose previous best yield had only amounted to six barrels per day1 increased forthwith to one hundred and twenty barrels of petroleum per day1 and settled down to forty barrels per day1 which were obtained daily for nearly a year4 ,on the road to ,enterprise at the ,mc,kinney ,prior well1 the explosion of six pounds of ,nitro-,glycerin invariably started the well to flow at the rate of about one hundred barrels in twenty-four hours4 ,at the ,crocker wells on the ,weed farm1 the increase after an explosion of ,nitro-,glycerin was usually from ten barrels to one hundred and twenty4 ,after a charge of ,nitro-,glycerin in an oil well1 the yield generally rises to the highest point it has ever attained1 and thence gradually diminishes therefrom1 apparently owing to an accumulation of paraffine deposited in the interstices of the walls of the well4 ,this has led to the pouring down the well1 benzine1 and pumping same out with the oil1 and is another form of recuperating the yield of oil4 ,as the process of increasing the production of ,petroleum in oil wells1 by means of the explosion of gunpowder or its equivalent1 substantially as described in the specification of ,e4 ,o4 ,l4 ,roberts1 ante-dated ,may #bj1 #ahff1 was claimed by the patentee to cover the use of ,nitro-,glycerin and every known or hereafter to be invented method of effecting an explosion in an oil well1 and as the case has hereto been presented in the courts1 this claim has been sustained4 ,when1 therefore1 the contractors commenced operations on their work at the ,tunnel1 ,i resumed my manufacture of ,nitro-,glycerin for that work1 leaving the oil region1 where the oil operators and producers have since been incessantly litigating the validity of the ,roberts patents above referred to1 with1 however1 up to the present date1 indifferent success4 ,the average of greatly increased production in exhausted wells1 so far as my experience extended1 during four months at one hundred wells1 was that #hj per cent4 were benefited1 and in about #bj per cent4 no marked results were obtained4 ,when the question as to whether this form of blasting1 viz43 in oil wells1 is patentable has been decided1 it will be time to renew the careful application of ,nitro-,glycerin in oil wells1 but at present1 the careless handling1 the pursuit of wealth regardless of the lives of the employed1 and the unscrupulous assertion prevalent among those interested in the patent referred to1 is depriving the oil producers of a valuable agent4 ,since1 however1 the present yield of oil is ample for the consumption1 this1 so far as the public is concerned1 is of less moment than it is to the producers1 who1 by the time economical and useful blasting in oil wells is needed to bring up the yield to the ever increasing demand1 will have finally disposed of this patent litigation4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,nitro-,glycerin ,considered in its ,chemical ,details4 ,glycerin1 the base of ,nitro-,glycerin1 is produced from most of the fixed oils and solid fats by the process of saponification1 that is1 by treating these fatty bodies with an alkali1 or other metallic oxide1 in presence of water1 or with water itself at a high temperature4 ,for many years the ,glycerin of commerce was produced from olive oil1 by boiling1 in the presence of water1 litharge1 which yielded the well known lead plaster or diachylon1 and a sweetish liquid1 which by evaporation of the water1 was found to be ,glycerin2 thus procured1 however1 it was apt to be contaminated with lead1 and therefore very objectionable for medical purposes4 ,the sources whence it is now procured1 are1 the alkaline mother liquor of the soap works1 when the soap is separated by common salt3 also the residue of the manufacture of stearic acid for candles1 by heating neutral fats with water or with steam1 7,tilghmann's process73 and the action of muriatic acid on castor oil4 ,it is apt to be contaminated with sulphuric acid1 oxalic acid1 lead1 and more generally with uncrystallizable sugars4 ,the demand has vastly increased of late years for medical purposes1 elastic sponge1 and retaining moisture in tobacco1 print works1 as a preserving agent1 and for floating compasses1 etc41 etc4 ,the following are the synonyms of ,nitro-,glycerin2 ,nitrate of ,oxide of ,lipyl1 7,,berzelius72 ,glonoin1 ,mono-,nitro-,glycerin1 ,di-,nitro-,glycerin1 ,tri-,nitro-,glycerin1 7,,liecke7--,symbol1 7,c,h17 ,o1 #c,,no2 7,hydrogen #a1 ,oxygen #h17 the equivalent or atomic weight is #adg4 ,pure ,nitro-,glycerin is nearly colorless2 usually1 however1 owing to coloring matter contained in the ,glycerin used in its manufacture1 it is of a light yellow-tinted color1 oily1 without odor1 but having an aromatic taste1 ,sp4 ,gr4 #a4f at #fj;,f1 very insoluble in water2 mixes with alcohol 7one part to four parts7 and ether2 it separates from the alcoholic solution by the addition of water4 ,a vinous taste is perceptible to the tongue1 the maxillary glands are stimulated1 and in a few minutes the individual who has tasted it from a pin's point for the first time1 is conscious of a persistent1 throbbing headache4 ,slightly touching1 it with the hands produces a like effect2 after a few days of frequent handling1 however1 the system becomes less susceptible to these effects1 and workmen constantly employed in its manufacture are not affected by it4 ,it is poisonous1 a small quantity being sufficient to kill a dog1 7,,sobrero74 ,it decomposes at #cbj;,f1 giving out red vapors1 and explodes at a higher temperature1 or by concussion or percussion1 crashing the containing vessel2 it ignites by flame1 and burns without explosion1 yielding a light ethereal flame of considerable volume4 ,pure ,nitro-,glycerin may be kept for a year unchanged1 7,de ,vrij74 ,the writer has exposed it to frost1 sun and rain1 for three years1 and found it unchanged4 ,unless perfectly pure1 however1 it rapidly changes1 becoming of an orange yellow color1 evolving fumes1 and seems to become a wholly differing compound1 being difficult1 when thus changed1 to congeal1 except at a much lower temperature than #de;,f1 and is more readily exploded4 ,it very easily decomposes by drying in a warm room with rarefied air1 7,,williamson74 ,it is instantly decomposed when dissolved in alcohol1 by adding an alcoholic solution of caustic potash1 the reaction being so violent as to eject the mixture from the test tube4 ,nitro-,glycerin in contact with the following salts3 nitrates of lime1 cobalt1 soda1 barytes and potash2 chlorides of calcium1 of barium2 perchloride of iron1 carbonate of lime1 sulphates of potash1 lime and soda1 was found unchanged after a year's exposure4 ,,incompatibles3 nitrate of silver precipitates black oxide of silver2 nitrate of copper gives a precipitate of peroxide of copper1 the ,nitro-,glycerin remaining1 however1 bright and apparently unchanged4 ,in a solution of nitrate of mercury1 there appears a white film1 a bubble of protoxide of azote1 apparently adherent to the ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,muriate of ammonia seems to divide the ,nitro-,glycerin into two liquids1 a light film supernatant1 and the heavier liquid subjacent4 ,the action of chloride of mercury 7calomel7 is but very slight4 ,protochloride of tin forms a precipitate of peroxide of tin1 the residuary ,nitro-,glycerin reflecting light powerfully1 and as brightly as a diamond4 ,bichromate of potash is partly reduced to chromate4 ,sulphate of copper forms a very slight precipitate of oxide of copper1 with apparently no change in the residuary ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,sulphate of iron decomposes it1 giving a voluminous precipitate1 with evolution of nitrous fumes4 ,sulphuret of ammonia decomposes it1 with precipitation of sulphur4 ,acetate of lead1 chlorine water1 ferridcyanide of potassium1 cyanide of potassium1 sulphocyanide of potassium1 and of mercury1 nitroprusside of sodium decompose it1 also the sulphurets of iron1 and potassium4 ,the action of tin1 iron1 and lead1 slowly decomposing the ,nitro-,glycerin1 especially in the presence of an acid1 indicates that metals having an affinity for oxygen1 are the most active in promoting decomposition1 evolving at the same time nitrous fumes1 or protoxide of nitrogen1 whilst the residuary ,nitro-,glycerin does not seem to be affected2 with sulphuretted hydrogen1 as with sulphuret of sodium1 potassium and ammonium1 the action is prompt1 and if these reagents be added in sufficient quantity1 the ,nitro-,glycerin is wholly decomposed1 sulphur being precipitated4 ,ascagne ,sobrero1 the discoverer of ,nitro-,glycerin1 says3 it may be prepared by slowly introducing syrupy ,glycerin into a mixture of two volumes concentrated sulphuric acid to one volume of nitric acid1 ,sp4 ,gr4 #a4d1 dropping it in and rapidly cooling4 ,it seems to dissolve in this mixture without any noticeable reaction1 and by pouring it into water1 the so formed ,nitro-,glycerin separates from it4 ,it is then washed several times in water1 is next dissolved in ether1 and after evaporation 7dangerous work this7 is finally purified over sulphuric acid4 ,de ,vrij recommends dissolving #ajj grammes of ,glycerin ,sp4 ,gr4 #a4bfb in #bjj c4 c4 of hydrated nitric acid cooled to #ad;,f1 taking care that the mixture never exceeds in temperature #cb;,f4 ,when a homogeneous mixture has been obtained1 #bjj c4 c4 of strong sulphuric acid are added very gradually1 taking especial care that the temperature of this mixture never rises above #cb;,f4 ,the oily ,nitro-,glycerin which floats on the surface is separated by a tap-funnel from the acid liquid 7which yields more ,nitro-,glycerin on being diluted with water7 and is now dissolved in the smallest possible quantity of ether2 this solution is shaken with water1 until the water no longer reddens litmus2 the ether evaporated 7here take care67 and the remaining ,nitro-,glycerin heated over the water-bath till its weight remains constant4 ,merck1 of ,darmstadt1 the eminent operative chemist1 found in following ,de ,vrij's method1 whilst evaporating the ethereal solution1 and before the temperature had reached #bab;,f1 it was accompanied by a terrible explosion4 ,an accident from the same cause occurred in the laboratory of ,dr4 ,e4 ,von ,gorup-,besanez1 and we find in 8,comptes ,rendus0 an account of the effects of the explosion of only #aj drops of ,nitro-,glycerin1 which1 by one of the pupils of that chemist1 in his laboratory1 were put into a small cast-iron saucepan1 and heated with a ,bunsen gas flame4 ,the effect of the explosion was that the forty-six panes of glass of the windows of the laboratory were smashed to atoms1 the saucepan was hurled through a brick wall1 the stout iron stand on which the vessel had been placed was partly split1 partly spirally twisted1 and the tube of the ,bunsen burner was split and flattened outwards4 ,fortunately1 none of the three persons present in the laboratory at the time were hurt4 ,when ,nitro-,glycerin is caused to fall drop by drop on a thoroughly red hot iron plate1 it burns off as gunpowder would do under the same conditions2 but if the iron is not red hot1 but yet hot enough to cause the ,nitro-,glycerin to boil suddenly1 an explosion takes place4 ,nitro-,glycerin is decomposed by evaporation1 even in vacuo1 over sulphuric acid at ordinary temperatures 7,,railton71 and when left to itself1 frequently undergoes spontaneous decomposition2 but when well purified1 it may be kept for a long time without alteration 7,h4 ,,watts72 exhibits different properties1 according to the manner in which it is prepared 7,,gladstone74 ,liecke in ,dingler's ,polytechnical ,journal1 prescribes the following formul for manufacturing the three several preparations1 ,mono-,nitro-,glycerin1 ,di-,nitro-,glycerin and ,tri-,nitro-,glycerin4 ,mono-,nitro-,glycerin3 ,glycerin #ajj grammes4 ,nitric acid1 ,sp4 ,gr4 #a4c1 #bjj grammes4 ,dissolve the ,glycerin in the nitric acid1 and then add sulphuric acid #bjj cubic centimeters4 ,the product should be ,c,h,o,h ,o ,,no,h ,di-,nitro-,glycerin3 ,sulphuric acid containing #a eq4 water1 two volumes1 nitric acid1 ,sp4 ,gr4 #a4d1 one volume2 mix the above1 lower the temperature to #cb;,f1 or below1 and drop into it ,glycerin1 pure1 one volume4 ,prod4 ,c,h,o,h ,o #b,,no ,tri-nitro-glycerin3 ,sulphuric ,acid1 #c4e parts4 ,nitrate of ,potash1 #a part4 cooled to #j;,f1 produces ,,ko #d,,so #f;,,ho1 from this the concentrated fuming ,nitric acid is separated by decantation1 and being maintained at #j;,f1 ,glycerin #j4h parts is very gradually added1 producing ,c,h,o,,no ,o #b,,no ,from the above extracts of several of the most eminent chemists of the present day1 the reader will glean1 that in order to prepare this explosive1 of uniform quality1 invariable in composition1 free from water1 or any other impurity1 it is not merely necessary to buy the best materials1 but to have at command the means of verifying their purity before attempting its manufacture4 ,these points secured1 viz3 purity and strength of materials1 i4 e41 glycerin free from sugar1 fatty acid1 saline impurities1 and a mixture of ,sulphuric ,acid with ,nitric ,acid in due proportion1 of due percentage of the respective acids1 and not more water therein1 nor in the glycerin1 at one time of making1 than another2 the next point to command will be1 that in combining the glycerin with the acids1 when considerable heat is evolved1 the heat thus evolved shall be absorbed rapidly1 so as never under any circumstances whatever1 to exceed a certain temperature4 ,sobrero names #cb;,f2 otherwise1 according to my experience1 very differing nitro-glycerin will result from variation of temperature whilst mixing4 ,such products may be fatal to the miner1 although only affecting the manufacturer in a pecuniary sense4 ,i am led to emphasize these remarks from the fact that prospectuses have been issued to tempt contractors to buy apparatus in the one case1 and offering to manufacture on the side of a railroad cutting1 if required1 in another case1 by parties who have no experience in the manufacture1 and who start in their new avocation1 by deriding the care1 outlay and precautions that their competitors have deemed it necessary to make1 in order to secure a uniform1 certain1 and1 for mining purposes1 perfectly safe explosive2 for as the product is to be handed over to the uneducated miner1 who cannot estimate the risk he is subjected to even if such a course occurred to him1 it does seem to me just and proper1 that the controlling engineer1 the intelligent contractor1 and especially the operating miner who is to handle this explosive1 should be advised1 that under the term ,nitro-,glycerin1 very different substances1 both as regards explosive force1 and liability to spontaneous explosion1 do result1 unless extraordinary precautions are adopted in the selection of the crude materials1 as well as securing uniformly low temperature throughout the process of making4 ,unless this be done1 decomposition sets in and is indicated by the emanation of fumes1 by the deepening of the light lemon tint to an orange yellow1 and at this point1 the miner should decline using it1 and require the manufacturer to take his place1 and the risks contingent on using it4 ,since many of the accidents that have occurred with ,nitro-,glycerin1 have been traced to leakage from the containing vessel1 notably the ,san ,francisco accident1 probably the ,panama explosion1 and undoubtedly the ,titusville or ,enterprise explosion1 besides other cases where it leaked through the bottom of wagon and thence on to the springs1 whose hammering caused an explosion1 the discovery by ,granger1 page #ai1 confirmed by the magazine explosion1 page #ah1 teach the importance of transporting this explosive in a solid state1 that is1 congealed2 there is however another reason2 decomposing ,nitro-,glycerin will not solidify at #de;,f1 and the consumer has a ready and convenient test for the purity of this article1 by seeing to it that he invariably purchases the explosive deliverable in a solid form4 ,another test is1 when exploded1 in a close tunnel1 the fumes or decomposed gases should not inconvenience the miner4--,failing in either of these tests1 it may fairly be rejected as an inferior article1 or should be used up as speedily as possible1 preferably by the manufacturer or his more experienced employees1 rather than by a miner who may not be fully aware of the unnecessary risk to which he is exposed in handling impure ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,,method ,,of ,,analysis4 ,walter ,crum#e describes a method of analysing bodies containing nitric acid1 applicable to the nitro-compounds2 when nitrate of potash is used1 it is previously purified by crystallization1 and fused at little more than its melting heat4 ,nitro-,glycerin1 gun-cotton1 etc41 must be deprived of moisture4 #e ,pharmaceutical ,transactions1 vol4 #g1 #ahdh1 p4 #bg1 et seq4 ,a glass jar eight inches long and an inch and a quarter in diameter1 is filled with and inverted over mercury2 a single lump of time fused nitrate1 weighing about six grains1 is let up through the mercury into the inverted jar1 and afterwards fifty grains of water4 ,as soon as the nitrate is dissolved1 #abe grains of sulphuric acid1 ascertained to be free from nitric acid1 are added4 ,by the action of the mercury upon the liberated nitric acid1 deutoxide of nitrogen soon begins to be evolved1 and1 usually in about two hours1 without the application of heat1 the whole of the nitric acid is converted into that gas4 ,sometimes agitation is necessary1 and it is easily performed by giving a jerking horizontal motion to the upper part of the jar4 ,the surface of the sulphuric acid is then marked1 and three-fourths of an inch of solution of sulphate of iron recently boiled1 let up into the jar4 ,the gas is rapidly absorbed1 except a small portion at last1 which must be left several hours to the action of the solution1 or be well agitated in a smaller tube with a fresh portion of it4 ,no correction of the nitric oxide has to be made for moisture1 for the mixture of acid and water employed has no perceptible vapor tension4 ,in one experiment1 #e4dj grains of nitrate of potash yielded #d4ige cubic inches of gas1 at #fj;,f1 and barometer #cj inches4 ,the residue not absorbed by the sulphate of iron1 was #j4jae cubic inch1 leaving #d4if cubic inches of nitric oxide #a4eid grains ,,no1 and which correspond to #b4hfi grains nitric acid1 or #ec4ac of the nitrate of potash4 ,four consecutive experiments yielded #ec4ac #ec4ad #ec4gc #ec4bi ------ ,mean #ec4cb or leaving out the third experiment4 ,mean #ec4ai ,the calculated percentage of nitric acid in nitrate of potash1 the acid being represented by #f4ge1 and the potash by #e4hiib1 is #ec4cf4 ,,thomson gives for percentage of nitric acid in nitrate of potash #eb4id1 and ,,berzelius #ec4dd4 ,salts in powder1 which are difficult to pass through mercury without loss1 may be enclosed in small glass cylinders4 ,nitro-,glycerin may be made into pellets with powdered glass1 and congealed at #de;,f1 or simply congealed by taking great care it is not partially thawed during manipulation4 ,mr4 ,theron ,skeel1 of ,albany1 has furnished me with the following extract from the ,engineering ,journal of the #agth ,nov41 #ahga1 being an explanation of ,m4 ,l4 ,hote's method of analysing the gases produced by the explosion of ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,he uses ,ure's graduated electric eudiometer1 made out of a green glass organic analysis tube4 ,introduce into the apparatus ten centimeters of the gases evolved from water by voltaic electricity1 then introduce small globules of thin glass1 containing from five to six milligrammes of the explosive2 an electric spark being passed through the mixed gases by means of the platina points melted in the upper part of the eudiometer1 explodes the gases1 breaks the small glass globules and explodes the ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,the gases evolved are colorless1 and contain a proportion of binoxide of nitrogen4 ,submitted to the proper absorbents1 for moisture1 binoxide of nitrogen and carbonic acid1 there remains nitrogen4 ,thus3 #a gramme ,nitro-,glycerin gave at temp4 #j ,cent4 #bi4g barom4 press41 of these gases #bhd c4c4 ,one hundred parts by volume contained ,carbonic acid1 #de4gb ,binoxide of ,nitrogen1 #bj4cf ,nitrogen1 #cc4ib ------ #ajj4jj ,,martin#f has devised a method of ascertaining the percentage of nitric acid1 by its conversion into ammonia4 ,nitric acid when mixed with sulphuric or muriatic acids1 in the presence of metallic zinc1 is converted into ammonia 7,gmelin ,i1 #hbh74 ,by placing some zinc in a mixture of the two acids1 there is no disengagement of gas1 whilst the nitric acid is converted into ammonia4 ,hydrogen in its nascent state combines with the oxygen of the nitrogen compound1 produced by the nitric acid alone4 ,metallic zinc1 with dilute nitric acid1 gives protoxide of nitrogen2 and by taking one equivalent of this gas and four equivalents of hydrogen1 water and ammonia may be formed4 ,,no #d;,h ,,nh ,,ho4 ,the nitric acid1 acting gradually and slowly on the zinc1 is transformed into ammonia1 equivalent for equivalent4 ,when this reaction has ceased1 then follows a disengagement of hydrogen gas from the zinc1 which is permitted for a few seconds4 ,it now remains to ascertain the percentage of ammonia4 ,the ammonia may be distilled off and then absorbed by a normal or previously ascertained quantitative solution of oxalic acid1 and afterwards to ascertain the quantity of oxalic acid not taken up2 deduct this from the original quantity contained in the absorbing solution1 and the result gives the percentage of oxalic acid neutralized by the absorption of the ammonia2 from this the ammonia is calculated4 ,mohr's apparatus for the disengagement of ammonia may be used with advantage in this operation4 ,see ,mohr's ,traite d'analyse chimique1 supplement1 p4 #djb1 ,paris1 #aheg4 ,tilberg#g analysed the ,stockholm ,nitro-,glycerin with the following results3 ,c,h7,,no7,o 7the ,carbon atoms being estimated as #ab1 ,hydrogen #a1 ,oxygen #af17 and regarded it as ,mono-,nitro-,glycerin4 #f ,comptes rendus1 ,v4 xxxvii1 p4 #idg4 #g ,chemical ,news1 ,march #ahfi1 p4 #aea4 ,in proof of the fact of ,nitro-,glycerin being explosive by concussion effected at a distance1 if proof were needed1 ,i instance a small can containing about #d lbs4 of ,nitro-,glycerin left by the blaster about #cej feet from the heading1 and partially protected by the rail which was curved upwards to prevent the cars running over the dump1 was exploded1 when a full charge of #af holes was fired in the heading at the ,west ,end of the ,hoosac ,tunnel4 ,it will be noted that there could be no heat developed #cej feet from the primary explosion1 and being enclosed in an ordinary kerosene can1 it appears a striking instance of the possibility of explosion from induced concussion4 ,again1 in ,april1 #ahgb1 a cartridge of ,nitro-,glycerin was left in the cartridge chest1 containing about #b lbs4 ,nitro-,glycerin1 whilst #bj charges of blasting powder were fired in the heading1 #bjj feet distant2 the explosion of the powder was unusually heavy1 and the ,nitro-,glycerin exploded1 tearing the chest to pieces1 fracturing the air main and disrupting the track4 ,this indubitably proves the explosion of ,nitro-,glycerin by concussion1 and should warn every operator to be careful to place any surplus explosive away from exploders1 and as far distant as possible from where an explosion is intended1 and particularly in such position that if it should explode1 a contingency possible1 there may be no one near the vessel containing such surplus4 #h,the experiments of ,february #ag1 #ahgj1 described by ,professors ,barker and ,s4 ,w4 ,johnson1 where water and glass intervened to receive the heat and concussion1 confirm the fact of ,nitro-,glycerin being explosive by concussion1 without heat or pressure2 in these instances neither heat nor pressure were admitted1 yet the explosion blew the tub into fragments1 cutting off the staves level with the hoops1 smashing and fracturing the bottom of the tub on the rock serving as a pedestal1 and sending the water up so that it descended in a shower seventy feet from the point of explosion4 #h ,see abstract of ,prof4 ,barker's affidavit1 towards the close of this pamphlet4 ,it is proper ,i should here announce that1 after a series of experiments1 during my leisure hours1 extending over several years1 with nitro-mannite1 nitro-sugar1 nitro-dextrin1 nitro-starch1 and nitro-naphthalin1 with a view to obtain a homogeneous compound convertible wholly into gaseous matter1 and miscible with liquid ,nitro-,glycerin1 which would not explode under ordinary conditions1 ,i have succeeded in obtaining such a mixture1 viz43 ,nitro-,glycerin1 thirty parts4 ,nitro-,toluol1 ten parts4 ,mixed1 this will not explode when struck on an anvil1 burns when thrown on to the fire1 and can only be exploded with very heavily charged exploders1 containing1 say1 fifteen grains of fulminate1 better and more surely1 however1 with twenty grains4 ,to this ,i know but one drawback3 it does not solidify at a moderate 7#de;,f7 temperature1 and1 if the containing vessel should leak1 a too frequent source of accident with inferior ,nitro-,glycerin that cannot be congealed1 the nitro-toluol is liable to evaporate1 and the ,nitro-,glycerin is then left with its usually dangerous properties unimpaired4 ,this was patented by ,c4 ,volney1 who formerly blasted for me1 and for the ,lake ,shore ,n4 ,g4 ,co41 and assigned to me for a consideration4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,electricity for ,blasting ,operations4 ,although half a century has passed since blasting by electricity was effected by ,col4 ,pasley1 in his submarine explosions for removing the wreck of the ,royal ,george1 at ,spithead1 the apparatus for exciting the electricity necessary to explode many charges simultaneously1 is still 7,may1 #ahgb71 very unsatisfactory4 ,mr4 ,h4 ,julius ,smith1 of ,boston1 taking the ,austrian friction battery1 recommended by ,baron ,abner1 in his report at ,vienna1 for his basis1 has ameliorated the arrangements by enclosing the working parts in a better vulcanite casing1 and securing the discharge by reversing the motion of the handle1 but the objections remain that an ebonite plate is scratched by the rubbers1 that specks of the sulphuret of tin1 used as an amalgam1 cause a partial discharge all over the surface of the plate1 rendering it a short-lived machine whose power is limited1 unless the priming of the exploders is made very sensitive1 and liable to explode by atmospheric electricity4 ,several fatal accidents have occurred to miners1 from premature explosions of the charge whilst loading the holes1 and these fatalities having been traced to the 8over-sensitive priming0 used1 it behooves the mining engineer to look well to the exploders offered him1 and in every case he will find where cotton immersed in a varnish is sufficient insulation to protect the wire from losing its electricity1 the priming used for charging such exploders is too dangerous for miners' use1 and involves a grave responsibility4 ,mr4 ,abel's ,electro-magnetic ,exploder limits the discharge to a series of five mines1 or blasts in each series1 being the ,verdu or ,savare system1 and involves several leading wires for numerous explosions1 and although yielding electricity in quantity it lacks intensity4 ,the ,holtz machine is altogether too vicarious in its operation for blasting purposes4 ,a machine or apparatus that will discharge #ajj blasts1 if needed1 durable1 and not liable to derangement or wear1 is a necessity1 and it should evolve enough electricity and of sufficient tension to jump between the wires #a-bjth of an inch apart1 necessary to fire priming1 so as to secure simultaneous firing4 ,the heated wire1 or a quantity of electricity heating wire by the resistance a small wire offers to the current1 since it occupies time1 brief though it be1 involves1 as ,i think1 the objection that the discharges cannot be simultaneous in1 say twenty blasts4 ,of this class are the machines now in course of construction by ,mr4 ,moses ,farmer1 of ,boston1 where the exciting power is manual labor1 being a dynamo-electric machine4 ,breguet's electro-magnetic exploder1 giving a spark by breaking contact1 is altogether too weak1 at least for the ,american contractor4 ,the ordinary ,ruhmkorff coil is accompanied with the objection1 that in a numerous series of blasts1 the spark1 when it has passed some five or six holes1 seems to vanish in a glow1 and to lose the heat necessary to effect decomposition of the priming1 besides the incumbrance of acids and battery2 in brief1 it is not sufficiently portable for the use of contractors4 ,during the past four years ,i have given this subject much attention1 and1 having experimented pretty extensively1 ,i have secured the first point1 viz43 a safe priming which is not affected by the induced electricity caused by machinery running1 friction of handling1 or atmospheric electricity4 ,my present aim--the evolution of electricity of sufficient intensity to leap fifty to one hundred solutions of continuity1 i4 e41 effect fifty blasts simultaneously1 ,i hope ,i have secured1 but this subtile force1 electricity1 is so readily affected by so many interfering elements in blasting operations1 that it would be premature in this patent-demanding age1 to communicate the progress ,i have obtained1 until the several apparatus ,i am now constructing 7three forms of machine71 are complete1 and have been subjected to actual work in severely critical hands4 ,an inventor is no judge of the success of his own bantlings4 ,aware of the short life of the frictional electric machine1 as at present constructed2 knowing how the ordinary induction coil diminishes its intensity of spark1 in proportion to the number of blasts to be fired2 seeing that the ,electro-magnetic machine is limited to a series of five blasts1 which can only be exploded consecutively2 that the ,electro-dynamic machines are open to this last objection1 besides destruction of their conducting parts by overheating1 whilst in the matter of adopting 8over-sensitive priming0 to compensate for the deficiency of electricity or cheap conducting wire1 there looms up the danger to the miner of handling exploders1 which 8go off by looking at0 them1 it seemed that1 unless some amelioration was effected in these details1 the great economy of simultaneous blasting by means of electricity would have to be abandoned4 ,add to these difficulties the fact that any casualty occurring from any of the above causes would reach the public as caused by ,nitro-,glycerin1 and my reader will comprehend the interest ,i have felt1 during the past four years1 in solving the following problem3 ,to construct an apparatus that will1 under every condition of atmosphere1 whether damp1 dense or rarefied1 evolve1 at the will of the operator1 abundance of electricity2 such electricity to possess the property of developing intense heat1 so as not to need a very sensitive priming1 and to possess sufficient tension to overleap numerous solutions of continuity1 say fifty1 at a flash4 ,next1 to discover a priming composition1 to insert between the solutions of continuity1 that would not be affected by moisture1 that would bear handling without danger of exploding1 be unchangeable for years1 unaffected by the induced electricity of the atmosphere1 whether caused by thunder storms1 lightning on the rail1 machinery belting in motion1 or steam blowing off from a safety valve1 ozone1 etc41 and yet not too exhaustive of the electric force of the spark required to fire it4 ,the above seemed to me the conditions necessary for the apparatus and the exploder in firing with electricity4 ,in addition to these1 for conducting such electricity to the points required1 the best conductor1 and the best insulation attainable4 ,further1 that as ,nitro-,glycerin was an expensive explosive to waste1 to supplement the above details with some material that would absolutely develope its extreme force instantaneously1 and not as is easily the case1 burn a part1 explode a part1 and throw the remainder into the atmosphere1 to poison the miners1 or by missing fire1 endanger life1 and waste time4 ,how these objects1 so desirable1 have been obtained1 ,i now proceed to relate4 ,by modifying the ordinary induction coil1 so as to make it yield a highly heating spark1 and remedying its property of losing tension rapidly after leaping four or five solutions of continuity1 the ,messrs4 ,ritchie ,sons1 of ,boston1 have constructed for me a coil that fires #ah intervals when charged with rifle powder simply2 and they are now constructing another coil capable of firing fifty mines1 when charged with priming that is perfectly safe to handle1 and fulfilling the conditions enumerated above4 ,one spark alone is required to effect these results1 which may be summed up as 8eliminating the heating properties of induced electricity40 ,i have previously referred to the necessity of using a heavy charge of fulminate of mercury1 in order to secure perfect and instantaneous explosion of a charge of ,nitro-,glycerin1 without confining the latter2 the manipulating this explosive salt 7fulminate of mercury7 without hazard to the operators 7generally girls71 was accomplished by precipitating gum mastich from its alcoholic solution1 by the addition of water1 and mixing in the moist fulminate1 and then filling the pasty compound into a stout copper capsule1 which is subsequently enclosed in a wooden case1 saturated with paraffine4 ,the resistance of the stout copper capsule1 immensely adds to the effective force of the exploder1 and ensures the most effective explosion of the ,nitro-,glycerin1 which cannot be obtained by a wooden capsule alone4 ,these details as to the requirements for effectively exploding the nitro-compounds1 have been very fully examined and proved1 by ,abel1 ,article1 ,pyroxylin1 ,watts' ,chem4 ,dictionary1 ,vol4 #d1 p4 #ggf1 et seq41 and daily use confirms them4 ,my observation of the fatalities that have occurred with over-sensitive priming composition1 introduced with a view to compensate for deficient electric force1 and thus to permit the use of a weak battery and cheap cotton covered wire varnished over 7instead of gutta-percha insulation71 in order to substitute a weak current that would be sufficient to fire these over-sensitive exploders for the stronger current required to fire a safe priming1 satisfy me that electric blasting had better be discontinued1 and tape fuse resumed1 unless the work will bear the expense of absolutely safe materials4 ,better to face the difficulty1 construct efficient electric apparatus1 convey the electricity along wires of perfect insulation to a safe priming1 and by complete and violent explosion of the ,nitro-,glycerin1 or powder1 make such effective blasting as not to throw away the labor of drilling1 candles1 power1 and blasting materials4 ,i believe this the true economy4 ,these details may seem wearisome1 but the casualties of blasting can best be diminished by avoiding missed holes1 a result only attainable by using materials absolutely reliable2 and the reader1 if he has ever attempted to harness up as a team those subtile1 evasive1 terrific forces--electricity and explosives1 for the service of his fellowman1 will excuse the writer's earnestness and agree with him that in such a task the rule should be 8,aut nunquam tenta aut perfice40 ,illustration ,,chapter ,v4 ,the ,tri-,nitro-,glycerin ,manufactured at the ,hoosac ,tunnel--,how ,tri-,nitro-,glycerin is ,made--,how ,stored--,how ,gutta-,percha is ,purified--,how the ,conducting ,wires are ,insulated--,how the ,exploders are ,manufactured4 ,there are probably few of my readers who have ventured to trust themselves within a ,nitro-,glycerin manufactory2 the very name is sufficient to make the passer-by quicken his step1 till he is a safe distance beyond the dreaded precinct4 ,some account of such a factory will1 accordingly1 be interesting to many who are familiar with the article1 perhaps have used it1 but whose curiosity has not been of such a nature as to induce them to pay a visit to the works1 where the least negligence involves a death penalty4 ,about #ajj yards beyond the ,west shaft of the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 is to be seen a board fence surrounding about ten acres of ground1 with the announcement1 8,,nitro-,,glycerin ,,works2--,,dangerous2--,,no ,,visitors ,,admitted40 ,a drive leading between two rows of buildings brings the 8visitor0 to the acid house1 a well-ventilated building1 #aej feet long4 ,here are #aa stills1 each seven feet long and two feet in diameter4 ,under these a light1 slow fire burns1 which is carefully attended to1 for the temperature must be kept moderate4 ,in each of these stills is placed #cjj lbs4 of nitrate of soda and #cge lbs4 of sulphuric acid4 ,a stoneware pipe conducts the gases1 at a temperature of about #ahj;,f1 from each still into a stone receiver or condenser1 or rather a series of four condensers connected by stoneware pipes1 ranged on a platform three feet above the ground4 ,into the first of these #aej lbs4 of sulphuric acid is poured1 into the second #aej lbs41 into the third #ajj lbs41 and the fourth is empty4 ,the nitrous vapor passes from the still to the first condenser1 where a portion of it1 forming as it condenses nitric acid1 is taken up by the sulphuric acid2 the remainder passes on to the second1 third and fourth condensers1 though a very small portion is left to pass into the last1 which only requires to be emptied once a month4 ,it takes about twenty-four hours for the still to complete the conversion of its contents into nitric acid1 at the end of which time the resultant mixture of acids1 about #fjj lbs41 is run off into carboys1 twelve of these being filled from three stills4 ,about #ajj carboys are generally kept in stock1 as the acid does not spoil when kept closed4 ,these carboys are then emptied into a soapstone tank having a capacity of #ah carboys1 and an iron pipe1 connected with the main leading from two blowers in the engine house1 is inserted into the acid1 causing a current of air to agitate it so as to remove the nitrous fumes1 mix it thoroughly and bring it all to uniform strength4 ,formerly1 this was effected by removing the acid into a glass vessel containing about forty gallons1 and it required boiling for hours2 the mode now practised occupies only five minutes and the risk of fracture of a glass vessel in a sand bath is avoided4 ,the acid is then carried into the converting room1 about one hundred feet long and well lighted1 where it is weighed1 seventeen pounds being poured into each of one hundred and sixteen stone pitchers which are arranged in nine wooden troughs placed in the centre and at the end of the room1 and these troughs are now filled with ice-cold water1 or ice and salt1 so as to rise within four inches of the top of the jar4 ,on shelves above the troughs1 are arranged glass jars1 one to each stone pitcher4 ,into each of these glass jars1 two pounds1 by weight1 of pure ,glycerin is poured1 and this1 by means of a siphon1 with a rubber tube attached1 about two feet long1 falls drop by drop into the corresponding pitcher of mixed sulphuric and nitric acids4 ,immediately below the shelf1 in which the ,glycerin jar stands1 is a #b inch iron pipe1 which brings a current of cold air from the receivers connected with the two blowers before-mentioned4 ,this current of air is distributed to each jar1 while the acid and glycerin are mixing1 by a rubber pipe1 to which is attached a glass tube #af inches long1 and with a inch bore4 ,during the hour and a half to two hours that the glycerin takes to run off into the pitchers1 the greatest care1 and the closest attention is requisite4 ,the three men whose duty it is to attend to the mixing process1 have each a row of pitchers to watch1 walking the whole time up and down1 beside them1 with thermometer in hand1 and as the nitrous fumes rise from the forming ,nitro-,glycerin1 they stir the mixture1 with the glass tube before-mentioned1 in any pitcher that may be giving out too violent fumes4 ,sometimes this is caused by the glycerin running a little freely1 which fires the mixture1 wastes the glycerin1 forming oxalic acid1 and developes unpleasant vapors4 ,in such a case1 by pushing back a little wooden peg in the glass jar1 the flow of glycerin is lessened1 and by stirring with the glass tube the nitrous vapors dispelled4 ,should the engine also stop working by any unforseen circumstance1 the current of air will of course be stopped1 when the mixture will take fire4 ,in this case1 it is necessary to stir the mixture1 and at once stop the flow of glycerin4 ,when the glycerin and acid is all mixed1 and the nitrous fumes cease to appear1 the ,nitro-,glycerin from each pitcher is dumped into a large tank of water1 at a temperature of #gj1 about #dej lbs4 of ,nitro-,glycerin being the amount of each batch manufactured4 ,the ,nitro-,glycerin sinks to the bottom and is covered by about six feet of water4 ,here it remains for fifteen minutes to be subsequently washed free from any impurities4 ,this tank goes through the floor into a basement chamber1 its bottom being on a slight incline1 so that the ,nitro-,glycerin may run out easily4 ,the water is first drawn off from the top of the ,nitro-,glycerin1 and then the latter is run into a wooden swinging tub1 in shape somewhat like an old-fashioned butter churn1 but a good deal larger in diameter4 ,in this it is washed five times1 three times with plain water1 and twice with soda1 a current of air working through it at the same time4 ,the water from this tub is run off into a wooden trough1 which conveys it to a barrel buried in the earth1 in the side of which a hole carries it to another barrel a little lower down the hill1 and this again to another barrel1 whence it finds its way to the dump of rocks being removed from the tunnel1 any ,nitro-,glycerin that may have escaped in the washing process being collected and retained in one or other of these barrels4 ,the ,nitro-,glycerin is by this time thoroughly washed and ready to store in the magazine1 #cjj feet distant1 to which it is carried in a couple of copper pails at a time1 by a man with a yoke1 similar to what milkmen use for carrying their pails4 ,curious thought1 that a man carrying a couple of harmless looking pails with only a little colorless fluid in them1 should have enough explosive matter about him to annihilate a regiment4 ,in the magazine the ,nitro-,glycerin is poured into 8crocks10 as they are called1 earthenware jars holding #fj lbs4 ,these crocks are then placed in a wooden tank #b feet deep1 which holds #bj of them1 and immersed to within six inches from the top of the jars in water warmed by a small pipe from the boiler1 to raise the temperature to #gj1 at which temperature it is kept all the time1 as nearly as possible4 ,they remain in this water for about #gb hours1 during which time any impurities still remaining rise to the surface as scum1 and are skimmed off with a spoon4 ,the ,nitro-,glycerin is then chemically pure1 transparent as water1 refracts light powerfully1 and is ready for packing4 ,the tin cans1 lined with paraffine and containing #ef lbs4 each1 are placed in a shallow wooden trough1 and the ,nitro-,glycerin being poured from the crocks into copper cans1 is again poured into the tins through a gutta-percha funnel1 the bottom of the trough being covered with a thick layer of plaster of paris1 which absorbs and renders harmless any drops of ,nitro-,glycerin that may be spilt4 ,the tins when filled are then placed in a wooden trough containing iced water1 or ice and salt1 where the ,nitro-,glycerin is slowly crystallized or congealed2 in this condition1 it is stored away in small magazines #cjj feet distant1 in amounts of #cj to #dj cans each1 until required for use4 ,illustration ,when the ,nitro-,glycerin is to be conveyed over the mountains1 the tins are packed in open wooden boxes1 with two inches of sponge at the bottom1 and four rubber tubes underneath2 these are long enough to allow the ends to come one inch over the top of the tin on opposite sides1 thus interposing two elastic tubes between the outside of the tin and the inside of the wooden box1 rendering it perfectly safe to carry4 ,each tin is cellular1 i4 e41 from the top of each tin to the bottom a tube passes1 about ten inches deep and #a inch in diameter1 for the purpose of thawing the congealed ,nitro-,glycerin when the blaster is ready to use it1 liquefaction being effected with water of #gj to #ij4 ,the tins being closed with a cork wrapped in bladder1 are put into a sleigh or wagon1 covered in summer with a layer of ice and blankets1 and may thus be carried any distance in this purified crystalline state1 as safely as so many tubs of butter4 ,the reflecting reader will note the care taken to purify the ,nitro-,glycerin2 it occupies #a hours to make it1 about #gb hours to purify1 and about #dh hours to congeal or crystallize it4 ,and yet there are parties who attempt to make and vend ,nitro-,glycerin1 and induce miners and contractors to use it1 taken direct from the precipitating tank1 with all its impurities tending to decomposition1 and requiring only time and moderate temperature for spontaneous explosion2 hence1 ,i believe many accidents4 ,proceeding back to the factory1 two ice-houses will be noticed1 capable of containing #djj tons of ice1 required for crystallizing ,nitro-,glycerin in summer4 ,there is a small engine-house with a boiler of fifteen horse power1 and engine of about ten horse power2 this latter1 to pump water into the washing tank1 run the two 8blowers10 and give power in the gutta-percha factory4 ,the air is not pumped directly into the pipe which distributes it to the pitchers1 as the pressure would not be always uniform2 but into two receivers under the floor of the factory1 whence it is evenly distributed1 and deprived of watery vapor1 which if blown into the pitchers would raise the temperature and vitiate the product4 ,attached to the factory is a building about #ij feet long1 for covering the copper wire 7used in exploding7 with gutta-percha1 so as to render the insulation perfect4 ,the first process is to purify the crude gutta-percha which is imported in blocks about a foot long4 ,this is placed against a rasping machine with toothed knives about four inches apart1 which crush and tear the gutta-percha to pieces1 delivering it into a trough of water4 ,the impurities sink1 while the gutta-percha floats4 ,it is then warmed in a steam jacketed kettle1 and when still plastic is put into another tearing or rasping machine with another series of knives set closer together1 from this it drops into a trough of clean water1 more dirt separating4 ,this is repeated two or three times1 as it is most important that no extraneous matter should be retained in the gutta-percha1 because it would interfere with perfect insulation1 and so place in jeopardy the lives of several men4 ,it is again steamed and put into a 8masticator0 consisting of a fluted roller working in a steam jacket2 here it is 8chawed up0 for about six hours1 until it arrives at a proper consistence2 it is then passed between two smooth cylinders heated by steam1 and transferred thence into a cylinder1 where it is pressed through gauze wire1 under a pressure of four tons to the inch4 ,being thoroughly cleansed1 it is then steamed1 masticated and pressed between the cylinders1 and is ready to cover the copper wire4 ,five wires at a time1 horizontally parallel to one another1 are passed through a gun metal mould with a disc at the further end perforated with five holes but little larger than the wires themselves1 placed at the base of an upright cylinder4 ,the gutta-percha is inserted in the top of this cylinder1 and a pressure of #ie tons is put upon it by means of a screw1 when it is pressed into slots in the mould surrounding the wires1 which are then drawn from the holes in the disc1 through a trough of water #hj feet long1 and back again3 it is then wound on drums ready for use4 ,the 8leading0 wire receives two coatings1 separate discs having larger bores being attached to the brass cylinder4 ,a house is attached to the factory1 for the foreman and his family4 ,perfect system pervades this factory1 and is absolutely necessary in the manufacture of ,nitro-,glycerin1 to ensure safety4 ,the steadiest men possible are selected for the work1 and the foreman of the gutta-percha department1 ,mr4 ,robert ,wallace1 who has charge of the machinery1 is a skilful machinist and a thoroughly trustworthy ,scotchman4 ,he has four sons employed1 of whom one takes charge of the works at ,maysville1 ,kentucky1 another1 is foreman of the ,nitro-,glycerin factory4 ,three men are employed in the acid house1 working in three shifts of eight hours each1 but they do not actually work more than seven hours2 every movement is like clock work1 every man has his place and special duty1 which he is expected to perform at the proper time4 ,in the morning1 at #g or #g ,a4 ,m41 two men dump the carboys of acid into the soapstone tank and mix them1 while a third is filling the glass jars with glycerin4 ,this operation takes about an hour4 ,one draws the acid1 another weighs it1 and a third carries it to the troughs4 ,after an interval during which the acids cool1 three men attend closely to the converting of glycerin into ,tri-,nitro-,glycerin1 knowing that their safety1 and the safety of every man on the works1 depends on themselves alone1 during this process4 ,after the ,nitro-,glycerin is dumped into the water tank1 two men are employed in washing it1 down stairs1 while two wash the stone pitchers with water2 more water1 temperature about #fj1 is swilled on the floors so as to keep them scrupulously clean and perfectly free from atoms of ,nitro-,glycerin1 which1 stepped upon while the men are at work1 might send them to eternity1 and the building to smithereens4 ,the room is then prepared for next day's operations1 and by about one or two o'clock1 after six1 or at most seven hours' work1 the day's task is done4 ,mr4 ,wilson1 in charge of the purifying process1 canning1 and preparing for shipment1 has now been over four years at this work4 ,making exploders is a distinct operation1 requiring great precision4 ,the materials of which the priming for fuses is composed1 are prepared in my private laboratory1 and consist of sulphide and phosphide of copper with chlorate of potash4 ,considerable nicety of manipulation is required to prepare the former of these compounds so as to obtain homogeneous1 uniform sulphides and phosphides1 and1 from the failure of several chemists--and some of our best have attempted the manufacture--to prepare them1 ,i attach great importance to this work1 invariably making them myself4 ,for1 if prepared with the above ingredients1 no accident can occur from atmospheric electricity1 friction etc41 a contingency which all other primings now in use are liable to4 ,the priming is then taken to the warehouse where from three to four hands are employed in making it up into exploders4 ,two insulated wires from #d to #ab feet long1 are inserted in the smallest end of a wooden tube1 previously dipped in boiled paraffine1 inch long and inch diameter at one end1 and #c_/af at the other1 to which they are fastened by a shoulder of gutta-percha4 ,immediately before the priming is inserted1 an electric spark is passed through and between the wires where the priming is put so as to ascertain that the insulation is perfect1 and to guard against the possibility of a miss-fire4 ,this being proved1 the priming is put in at the other end of the tube1 and a small paper plug boiled in paraffine inserted2 then a copper cap1 inch long and inch diameter1 receives #bj grains of fulminate of mercury1 on the top of which a varnish is poured which prevents any of the fulminate from being shaken out by accident1 or affected by vibration4 ,this copper cap is then placed in a larger wooden cap #a inch long1 the fuse inserted about inch1 when it fits tight1 the wooden part painted with asphaltum varnish around the joints1 and the exploder is complete and ready for service4 ,three hands employed ought to make #a1jjj a day of these exploders4 ,having thus given a full account of the manufacture of ,nitro-,glycerin and its appurtenances1 ,i will conclude with the remark that there is no danger in the manufacture when due precaution is used2 but1 to paraphrase the language of ,professor ,tyndall1 in his preface to 8,hours of ,exercise in the ,alps03 8,for rashness1 ignorance1 or carelessness1 ,nitro-,glycerin leaves no margin2 and to rashness1 ignorance1 or carelessness1 three-fourths of the catastrophes which shock us are to be traced40 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,explosive ,mixtures4 ,the laws of nature are immutable4 ,to-day1 to-morrow1 forever--unchanged1 unchangeable1 as the great ,creator himself1 who established them1 and it is only from scientific research1 starting with the conviction that these laws are ,god's laws1 and therefore immutable1 that results of general utility can be obtained4 ,believing that everything which1 in common parlance1 is termed 8an accident10 is simply a violation of these laws through carelessness or ignorance1 it is the duty of the scientific chemist to investigate the causes and effects of the adherence to or violation of these laws in regard to the science of which he is a student4 ,as a chemist ,i have accordingly applied myself to a close examination of the phenomena attending the preparation and use of ,nitro-,glycerin1 and consequently to the investigation of the mixtures purporting to be substitutes for ,nitro-,glycerin and gunpowder1 of which ,nitro-,glycerin is the active base4 ,and this brings before me1 in all their glaring defects1 the anomalies of the patent system of our country1 especially in regard to chemical compounds4 ,for the past hundred years1 the greatest chemists the world has ever known1 have given the results of their researches free1 and untrammelled by any patents1 though they might1 indeed1 have justly taken toll of the world at large for their discoveries4 ,i need only instance ,berzelius1 who threw open to the world the numerous discoveries of his long and valuable life1 and ,pelouze1 the celebrated ,french chemist1 who devoted fifteen years of his life to the investigation of the constituents of fatty matters and their decomposition into stearic1 margaric1 oleic acids and glycerin4 ,let the reader picture to himself1 for a moment1 what would have been the state of affairs in the manufacturing world1 had all the chemists of the last fifty years patented every discovery they made1 every mode of preparation they suggested2 how dark1 gloomy and uncertain would the path of our manufactures have been2 they must almost have stood still until these patents1 and perhaps their renewals also1 had expired4 ,by such a course1 the bleaching and printing of cottons1 and all the numerous processes dependent on applied chemistry1 would have been deferred half a century2 for it is only by the quick1 free application of the discoveries of the unselfish chemist1 that the progress that has been made was possible4 ,what a contrast to the self-aggrandizement of the present race of patent-seeking chemists6 ,an individual1 with the labors of the grand army of scientific chemists for the past hundred years before him1 selects one1 two or three chemical compounds1 mixes them1 modifies to a certain extent some property of either of them1 applies for1 and obtains1 a patent4 ,then for seventeen years this 8ghoul0 sits over his mixture1 and1 with the assistance of a lawyer1 proceeds to black-mail any one1 who1 in attaining certain results1 is led by the properties of the several compounds to avail himself of a similar mixture4 ,the discovery of a ,sobrero is attempted to be appropriated by a ,nobel and his assignees1 and1 with the confidence inspired by the weakness of a patent examiner1 who chuckles at the delusion of the patentee1 they absolutely infer that1 because they have a patent1 they can appropriate the result of the chemist's labors obtained #bj years before4 ,the patent office secures #ce4jj1 the examiner his salary1 and the ceilings of the noble building at ,washington are ultra-marined1 until the visitor's eyes are dazzled with the brilliant color4 ,finally comes a suit in chancery1 in which thousands of dollars are expended1 and in which these stealers of other mens' brains1 count less on their claim than on the hope that they may so interfere with their opponent's occupation1 and so deplete his pocket with law-costs1 that he will submit to accept a free license1 at least1 and thus enable them to terrify others into payment4 ,the above remarks are somewhat of a digression from the subject of this chapter1 but1 ,i think most of my readers will admit that they are by no means uncalled for4 ,i have been told1 and the newspapers teem with assertions1 that these patented explosive compounds1 with high sounding names1 will bear 8tamping0 as hard as gunpowder1 are safer1 more powerful and cheaper than ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,we are a people1 ,barnum says1 who like to be humbugged2 ,i am afraid we are not the only people who like to be humbugged--it is a weakness of humanity--but this ,i do believe2 the man who is addicted to humbug1 had better give ,nitro-,glycerin a wide berth1 that is1 if he hopes to end his days on a feather bed4 ,let us briefly examine these patents--the ,lord deliver us from all such--for explosive mixtures1 and see the amount of invention required4 ,for a mixture of ,nitro-,glycerin with rotten-stone1 a patent was granted1 and 7the name being the only real invention7 it was called 8dynamite40#i ,make a mixture of ,nitro-,glycerin and sponge1 and patent it1 and forthwith 8,porifera nitroleum0 is presented to an admiring public4#aj ,add plaster of ,paris to ,nitro-,glycerin1 patent it1 and you have in all its explosive power1 8,selenitic ,powder40#aa ,try red lead and ,nitro-,glycerin together1 and when patented1 8,metalline ,nitroleum0 is the last new sensation to astonish the weak nerves of contractors4#ab #i 8,dynamite0--,patent ,no4 #gh1cag1 dated ,may #bf1 #ahfh1 granted to ,alfred ,nobel1 of ,hamburg1 ,germany1 assignor to ,julius ,bandmann1 of ,san ,francisco1 ,california4 ,the following is the substance of the claim3 8,my invention consists in combining with ,nitro-,glycerin a substance which possesses a very great absorbent capacity1 and which at the same time1 is free from any quality which will decompose1 destroy1 or injure the ,nitro-,glycerin1 or its explosiveness4 ,the substance which most fully meets the requirements above mentioned1 so far as ,i know1 is a certain kind of silicious earth1 known under the various names of silicious marl1 tripoli1 rotten-stone1 etc40 #aj 8,porifera ,nitroleum0--,patent ,no4 #ic1gec1 dated ,aug4 #ag1 #ahfi1 granted to ,taliaferro ,p4 ,shaffner1 of ,louisville1 ,kentucky4 ,the claim is as follows3 8,i claim a compound composed of a mixture of ,nitro-,glycerin with sponge or other vegetable fibre40 #aa 8,selenitic ,powder0--,patent ,no4 #ic1geb1 dated ,aug4 #ag1 #ahfi1 granted to ,taliaferro ,p4 ,shaffner1 of ,louisville1 ,kentucky4 ,the claim is as follows3 8,i claim the combining of nitroleum or ,nitro-,glycerin with plaster of ,paris1 or equivalent substances1 in such manner as will make an explosive compound40 #ab 8,metalline ,nitroleum0--,patent ,no4 #ic1ged1 dated ,aug4 #ag1 #ahfi1 granted to ,taliaferro ,p4 ,shaffner1 of ,louisville1 ,kentucky4 ,claim as follows3 8,i claim a compound composed of a mixture of ,nitro-,glycerin with metallic powder or atoms1 however formed or produced40 ,take some gunpowder in a fine state of division1 and moisten it with ,nitro-,glycerin until it becomes 8the color of mud and about the consistency of putty02 assure the editor of the ,barnumtown ,inquirer1 that it has five times the explosive power of ,nitro-,glycerin1 and forthwith a flaming article appears1 upon the new explosive agent1 8,lithofracteur40#ac ,make a compound of sawdust and ,nitro-,glycerin1 and let your patent prove that you are unacquainted with the commonest properties of sulphuric acid and charcoal1 that1 on the face of it1 your preparation cannot possibly be made as you describe 7that is not the business of the examiner1 or if it be1 he is so bothered by ,prussian officers that these facts escape his notice71 on payment of #ce4jj1 a patent will issue1 give it a name1 say1 8,dualin01 boldly assert that its properties are unequalled2 let a governor of a state1 whose experience is confined to fire-crackers1 witness an explosion 7it is not material what substance you explode before him71 hire a steamer1 give a splendid collation1 invite all the reporters within reach1 make any statements you please to them 7they will be swallowed along with the collation1 especially if washed down with plenty of ,heidsick71 and there is no telling where this halo of a patent may not carry the unscrupulous patentee4#ad #ac 8,lithofracteur0--,for a wonder this has not been patented4 #ad 8,dualin0--,patent ,no4 #ih1hed1 dated ,january #ah1 #ahgj1 granted to ,carl ,dittmar1 of ,charlottenberg1 ,prussia4 ,claim as follows3 8,i claim a compound consisting of cellulose1 nitro-cellulose1 nitro-starch1 nitro-mannite and ,nitro-,glycerin1 mixed in different combinations1 depending on the degree of strength which it is desired the powder should possess in adapting its use to various purposes40 ,but these assertions involve loss of life1 as1 for instance1 when ,joseph ,butloe was killed at the ,hoosac ,tunnel4 ,he was attempting to introduce a dualin cartridge into a drill hole1 and as it did not reach the bottom of the hole he endeavored to push it in further with a 8tamping stick10 a method which the inventor of dualin advocated1 and regarded as perfectly safe4 ,unfortunately1 however1 in the present case it was not so1 the explosion following the first 8tamp0 instantly killing the operator1 and exploding the mis-statements of the patentee4 ,truly1 these gentlemen are wonderful mathematicians2 they have discovered that a part is greater than the whole1 that various mixtures of inert matter with ,nitro-,glycerin1 have greater explosive power than ,nitro-,glycerin per se4 ,as ,dualin is the only one of these compounds that has been attempted to be brought in any way into competition with ,nitro-,glycerin1 in the ,eastern ,states1 a synopsis of the results may possess interest4 ,some six different parcels of dualin in all1 have been experimented with at the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 and of these the first shipment1 being useless at the ,west ,end1 was forwarded to the ,central ,shaft1 and there again tried1 but the effects1 as compared with the ,nitro-,glycerin supplied by the writer1 were not such as to justify the contractors in continuing its use1 consequently it was thrown out4 ,another parcel1 intended to be stronger1 shipped in the hot summer of #ahgj1 exploded in the cars in transit at ,worcester1 proving1 what had been suspected from a perusal of the dualin patents1 that the inventor was really ignorant of the properties of the materials of which his combination was composed4 ,from evidence adduced at ,worcester1 given by the compounder of dualin1 and also by a manufacturer of exploders1 some of whose wares were in the same car1 it appeared that the ,nitro-,glycerin exuding from the mixture of sawdust 7#dj per cent47 and ,nitro-,glycerin 7#fj per cent47 of which the dualin1 made at that time by ,mr4 ,dittmar1 was composed1 flowed in a pool on the floor of the car1 and1 when the cars were set in motion1 a series of sharp detonations ensued1 probably from this pool of ,nitro-,glycerin running on to the wheels and being compressed or hammered during the revolution of the car wheels on the rails1 firing the pool1 which in turn fired the whole shipment of dualin1 together with the exploders4 ,after some months further shipments were made1 and in all cases the trials made with these were superintended by the introducer of dualin1 and1 in every case but one1 were reported failures1 and rejected4 ,in the case in which a success was reported1 a small parcel only was brought along1 and exploded side by side with ,nitro-,glycerin2 that is1 four holes were charged with dualin1 and four other holes nearly parallel with them were charged with ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,the enlargement was brought down1 but whether the work was principally done with ,nitro-,glycerin1 and only partially by the dualin1 was left to conjecture4 ,the foreman of the drillers asserted that the side charged with dualin was seamy1 whilst the side containing the ,nitro-,glycerin was solid1 and without any seam4 ,however1 it was claimed by the inventor that dualin was now a success1 and a further trial1 viz43 the sixth1 was undertaken1 and #a1ejj lbs4 of dualin brought on the ground1 about the #bfth of ,november1 #ahgj4 ,on ,tuesday1 the #bhth1 the experiments under the supervision of ,mr4 ,dittmar commenced1 and were continued on the #bith and #cjth1 but they demonstrated beyond cavil1 there being no ,nitro-,glycerin fired at the same time to assist them1 that dualin was of 8no account10 not one single hole having been 8bottomed10 and1 again1 the dualin left over from this experiment1 #a1cjj lbs41 was thrown out1 as utterly unable to effect the blasting results obtained by the ,nitro-,glycerin it was brought to supersede4 ,four hundred pounds of this was ordered to the ,central shaft1 but the results at the ,east ,end being so conclusive1 it was consigned1 like all the previous shipments1 to the tomb of the ,capulets1 and was subsequently used up for trimming1 in lieu of powder4 ,in a previous chapter1 ,i gave a full account of the experiments made at ,hallett's ,point1 ,new ,york4 ,on that occasion1 ,general ,newton1 of the ,united ,states ,engineers1 reported to me that he considered that ,nitro-,glycerin1 in point of economy and power1 had the advantage over both dualin and powder even when supplemented by fulminating fuse4 ,the advantages claimed 7only by the inventor7 for dualin1 are1 that it is cheaper1 safer1 and more powerful than ,nitro-,glycerin1 and some experiments made in ,prussia1 are adduced in proof4 ,i have to observe1 on this point1 that the ,nitro-,glycerin made by the ,nobel process1 probably used in ,prussia1 is very inferior to the ,tri-,nitro-,glycerin made by my process1 both in stability and in explosive force1 and it is much more readily exploded1 fifteen grains of fulminate of mercury being necessary to ensure explosion of this latter1 without chance of failure4 ,nobel's ,nitro-,glycerin is said to expand when solid1 in which state the slightest friction is said to explode it1 while ,mowbray's ,tri-,nitro-,glycerin actually contracts about one-tenth in bulk when solidifying1 and cannot be exploded when in the solid state1 except by a heavy charge of fluid ,nitro-,glycerin fired with it4 ,nobel's preparation is yellow1 and gives off nitrous fumes1 and is claimed by the patentee to solidify at #ej;,f1 while ,mowbray's is colorless as water and solidifies at #de;,f4 ,it may be possible1 but not probable1 therefore1 that ,nobel's ,nitro-,glycerin is inferior to ,dittmar's dualin1 as used in ,prussia2 the latter then said to have been a preparation of nitrate of ammonia1 sawdust immersed in sulpho-nitric acid and ,nitro-,glycerin3 but that #dj per cent4 of washed sawdust 7not treated with sulpho-nitric acid71 moistened with #fj per cent4 of a dark colored and evidently impure ,nitro-,glycerin1 and such was ,dittmar's dualin analysed by me1 should surpass1 in blasting1 a chemically pure ,nitro-,glycerin1 is to expect #fj cents of currency to have more value than #ajj cents of gold1 or that a part is greater than the whole4 ,as ,i have above referred to my analysis of ,mr4 ,dittmar's dualin1 ,i will give in full the process and result of the same1 for the benefit of the reader4 ,twenty 7#bj7 grammes of dualin were allowed to digest in a glass tube for several days1 covered with washed sulphuric ether4 ,the ether was then drawn off1 and the residue in the glass tube washed with ether until the cessation of the peculiar persistent taste of ,nitro-,glycerin1 causing the 8,glycerin headache10 proved the ,nitro-,glycerin was exhausted4 ,the residual woody fibre was now dried thoroughly1 and weighed eight grammes4 ,a portion of it thrown on a red hot plate did not deflagrate2 this indicated it had not been treated with nitric acid1 and had not been converted into nitro-cellulose4 ,washed in distilled water1 and the washings evaporated1 no saline or crystalline salt was obtained4 ,the residue1 dried and thrown on a red hot plate1 charred and burnt like any other sawdust4 ,now1 ,i assert positively1 the dualin ,i analysed1 furnished by ,mr4 ,dittmar himself for blasting in the ,tunnel1 was simply a compound of washed sawdust and ,nitro-,glycerin 7actually yellow fuming ,nitro-,glycerin47 ,i have deemed it due to myself to extend these observations further than ,i intended1 but1 in the interest of truth1 ,i could not permit the friendly notices of the press1 which have been industriously secured1 nor the biased views1 of men employed in exploding1 7to whom payment of ten dollars was promised1 for every case of dualin used1 to exaggerate results71 to mislead mining contractors1 and ,i stand prepared to prove that #ajj parts dualin are only equal to #ej parts pure ,nitro-,glycerin1 for practical blasting purposes4 ,dualin is a mixture varying according to the humor of the compounder1 but never exceeding one-half the strength of ,tri-,nitro-,glycerin2 it has all the danger of the ,nobel ,nitro-,glycerin1 with the additional tendency to decomposition1 sworn to by ,mr4 ,dittmar himself at the ,worcester investigation1 owing to its being an admixture of organic matter with ,nitro-,glycerin1 and its inventor1 7as evidenced by his patent1 where he proposes to concentrate sulphuric acid1 and free it from nitrogen1 by boiling it with charcoal671 does not understand the properties of the commonest commercial compounds he undertakes to handle4 ,these facts determine1 ,i submit1 the superior advantage of a uniform chemical product produced under invariable conditions1 especially since it is more difficult to explode it1 and it is proportionately safer1 and1 above all1 has double the effective force4 ,mr4 ,dittmar's promises have failed1 and his representations have been disproved by the results at the ,hoosac ,tunnel4 ,up to ,october1 #ahgj1 he had six trials1 of which he only claims one as a success1 though he did succeed in inducing the employees to misrepresent the facts to the contractors1 and thereby obtained a testimonial2 but over two thousand pounds of his dualin was buried in the ,berkshire mountains--a stern pecuniary lesson1 verifying the truth of the old ,roman apothegm1 so much neglected in modern times--8,magna est veritas et prevalebit40 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,nitro-,glycerin ,patents and ,litigation4 ,it is seldom that any valuable invention has been brought into public use without costly litigation being entailed on the inventor2 and especially is this the case in chemical discoveries1 either by pretenders who would interfere with the inventor who has turned his discovery to practical account1 on the plea of having previously conceived the same idea1 or by unscrupulous individuals who would appropriate to their own use1 without payment1 the fruits of the labors of other men's brains2 hence the writer did not altogether escape1 as will be seen by the following remarks on the subject4 ,illustration3 ,miners ascending ,central ,shaft4 ,i will commence by stating briefly that a patent was granted and four re-issues of the same made to ,alfred ,nobel and his assignees1 for the use of ,nitro-,glycerin for blasting purposes1 when 8confined18 and for a process of manufacturing the same1 by running the glycerin and mixed acids together rapidly1 in suitable proportions1 into a tank of water4 ,now1 it has never been denied that ,sobrero was the discoverer of ,nitro-,glycerin1 and that it was competent for any one to manufacture that article4 ,the only point1 therefore1 on which a patent could be obtained was for some improved method of making it4 ,accordingly1 in the course of experiments1 ,i discovered that by passing a current of cold1 compressed air through the mixing glycerin and acids1 a very valuable improvement was effected1 economizing time and material1 and rendering the process of manufacturing safer2 and for this ,i obtained a patent on ,april #g1 #ahfh4 ,that my readers may see how far ,i was correct in my estimate of the patentable value of my invention1 ,i give below the opinion of eminent counsel3 ,,new ,,york1 ,july #aj1 #ahfi4 ,,geo4 ,m4 ,,mowbray1 ,,esq43 ,dear ,sir3--,pursuant to your request1 ,i have examined your ,letters ,patent of the ,united ,states for inventions in the manufacture of ,nitro-,glycerin1 dated the #gth ,april1 #ahfh4 ,i recollect of aiding you in preparing the application for that patent1 and of examining it immediately after it was issued4 ,i believed then that that patent was good and valid1 and nothing since has occurred that has changed my opinion or shaken my confidence concerning its validity4 ,i have recently examined copies of the five re-issued patents to assignees of ,alfred ,nobel1 and ,i find nothing in them1 or any of them1 which impairs the validity of your patent4 ,i further say1 that it is my opinion1 and clearly so1 that the manufacture and sale of ,nitro-,glycerin made according to the process described in your patent1 does not infringe upon any of the five re-issued patents granted to the assignees of ,nobel2 and that so far as any of those re-issued patents are concerned1 or anything else that ,i know of1 you have a clear right to manufacture and sell ,nitro-,glycerin according to your patent4 ,very respectfully1 ,,geo4 ,,gifford1 ,counsellor at ,law4 ,this discovery was not allowed to pass unchallenged1 for ,mr4 ,tal4 ,p4 ,shaffner1 having learnt that ,i had obtained a patent1 came forward with a claim that he had conceived the idea 767 in #ahfe2 and in ,january1 #ahfi1 nearly a year after the application for the patent which was granted to me1 he applied for a patent for the same thing4 ,this brought our respective rights before the ,patent ,office in a matter of interference4 ,however1 the following remarks by ,mr4 ,john ,w4 ,thacher1 ,examiner of ,interferences1 in giving his decision on the case1 will show pretty clearly to whom the right to a patent justly belongs4 ,he says3 8,the principle is well established that he who first reduces an invention to practical form is entitled to a patent therefor4 ,applying this test in this case1 the right to a patent seems to rest entirely in ,mowbray1 and the invention is accordingly awarded to the patentee40 ,and again ,mr4 ,samuel ,s4 ,fisher1 the ,commissioner of ,patents1 in giving his decision1 remarks3 8,the story of ,shaffner is not that of a man who had invented anything4 ,he had a theory1 talked about it1 doubted its value2 did not experiment to satisfy himself2 until ,mowbray was manufacturing on a large scale2 and evidently did not intend to apply for a patent at all4 ,i can find none of the ear-marks of a perfected invention1 carried beyond the region of experiment2 still less of any trace of diligence4 ,priority is awarded to ,mowbray40 ,as previously noted1 the ,nobel patent with its re-issues1 in four divisions1 and twenty-four columns of specifications1 containing eight claims drawn up expressly to intercept infringers1 specifically1 emphatically1 and unmistakably insisted3 #ast4 ,that ,nobel discovered it was necessary to confine ,nitro-,glycerin in order to explode it1 and that it was practically impossible to explode it unconfined4 #b;d4 ,that heat and pressure were the agents necessary for a successful explosion of ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,the writer1 however1 discovered that the heat1 pressure and confinement1 claimed by the ,nobel patent and re-issues1 were unnecessary1 by charging an open glass tube with ,nitro-,glycerin1 the glass tube being immersed in water1 and the ,nitro-,glycerin exploded by the concussion of a cap containing fulminate of mercury1 and so succeeded in extricating himself from the domain of the ,nobel patents and their particular claims4 ,but he could not extricate himself from litigation2 the insolvent assignee1 the ,united ,states ,blasting ,oil ,company1 clearly perceiving that the monopoly1 as they had termed it1 was gone1 now resorted to the 8pis aller0 of litigation1 misrepresentation1 and threatening every one who used ,mowbray's ,nitro-,glycerin1 with the trouble of making affidavits1 engaging counsel1 and collecting evidence1 a by no means to be despised aggressive warfare to contractors1 who need all their time1 all their capital1 and all their ingenuity1 to carry out their contracts to a profitable result4 ,guaranteeing the payment of enforced damages1 ,i met this flank movement by engaging the best counsel1 and resolutely set about terminating the pretensions of these patents4 ,a ,suit in ,equity was commenced in the ,circuit ,court of the ,united ,states1 ,western ,district of ,pennsylvania1 during the ,may ,term1 #ahgj1 by the ,,united ,,states ,,blasting ,,oil ,,company ,,of ,,new ,,york1 ,,by ,,its ,,president1 ,,tal4 ,p4 ,,shaffner1 vs4 ,,geo4 ,m4 ,,mowbray1 ,j4 ,h4 ,,king1 ,,chas4 ,,lobb1 ,w4 ,l4 ,,holbrook1 ,,james ,,dickey ,,and ,a4 ,d4 ,,hatfield4 ,as the sworn affidavits in the above case1 now pending1 are of great importance in substantiating1 both practically and legally1 the claims urged in previous observations1 on behalf of the 8,mowbray system0 of manufacturing and using ,nitro-,glycerin1 ,i give below the substance of the testimony4 ,evidence of ,george ,f4 ,barker1 ,professor of ,physiological ,chemistry and ,toxicology in the ,medical ,department of ,yale ,college4 8,i have carefully examined the several re-issued patents1 ,nos4 #c1cgg1 #c1cgh1 #c1cgi1 #c1chj1 #c1cha and #c1chb1 the four former being divisions ,a1 ,b1 ,c and ,d1 of the re-issued patent1 granted upon the surrender of the original patent ,no4 #ej1fag1 dated ,october #bdth1 #ahfe1 and the two latter divisions #a and #b of the original patent1 also granted to the assignees of ,alfred ,nobel1 on surrender of the original patent ,no4 #eg1age1 dated ,august #adth1 #ahff1 granted to said ,alfred ,nobel4 ,i would further state that in the specifications of the before-mentioned re-issues it is asserted that ,sobrero discovered that ,glycerin was capable of giving1 when1 mixed with sulphuric and nitric acids1 a substance analogous to gun cotton1 which is true2 and that the specifications of the said patents further state that 8,sobrero abandoned further research with the declared opinion that its combustion or explosion could not be managed02 which statement1 having read all which ,sobrero is believed to have published upon the subject1 viz43 his papers published in the ,comptes ,rendus de ,l',academie des ,sciences1 ,volume ,,xxiv41 page #bdg1 printed in ,paris ,a4 ,d4 #ahdg1 and in the ,repertoire de ,chimie ,applique1 ,volume ,,ii41 page #djj1 printed in ,paris in #ahfj1 ,i have entirely failed to find recorded by him as his opinion40 ,j4 ,e4 de ,vrij also1 in a communication to the ,british ,association1 which was read in ,july1 #ahea1 and is published in the report of the association for the year #ahea1 page #eb 7,notices and ,abstracts71 states in regard to ,nitro-,glycerin1 that it 8explodes at a moderate heat1 as was shown by experiment1 detonating when the drops of ,nitro-,glycerin on paper were struck a smart blow with a hammer40 ,the before-mentioned re-issued patents further assert that 8in order to explode the whole1 or even a large proportion of the mass of ,nitro-,glycerin1 it is necessary to subject it to confinement or restraint02 which assertion is untrue1 for ,nitro-,glycerin1 when freely exposed to the air in an open vessel or plate1 may be and is capable of being readily exploded1 without confinement1 restraint1 or pressure1 as ,i have proved by experiment made at ,north ,adams1 on the #agth day of ,may1 #ahgj1 in exploding upon two occasions a quantity of ,nitro-,glycerin in an open saucer with great violence1 on which occasion the ,nitro-,glycerin was exploded by simple concussion in open vessels1 the fulminate cap used as the exploder being suspended above the surface of the ,nitro-,glycerin in the saucer1 and distant nearly two inches from it2 so that the application of heat and pressure1 or of either of these agencies1 is unnecessary4 ,the said re-issued patents further assert1 that 8the degree of confinement must be sufficient to allow a pressure upon the ,nitro-,glycerin to an extent that #cfj;,f will be realized1 so that decomposition will take place before the liquid can escape the force or heat of the evolved gases of a percussion cap1 etc402 whereas ,i found on the above occasion that when water was interposed between the ,nitro-,glycerin and the percussion cap1 so that no measurable increase of temperature 7much less #cfj;,f7 could possibly occur in the former1 the ,nitro-,glycerin could be exploded4 ,in the first experiment three tubes1 closed at bottom and containing half an ounce of ,nitro-,glycerin each1 were placed in water in a tumbler1 being supported an inch from the bottom4 ,into the water in the tumblers1 and outside of the tubes1 distant from them nearly an inch1 the fulminate cap was put4 ,this was then fired1 and caused the explosion of the ,nitro-,glycerin through the intervening water4 ,in the second experiment1 using a tub of water in which eleven tubes containing ,nitro-,glycerin were placed1 the explosion of six fulminate caps failed to fire the ,nitro-,glycerin1 the distance from the tubes at which they were placed1 nearly or quite ten inches1 being too great4 ,in the third experiment five such tubes of ,nitro-,glycerin were suspended in a tub of water distant four or five inches from each other2 the fulminate cap being inserted in the middle tube4 ,on firing this cap the ,nitro-,glycerin in all the tubes was exploded1 as judged from the violent effects produced4 ,the said re-issued patents further assert that 8,gun-cotton will explode in proportion to the degree of confinement1 igniting at #bff;,f40 ,the celebrated chemist of the ,english ,war ,department1 ,f4 ,a4 ,abel1 who has made the most extended researches upon gun cotton on record1 asserts in his paper published in the ,philosophical transactions for #ahfi 7an abstract of which appears in the ,journal of the ,chemical ,society of ,london for #ahfi1 ,volume ,,xxiii41 page #aa17 8that rows of detached masses of gun cotton1 placed on the ground1 and extended #d or #e feet1 have been exploded with most destructive results by firing a small detonating tube in contact with the piece of compressed gun cotton which formed one extremity of the row or train1 the explosion of the entire quantity being apparently instantaneous and equally violent throughout40 ,and further that these and similar experiments 8appear to indicate decisively that such explosion is not a result of the heat developed by the explosion of the detonating materials40 ,i have witnessed the manufacture of ,nitro-,glycerin as practised by the defendant ,mowbray1 at his works situated near the ,west ,shaft of the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 in ,massachusetts1 and after a full examination of the mode said to have been the invention of ,alfred ,nobel1 and described in the before-mentioned re-issued patents1 find that the process actually in daily use1 at said ,mowbray's works1 is that described in said ,mowbray's patent ,no4 #gf1dii1 dated ,april #gth1 #ahfh1 which process is substantially different from that described in the complainant's re-issues hereinbefore set forth4 ,according to said re-issues1 ,nobel's process consists in running two separate streams1 the one of ,glycerin1 the other of mixed nitric and sulphuric acids simultaneously into a conical vessel which is perforated at the lower portion thereof1 through which perforations the mixture of acids and ,glycerin passes into a vessel placed beneath1 containing water4 ,in the ,mowbray process1 a single fine stream of ,glycerin is allowed to run into a previously cooled mixture of sulphuric and nitric acids1 through and into which cooled mixture of acids is continuously forced1 while the ,glycerin is entering1 a current of atmospheric air1 previously artificially dried1 compressed and cooled4 ,the action of this current of air is an essentially important and useful one1 both upon the process itself and upon the resulting product4 ,first1 as to mechanical effects3 it thoroughly incorporates the ingredients2 it removes in part the nitrous fumes which would otherwise be retained by and contaminate the product1 and it cools the mixture by absorbing the heat produced by the chemical reaction of the ingredients4 ,second1 as to the chemical effects3 by the action of the oxygen which this air contains it oxidizes the nitrous acid1 which may be present in the acids or may be produced in the reaction1 to nitric acid1 and thus economizes the materials1 increases the quantity of the product1 and produces a chemically pure article1 as is shown by the fact that the ,nitro-,glycerin thus produced is perfectly colorless1 congeals uniformly at the same degree of temperature and produces1 when exploded1 no offensive vapors deleterious to the health of the miners using it4 ,moreover1 as1 in my opinion1 these nitrous fumes tend to induce decomposition in the ,nitro-,glycerin and thus to render it unstable1 dangerous1 and liable to spontaneous explosion1 as is demonstrated to be the case in the analogous substance gun cotton1 the introduction1 in the method of ,mowbray1 of cold1 dry1 compressed air into the mixture1 in order to get rid of these nitrous fumes1 must be regarded as a substantially new invention4 ,in my opinion1 the character of the ,nitro-,glycerin is determined by the strength of the acids used in its preparation2 the stronger the acids1 the purer the product and the more efficient4 ,i verily believe this3 first1 because it is true of the precisely analogous compound gun cotton1 which is prepared in the same way2 ,hadow having proved1 as stated in his paper published in the ,quarterly ,journal of the ,chemical ,society of ,london in #ahed1 ,volume ,,vii41 page #bja1 that at least three products are obtained by acting upon cotton by a mixture of sulphuric and nitric acids1 the most explosive being always produced by the strongest acids2 and #bnd1 because of similar differences observed in ,nitro-,glycerin made by different experimenters1 and believed by them to be due to like differences in composition2 ,railton obtained by analysis1 as stated in his paper in the ,quarterly ,journal of the ,chemical ,society of ,london for #ahed1 ,volume ,,vii41 page #bbb1 the composition now universally adopted as that of ,tri-,nitro-,glycerin4 ,de ,vrij believes the product he obtained1 ,journal de ,pharmacie1 series ,,iii41 ,volume ,,xxviii41 page #ch1 #ahee1 to be ,tri-,nitro-,glycerin1 and ,liecke in ,dingler's ,polytechnisches ,journal1 ,volume ,,clxxix41 page #aeg1 #ahff1 gives methods by which ,mono-,nitro-,glycerin1 ,di-,nitro-,glycerin and ,tri-,nitro-,glycerin may be produced1 the essential difference in these methods being only the strength of the acids employed4 ,gladstone's ,report of the ,british ,association for #ahef1 page #eb 7,notices and ,abstracts71 has shown that different samples of ,nitro-,glycerin differed in properties according to the amount of water contained in the ,glycerin2 this water1 by diluting the acids1 making them weaker4 ,moreover the physiological properties of ,nitro-,glycerin have been found by different experiments to differ widely4 ,sobrero1 its discoverer1 says a very small quantity taken upon the tongue produces a severe headache for several hours1 whence he concludes that it is poisonous4 ,de ,vrij in #ahea1 says that it is not poisonous1 and in #ahee that it produces headache1 though ten drops caused no symptoms of poisoning in a rabbit4 ,dr4 ,herring1 in #ahdi1 reported in the ,american ,journal of ,science and ,arts1 series ,,ii41 ,volume ,,viii41 page #beg1 observed the violent headache produced by #a_/bej of a grain of ,nitro-,glycerin or ,glonoin1 as he proposed to call it1 and killed a cat with three drops4 ,field1 in #aheh1 ,pharmaceutical ,journal1 ,volume ,,xvii41 page #edd1 confirmed these results2 but ,harley and ,fuller1 reported in the same place1 were unable to obtain them by using other specimens of ,nitro-,glycerin1 though they largely increased the dose4 ,field consequently says1 place given1 page #fbg1 8,i am daily more convinced of two important facts connected with it1 viz43 the great variation in the strength of different specimens1 and the very marked difference in the susceptibility to its influence40 ,in further support of the opinion that several allied but distinct ,nitro-,glycerins have been made1 the wide difference in density and in congealing point may also be mentioned4 ,in my opinion the best effect cannot be obtained with commercial acids1 owing to their insufficient strength4 ,i have witnessed at the defendant ,mowbray's works1 at the ,west shaft of the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 the preparation of the acids used for making the ,nitro-,glycerin1 commercial acids being found deficient in strength1 and in my opinion it is to the use of these stronger acids1 combined with the method described in defendant's patent1 as above mentioned1 that the stability1 efficiency1 and1 above all1 the freedom from noxious gases and vapors of the products of combustion of defendant's ,nitro-,glycerin is due1 when contrasted with that made by complainant1 which ,i have been informed and verily believe is made with acids of commercial strength1 and produces1 when exploded in a mine1 gases and vapors highly deleterious to health4 ,i have further examined the patent ,no4 #ic1aac1 dated ,july #bgth1 #ahfi1 granted to ,mowbray1 for exploding ,nitro-,glycerin1 and have experimented with the same1 the explosions hereinbefore enumerated having been effected by the method therein described4 ,and this deponent finds that by said ,mowbray's process of exploding ,nitro-,glycerin1 as claimed in his patent1 confinement1 restraint1 or pressure is wholly unnecessary4 ,in my opinion the same is true in exploding ,nitro-,glycerin on a large scale1 as ,i have been informed1 and verily believe that upwards of one thousand explosions of ,nitro-,glycerin are made weekly in the ,hoosac ,tunnel by the mode so described in said patent4 ,illustration ,i believe1 moreover1 that the method claimed by ,mowbray1 in said patent1 differs materially from any of the various modes of exploding ,nitro-,glycerin described in the before-mentioned re-issues granted to the assignees of ,a4 ,nobel1 since these various methods specifically require the ,nitro-,glycerin to be under confinement1 or subjected to heat or pressure when confined1 in order to explode it2 while ,mowbray claims exposing the ,nitro-,glycerin to the concussion1 agitation1 or percussion of a heavy charge1 not less than ten or twelve grains of pure fulminate of mercury1 which fulminate is fired by passing the electric spark through a priming composition40 ,june #h1 #ahgj4 ,,george ,f4 ,,barker4 ,evidence of ,s4 ,w4 ,johnson1 ,professor of ,analytical and ,agricultural ,chemistry in ,yale ,college4 8,i have read the foregoing affidavit of ,professor ,geo4 ,f4 ,barker2 ,i witnessed the experiments therein described1 and concur in the statement contained in said affidavit40 ,june #h1 #ahgj4 ,,samuel ,w4 ,,johnson4 ,evidence of ,george ,m4 ,mowbray1 ,operative ,chemist4 8,about ,october1 #ahfg1 ,i concluded an agreement with the ,commonwealth of ,massachusetts1 to erect ,nitro-,glycerin works near the ,west ,shaft of the ,hoosac ,tunnel2 these erected1 ,i commenced manufacturing ,nitro-,glycerin about the #bfth day of ,december1 #ahfg1 and with but few intermissions have continued to manufacture it for blasting purposes for the tunnel work ever since4 ,about ,june #ac1 #ahfh1 ,i had a long interview with ,mr4 ,taliaferro ,p4 ,shaffner1 the complainant in this suit1 when the said ,shaffner proposed to me a consolidation of interests1 and told me1 if ,i would influence ,j4 ,h4 ,king and ,henry ,hinckley to advance the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars1 that ,robert ,rennie of the ,lodi ,chemical ,works1 of ,lodi1 ,new ,jersey1 would credit him with acids to manufacture ,nitro-,glycerin1 to the amount of eighty-five thousand dollars1 and he would then purchase land about twenty miles up the ,hudson river1 and manufacture ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,the proposal ,i forwarded to ,j4 ,h4 ,king and ,henry ,hinckley1 who deemed the same too chimerical to enter upon1 more especially since said ,shaffner informed me that one-fifth of the consolidated association would have to be paid to one ,frederick ,smith1 one-fifth to said ,robert ,rennie1 and one-fifth to said ,shaffner1 on behalf of said ,u4 ,s4 ,blasting ,oil ,company's engagements1 said ,company being deeply indebted to the ,lodi ,chemical ,works1 according to the assertion of ,joseph ,butterworth1 the superintendent at ,lodi4 ,mr4 ,shaffner further informed me that the ,united ,states ,blasting ,oil ,company had transferred and assigned all the patent rights conferred by the ,nobel patents to him1 and he intended to obtain a re-issue of the said patents1 and with the individual patents obtained by him1 and the patent that had been granted to me in ,april1 #ahfh1 a ,company could be formed that would control the supply of ,nitro-,glycerin throughout the ,united ,states4 ,i soon after consulted with ,j4 ,h4 ,king and ,henry ,hinckley1 both capitalists1 with means1 as to the proposals of ,tal4 ,p4 ,shaffner1 and the conclusion that we arrived at1 was1 that1 as all the cash capital1 and the only practicable method of manufacturing a safe1 stable and pure ,nitro-,glycerin1 was already secured by patent to me1 to place seventy-five thousand dollars at the disposal of the parties named by ,mr4 ,shaffner would not be a sensible or prudent course1 in view of the condition to which the management of the said ,shaffner had reduced the ,united ,states ,blasting ,oil ,company's affairs financially1 and the failure to supply the demand for ,nitro-,glycerin1 although the ,united ,states ,blasting ,oil ,company had no competitor in ,new ,york2 so ,i informed said ,shaffner that said ,hinckley and ,king would not advance the money1 to wit3 seventy-five thousand dollars1 under such arrangements1 and the proposition fell through4 ,and ,i would further state1 that at each of the various interviews--one of them prolonged for four hours without interruption--the said ,tal4 ,p4 ,shaffner fully admitted to me that any one could or might make ,nitro-,glycerin1 either by the method described by ,sobrero1 the inventor1 in #ahdf1 or by my patent1 granted in #ahfh1 ,april #gth1 without in any way infringing on the patents issued to ,a4 ,nobel1 and assigned to said ,shaffner1 as ,president of the ,united ,states ,blasting ,oil ,company4 ,and further1 on the #hth ,december1 #ahfi1 ,i was at ,oil ,city1 at the request of the ,lake ,shore ,nitro-,glycerin ,works1 and assisted in the explosion of one blast in three drill holes of ,nitro-,glycerin1 using a frictional electric machine1 insulated wires1 the priming fuse and fulminating charge1 as described in ,letters ,patent1 granted to me1 ,july #bgth1 #ahfi1 and being ,no4 #ic1aac1 and entitled 8,an ,improved ,method of ,exploding ,nitro-,glycerin40 ,i am well informed of the four re-issued patents1 ,nos4 #c1cgg1 #c1cgh1 #c1cgi and #c1chj1 and the methods therein described differ very materially from the method that was practised on the #hth ,december1 #ahfi1 at the ,oil ,city ,tunnel1 by me1 and particularly in this very material respect2 whereas1 by the method practised at the ,tunnel1 an operator can blast simultaneously at will one hundred drill holes2 by the methods described in the re-issues above mentioned1 it is absolutely impossible to explode two drill holes simultaneously4 ,and this difference between the simultaneous blasting of a number of holes and firing the same number of holes one after the other has been found in actual results to effect an economy of thirty per cent4 in the cost of blasting out rock in the ,hoosac ,tunnel4 ,in a book 7,exhibit ,b71 entitled 8,liebig and ,kopp's annual report of ,chemistry for #ahdg and #ahdh01 pages #cgf and #cgg1 volume #b1 published in ,london in #ahej1 there is a notice of the comparative power of nitro-cotton and gunpowder1 and reference is there made to the nitro-compounds1 made from dextrin1 glycerin and sugar1 as being 8similarly explosive preparations10 to gun-cotton and nitro-mannite1 which latter is described as a cheap substitute for fulminating mercury in the manufacture of percussion caps1 and certain comparative experiments with the former 7gun-cotton71 as to the relative value of the same1 compared with gunpowder1 are mentioned as having been made by the celebrated powder manufacturers1 8,messrs4 ,hall ,son1 of ,dartford1 in the county of ,kent1 ,england40 ,after such publication1 the claim made by the said ,nobel1 or his assignees1 in the re-issues before-mentioned1 that ,nobel discovered that ,nitro-,glycerin could be exploded under confinement is invalid1 for the fact that ,nitro-,glycerin had been described as a similarly explosive preparation to nitro-mannite and nitro-cotton1 or gun-cotton1 by its discoverer1 ,sobrero1 necessarily involved1 and indeed published the circumstance of its only being necessary to subject it to the like conditions of other explosives to effect its explosion4 ,i further state that in four affidavits filed in this ,court1 on the #beth of ,february1 by ,taliaferro ,p4 ,shaffner1 and ,t4 ,p4 ,shaffner and ,e4 ,a4 ,l4 ,roberts1 jointly1 and ,e4 ,a4 ,l4 ,roberts singly1 and ,w4 ,m4 ,shaffner1 these parties have sworn that the mode of exploding at the ,oil ,city ,tunnel1 ,december #hth1 #ahfi1 was identical and precisely similar to the mode described in a patent granted to said ,t4 ,p4 ,shaffner1 ,december #ahth1 #ahfh1 and re-issued ,april #acth1 #ahfi1 ,no4 #c1cge1 whilst the very same parties describing the same blasting at said ,oil ,city ,tunnel1 at the same time1 in the same words1 and almost word for word throughout1 as positively have sworn that it was identical1 precisely similar to the mode of blasting described in the re-issues ,nos4 #c1cgg1 #c1cgh1 #c1cgi and #c1chj4 ,neither of these parties were at any time on the ground during the operations therein and thereat 7to wit1 ,oil ,city ,tunnel7 performed1 except ,w4 ,m4 ,shaffner1 who was at no time within twenty feet of the parties operating1 and who has erroneously stated that water was poured on to the ,nitro-,glycerin at the bottom of the hole1 which to my certain knowledge was not done4 ,and ,i ask the attention of this ,court1 to the affidavits filed in this cause for the plaintiff1 and also in a cause of ,taliaferro ,p4 ,shaffner against the same defendants1 filed ,february #beth1 #ahgj1 as completely disproving each other4 ,february #bf1 #ahgj4 ,,geo4 ,m4 ,,mowbray4 ,evidence of ,phillip ,mackey and ,timothy ,lynch1 foremen of miners at the ,hoosac ,tunnel4 8,we were employed during the month of ,september1 #ahfh1 at the ,west ,shaft of the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 at the time when ,colonel ,shaffner1 the complainant1 was making experiments with ,nitro-,glycerin in the said tunnel1 and assisted him by drilling holes in the rock to receive the cartridges containing ,nitro-,glycerin1 and tamping said holes4 ,after the explosion of the said ,nitro-,glycerin1 we witnessed its effects on the miners4 ,these effects were usually to produce a dryness about the throat1 and feeling of thirst1 which led the miners to take a drink of water2 immediately thereafter the miners would vomit1 and such vomiting would be followed by severe headache1 rendering it necessary for the miner so affected to be removed to the air1 and out of the tunnel1 and the effects of such headache would last for from twelve to eighteen hours2 in fact1 the vapors caused by the ,nitro-,glycerin exploded by said ,shaffner were of such a noxious character as to disable the miners generally from continuing their work4 8,during the past three years we have often examined the ,nitro-,glycerin manufactured by ,g4 ,m4 ,mowbray1 and been regularly employed as foremen of the miners who drilled the holes for receiving the cartridges of ,nitro-,glycerin exploded by said ,mowbray and by his assistants1 and we declare that ,mowbray's ,nitro-,glycerin differs greatly in appearance from that used by said ,shaffner2 that ,mowbray's ,nitro-,glycerin is colorless almost as water1 whereas ,shaffner's was orange-colored2 that the explosive effects of said ,mowbray's ,nitro-,glycerin were much greater1 so far as we could observe1 and that particularly we have noticed the miners do not suffer from any noxious vapors after the firing of blasts of said ,mowbray's ,nitro-,glycerin1 and that during the three years the ,nitro-,glycerin made by ,mowbray has been used in said ,tunnel1 there has not been a single case where a miner has been compelled to leave his work by reason of the gases given off by the explosion of ,mowbray's ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,and we consider that the ,nitro-,glycerin made by said ,mowbray1 and used in the ,tunnel2 very much safer to handle1 and does not give off noxious gases as compared with the ,nitro-,glycerin made by the ,united ,states ,blasting ,oil ,company of ,new ,york1 and used by said ,shaffner in the ,hoosac ,tunnel4 ,and we verily believe that if said ,nitro-,glycerin were attempted to be used in the ,tunnel1 now that so general a use is made of ,nitro-,glycerin1 it would compel the miners to leave their work and seriously retard the progress of the work by reason thereof1 for those who could endure it for a time would have to carry out those who are unable to move after inhaling the gases of the ,shaffner ,nitro-,glycerin1 and thus lose time which would otherwise be employed in doing work4 8,we consider it utterly useless to confine the ,nitro-,glycerin when fired by ,mowbray's system40 ,,philip ,,mackey1 ,feb4 #af1 #ahgj4 ,,timothy ,,lynch4 ,evidence of ,john ,van ,velsor1 ,superintendent of ,mowbray's ,nitro-,glycerin works at the ,hoosac ,tunnel3 8,in ,october1 #ahfh1 ,i was employed to fit up a ,nitro-,glycerin factory at ,fairport1 ,ohio1 and instruct the hands in the process of manufacturing under ,mowbray's patent of ,april #gth1 #ahfh4 ,i endorse the evidence of ,messrs4 ,mackey and ,lynch1 as to the difference in appearance and smell between ,mowbray's ,nitro-,glycerin and that manufactured under ,nobel's patent by the ,united ,states ,nitro-,glycerin ,company4 8,i have made under ,mowbray's patent upwards of twenty thousand pounds of ,nitro-,glycerin1 a great portion of which has been exploded in the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 by a method patented by ,mr4 ,mowbray1 dated ,july #bgth1 #ahfi1 ,no4 #ic1aac4 ,i have exploded on numerous occasions the ,nitro-,glycerin made at said ,mowbray's factory1 without subjecting the same to confinement1 by firing a charge of fulminating mercury1 say ten or twelve grains1 contained in a wooden or copper cap1 by means of the electric spark4 ,i have witnessed the use of ,nitro-,glycerin at the ,west ,shaft of the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 both in the bench work and in the heading1 where the blasters left the ,nitro-,glycerin in the drill holes entirely unconfined1 such being the general practice at the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 so that in case of the wires not conducting the electricity1 or in case of the priming being defective and not firing the fulminating charge1 the exploder might be removed from the ,nitro-,glycerin without danger to the operator4 ,during the eighteen months ,i have been in the employ of ,mr4 ,mowbray1 manufacturing ,nitro-,glycerin1 he has only made ,nitro-,glycerin by his patented method1 and by none other4 ,february #ah1 #ahgj4 ,,john ,,van ,,velsor4 ,evidence of ,a4 ,d4 ,hatfield4 8,i have been employed in blasting in the railroad tunnel at ,oil ,city1 using ,nitro-,glycerin furnished by the ,lake ,shore ,nitro-,glycerin ,company1 manufactured under ,mowbray's patent4 ,in firing and exploding the ,nitro-,glycerin ,i have acted under a license from ,george ,m4 ,mowbray1 said ,nitro-,glycerin having been exploded without being confined40 ,february #ai1 #ahgj4 ,a4 ,d4 ,,hatfield4 ,evidence of ,charles ,lobb1 ,railroad ,contractor4 8,i have been engaged in tunnelling through the hill at ,oil ,city1 ,pa41 for the ,jamestown and ,franklin ,railroad1 and have used for that purpose ,nitro-,glycerin manufactured by the ,lake ,shore ,nitro-,glycerin ,company1 under ,mowbray's patent of ,april #g1 #ahfh4 ,i have tried to purchase ,nitro-,glycerin from ,tal4 ,p4 ,shaffner1 ,president of the ,united ,states ,blasting ,oil ,company1 and have been unable to procure the same4 ,said ,shaffner referred me to ,e4 ,a4 ,l4 ,roberts for the purchase of ,nitro-,glycerin1 and on application to said ,roberts was unable to obtain any4 ,february #ai1 #ahgj4 ,,charles ,,lobb4 ,evidence of ,david ,crossley4 8,i have been engaged in operating oil wells in ,pennsylvania1 for ten years4 ,on ,december #f1 #ahfi1 ,i obtained a torpedo containing six pounds of ,nitro-,glycerin from the agent of ,robert's ,torpedo ,company1 which he said was from ,new ,york1 and of the best quality4 ,i had it put into an oil well where it was exploded by said agent4 8,the explosion of said torpedo1 in said well1 had the effect of reducing the production of oil in said well from two barrels of oil to one and a half barrels of oil in a day of twenty-four hours4 8,on the sixteenth day of ,december1 #ahfi1 ,i put in another torpedo in the same well1 which ,i obtained from the same agent of the same company4 ,it contained the same quantity of ,nitro-,glycerin1 which was represented to me to be the same as before-mentioned4 ,this torpedo was exploded by the agent in said well on the day last mentioned4 ,before the explosion of the torpedo in said well1 it produced one and a half barrels of oil in a day of twenty-four hours1 and the explosion of said torpedo caused no difference in the production of oil from the same well4 ,about the first day of ,october1 #ahfh1 ,i employed ,g4 ,m4 ,mowbray to explode a ,nitro-,glycerin torpedo in another well of mine4 ,he exploded said torpedo in said well in my presence4 ,he used in the torpedo six and a quarter pounds of ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,the effect of the explosion was to increase the production of said well from five barrels to one hundred barrels in a day of twenty-four hours4 ,after this1 ,mr4 ,mowbray put in and exploded other ,nitro-,glycerin torpedoes in wells for me1 and always with the effect of increasing their production4 8,judging from my knowledge as an expert in operating oil wells and the explosion of torpedoes of all the various kinds therein1 ,i consider that ,g4 ,m4 ,mowbray's ,nitro-,glycerin is far more effective than that of any other party1 or that his method of exploding is more effective40 ,february #ai1 #ahgj4 ,,david ,,crossley4 ,evidence of ,jesse ,smith1 ,oil ,well ,operator4 8,in ,november #ahfi1 ,i had a torpedo from the ,roberts ,torpedo ,company exploded in my well in ,crawford ,co41 ,pa41 by their agent4 ,the explosion was an utter failure1 one-half the contents of the torpedo still remaining in it2 this the agent said was ,nitro-,glycerin40 ,february #ai1 #ahgj4 ,,jesse ,,smith4 ,evidence of ,george ,west4 8,i am employed in exploding the ,nitro-,glycerin in the holes drilled by the miners in the ,oil ,creek ,tunnel1 ,pa4 ,i used ,nitro-,glycerin from the ,lake ,shore ,nitro-,glycerin ,works1 which is very different to that of the ,united ,states ,blasting ,oil ,company1 of ,new ,york1 and requires a different mode of explosion4 ,i do not use any of the methods described in ,nobel's patent of ,october #bd1 and re-issued ,april #ac1 #ahfi1 for exploding1 for the methods therein described would only explode it1 if at all1 which ,i doubt1 by hazard1 and not with certainty1 owing to the peculiar properties of the ,lake ,shore ,nitro-,glycerin as compared with what ,i have seen and used as the ,shaffner1 or ,nobel's ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,i endorse all the previous evidence as to the difference between the ,nobel or ,shaffner ,nitro-,glycerin1 and that made under ,mowbray's patent4 ,the method ,i have used to explode this ,nitro-,glycerin1 at the ,oil ,city ,tunnel1 consists in what is known as the ,austrian battery and electric fuse and fulminating shell2 that is1 an electric machine1 whose exciting plate is made of ebonite or hard rubber1 with insulated and conducting wire terminals1 which are from _/ to _/ of an inch apart1 and between those terminal points a priming composition is inserted1 through which the electric spark being passed1 such priming ignites1 giving a flame 7insufficient to explode the ,nitro-,glycerin1 but7 sufficient to inflame a fulminating compound1 of which there is a heavy charge1 and this fulminating compound being exploded by the priming composition1 explodes the ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,i have never used the method of exploding with gunpowder as described in the ,nobel patent1 ,no4 #ej1fag1 in the tunnel aforesaid1 nor elsewhere1 but ,i have witnessed attempts to explode the ,nitro-,glycerin used under ,mowbray's ,patent by means of fuse and gunpowder1 as described by ,nobel1 where that method failed40 ,february #ai1 #ahgj4 ,,george ,,west4 ,illustration3 ,sinking the ,central ,shaft4 ,evidence of ,h4 ,julius ,smith4 8,i am engaged in the business of manufacturing electric fuses and introducing explosive compounds to contractors1 miners and torpedo men4 ,i have carefully examined the patents in question re-issued to ,tal4 ,p4 ,shaffner1 and1 ,i find1 by the modes therein described1 it is impossible to fire with certainty1 and simultaneously1 more than two mines charged with ,nitro-,glycerin by any of the methods described in said four re-issued patents2 and to effect any explosion of ,nitro-,glycerin by any of the methods therein described1 and materials delivered to the public by the assignees of the inventor ,nobel1 it is absolutely essential that the ,nitro-,glycerin should be confined as described in the re-issues in question4 ,i have also carefully examined the patent issued to ,george ,m4 ,mowbray1 dated ,july #bgth1 #ahfi1 and find that the process therein described of exploding ,nitro-,glycerin1 does away with the necessity for confining ,nitro-,glycerin in order to explode it4 ,i endorse previous evidence from my own experience in regard to exploding ,nitro-,glycerin when unconfined under ,mowbray's system4 ,i have also manufactured and delivered upward of twenty thousand fuses to the contractors of the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 capable of exploding ,nitro-,glycerin when unconfined1 at said ,hoosac ,tunnel4 ,i have been present when the modes described in the re-issues of the ,nobel patent have been carefully practised1 and entirely failed to fire ,nitro-,glycerin1 and in one instance immediately after the failure of the ,nobel system1 ,i inserted a fuse of the exact description1 and with the electric appliances as described in ,geo4 ,m4 ,mowbray's patent1 ,no4 #ic1aac1 dated ,july #bgth1 #ahfi1 and the result was a successful explosion4 ,the modes described in the ,nobel re-issues1 ,nos4 #c1cgg1 #c1cgh1 #c1cgi and #c1chj1 have been abandoned by all parties with whom ,i am acquainted1 who have important works to carry through1 requiring ,nitro-,glycerin to be exploded1 and particularly by the said ,tal4 ,p4 ,shaffner himself1 as ,i have manufactured1 sold and delivered to said ,shaffner and others1 the apparatus and the exploding electrical fuses for firing ,nitro-,glycerin made by said ,shaffner1 and ,nitro-,glycerin made by the ,lake ,shore ,nitro-,glycerin ,company1 which said fuses or electrical exploders1 involve a principle of firing ,nitro-,glycerin of great practical importance and very recent development1 viz41 the principle of concussion1 so as to effect the explosion of the entire mass of ,nitro-,glycerin instantaneously1 without requiring the explosion to be transmitted from particle to particle1 in this respect differing very materially from the methods described in the ,nobel re-issues above referred to1 which require1 first1 confinement1 and then heat and pressure1 to be developed in the presence of the ,nitro-,glycerin40 ,february #bd1 #ahgj4 ,h4 ,,julius ,,smith4 ,evidence of ,james ,h4 ,king4 8,i am one of the proprietors of the ,lake ,shore ,nitro-,glycerin ,works1 situated near ,painesville1 ,ohio4 ,i am personally acquainted with ,taliaferro ,p4 ,shaffner1 and endorse all the evidence of ,g4 ,m4 ,mowbray as to ,shaffner's proposal to consolidate the ,nobel and ,mowbray patents1 and his admission that the parties he represented did not claim the exclusive right to manufacture ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,i would state that one ,w4 ,b4 ,roberts1 of the firm of ,roberts ,co41 of ,titusville1 ,pennsylvania1 informed me that he is one of the ,trustees of the ,united ,states ,blasting ,oil ,company1 and that since the commencement of this suit ,i have delivered to ,roberts ,co41 at request of ,w4 ,b4 ,roberts1 twelve hundred pounds1 or thereabouts1 of ,nitro-,glycerin manufactured by the company of which ,i am a member4 8,i manufacture 7as a party interested in the ,lake ,shore ,nitro-,glycerin ,works of ,painesville7 under a license from ,george ,m4 ,mowbray1 under a patent to said ,mowbray1 bearing date ,april #gth1 #ahfh40 ,february #be1 #ahgj4 ,j4 ,h4 ,,king4 ,evidence of ,james ,dickey4 8,i am acquainted with ,nobel's system of blasting4 ,i assisted in making ten explosions in ,oil ,city ,tunnel1 for ,charles ,lobb1 the contractor4 ,we did not use any of the methods of exploding specified in ,nobel's or ,shaffner's patents4 ,we used the improved electrical machine of ,h4 ,julius ,smith1 patented ,august #aj1 #ahfi1 and used the method of firing and fuse described in ,g4 ,m4 ,mowbray's patent of ,july #bg1 #ahfi1 and which several methods are entirely different from those mentioned in the several patents claimed by complainant in this case4 ,i used in the blasts made by me1 the ,nitro-,glycerin manufactured by the ,lake ,shore ,nitro-,glycerin ,company1 under ,geo4 ,m4 ,mowbray's patent1 ,no4 #gf1dii1 dated ,april #g1 #ahfh4 ,i endorse the statements of the miners ,mackey and ,lynch as to the noxious effects and danger arising from the use of ,shaffner's ,nitro-,glycerin1 and the freedom from the same in that manufactured by ,mowbray's system40 ,february #be1 #ahgj4 ,,james ,,dickey4 ,evidence of ,w4 ,s4 ,holbrook4 8,i was engaged along with ,james ,dickey to perform some blasting in ,oil ,creek ,tunnel4 ,i endorse his statement as to the kind of ,nitro-,glycerin and the method of exploding used in said tunnel1 and further state that we never used any other process or material40 ,february #be1 #ahgj4 ,w4 ,s4 ,,holbrook4 ,evidence of ,henry ,h4 ,pratt4 8,i was foreman at the ,west ,shaft at the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 up to ,october #ae1 #ahfi4 ,in ,december1 #ahfi1 ,i went to ,oil ,city1 ,pa41 to show ,charles ,lobb1 the contractor for the ,jamestown and ,franklin ,railroad1 how to use ,nitro-,glycerin for blasting rock4 ,the weather being very cold1 warm water was first poured into the holes to prevent the frozen sides of the drilled hole chilling the ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,a charge of ,nitro-,glycerin was then poured through the water1 and a small cartridge of tin being introduced1 the charge was fired by means of a frictional electric machine1 connected with a priming fuse and a charge of fulminating mercury1 being the mode set forth and shewn in the ,letters ,patent1 granted to ,george ,m4 ,mowbray1 ,no4 #ic1aac1 and dated ,july #bgth1 #ahfi4 ,i am familiar with the re-issued patents in question1 and the mode by which ,i exploded said ,nitro-,glycerin in said tunnel1 as above described1 is very different from the mode described in the patents re-issued to said ,u4 ,s4 ,blasting ,oil ,company2 it would have been utterly impossible to have fired the said three holes in said tunnel by the mode stated in the above referred to re-issues at one and the same moment1 as was done by me4 ,i find on examination1 that in all the patents granted to ,taliaferro ,p4 ,shaffner1 ,nos4 #ea1fga1 #ea1fgd1 dated ,december #aith1 #ahfe1 the mode of firing a consecutive series of fuses is condemned by said ,shaffner1 and in patent ,no4 #ea1fgd1 that the specification accompanying said ,letters ,patent contains the following words3 8,figures #f and #g represent the heretofore known mode of exploding two or more charges by the same electric current1 and the former is shewn as applied to a consecutive series of blasts in line1 and the latter to the heading of a tunnel10 such mode being identically and exactly what ,i practised at the ,oil ,city tunnel1 and none other4 ,i confirm all the previous evidence as to the feasibility of exploding pure ,nitro-,glycerin when unconfined1 and also as to the good qualities of the ,mowbray ,nitro-,glycerin when compared with that made under the ,nobel re-issues40 ,february #bf1 #ahgj4 ,h4 ,h ,,pratt4 ,evidence of ,otto ,burstenbinder1 of ,new ,york4 8,i have been familiar with the use of ,nitro-,glycerin since ,may1 #ahfe1 and introduced that article from ,hamburgh1 ,germany1 in ,july1 #ahfe4 ,i witnessed the application of ,nitro-,glycerin to blasting purposes about #bj miles from ,hamburgh1 when many distinguished citizens were present1 a full account of the results effected being published afterwards in the principal ,german newspapers4 ,the mode used to explode ,nitro-,glycerin on that occasion was by fuse and cap1 the ,nitro-,glycerin being confined1 in one experiment1 in a gas-pipe1 plugged at each end1 and the fuse led through the plug1 and at the end of the fuse there was a percussion cap attached2 in another experiment a wooden plug was hollowed out conically inside and the cone was filled with gunpowder2 to this plug a fuse was attached and lighted in the usual manner4 ,i myself fired ,nitro-,glycerin in the ,city of ,new ,york1 on or about the fifteenth day of ,july1 ,a4 ,d4 #ahfe2 this was the first time ,i used ,nitro-,glycerin in the ,united ,states1 for blasting purposes2 the mode of operation was to pour the ,nitro-,glycerin into the naked drill hole1 and lower a wooden plug charged with gunpowder1 on to the ,nitro-,glycerin1 poured some dry sand on to the plug1 and fire a fuse which was situated on the plug in the usual way4 8,i am quite familiar with the ,nitro-,glycerin manufactured by the ,united ,states ,blasting ,oil ,company1 under ,nobel's patent1 and that manufactured by ,g4 ,m4 ,mowbray under his own1 and confirm all the previous evidence as to the superiority of ,mowbray's ,nitro-,glycerin1 in explosive power1 in absence of color1 absence of smell1 absence of nitrous gases1 in greater safety through the greater difficulty of exploding it1 and in purity4 ,as an expert of considerable experience in the use of ,nitro-,glycerin1 ,i assert that it is entirely unnecessary to confine ,nitro-,glycerin in order to explode the same1 the explosion being as thorough1 and its effects nearly as powerful for blasting purposes1 owing to the extreme instantaneous conversion into gas when unconfined1 provided a proper charge of fulminate be used4 8,i have made the explosion of ,nitro-,glycerin1 and its application to blasting purposes1 my occupation since #ahfe1 and am thoroughly familiar with its properties1 use1 and the literature referring to it1 and ,i have never heard or read that the ,nitro-,glycerin made by ,sobrero was incapable of being crystallized1 but ,i verily believe1 and have always found1 that ,nitro-,glycerin congeals when exposed to a moderately low temperature40 ,june #g1 #ahgj4 ,,otto ,,burstenbinder4 ,parties using ,nitro-,glycerin are requested to note1 that on the #aith of ,march1 #ahgb1 the insolvent ,u4 ,s4 ,blasting ,oil ,company 7by the aid of funds drawn1 under litigation also1 from the ,oil producers of ,pennsylvania1 by the notorious torpedo patents71 finding their twenty-four columns of specification and eight claims wholly inapplicable to the mode of using ,nitro-,glycerin as now practised1 surrendered their re-issues1 and1 as ,i am of opinion1 by the injudicious oversight of the ,examiner1 an intimate friend of ,mr4 ,shaffner1 obtained four more re-issues1 containing twenty columns of specification and seventeen claims1 thereby1 as eminent counsel advise me1 practically abandoning their case up to ,march #ai1 #ahgb4 ,counsel further advise me1 after full consideration of these last re-issues1 that the litigation has entered upon a new phase1 and that the original patent1 the first re-issues1 and the second re-issues1 contain in themselves the proof of their utter worthlessness1 needing no other evidence to render them void4 ,but a graver and more serious charge rests upon the means by which these anomalies have been put on record in the ,patent ,office1 which will be reviewed by experienced counsel1 before a competent tribunal4 ,for myself1 with resources which ,i hope and intend to keep unimpaired1 to conduct this business to its final issue1 with a pecuniary interest ,i am bound to take care of1 besides a further amused interest1 aroused during the past four years1 by the shifts and pretences of this impecunious company to avoid trial of a suit instituted by itself1 there will be a courteous desire to accommodate my opponents with the earliest possible verdict1 counsel1 judges and jury can arrive at1 consistent with a complete1 full and fair investigation of plaintiff's pretences and patents4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,hoosac ,tunnel--,drilling by ,machine--,blasting with ,powder--,nitro-,glycerin4 ,the ,hoosac ,mountain1 whose summit is #b1gjj feet above the sea level1 is composed1 according to the geologist1 of mica slate1 so compressed that near the ,west ,end the stratification is contorted1 upheaved1 and intermingled with quartz and pyrites2 consequently the classification of the rock as 8mica slate0 conveys a very imperfect idea of its hard impracticable nature to the miner4 ,to any one who will be at the pains of examining the masses lying near the powder magazine1 built of massive stone1 at the ,west ,shaft1 the hardness of this rock is at once apparent4 ,parts of this mountain have been found so hard and tough1 and so difficult to drill1 that thirty-four drills have been worn in drilling a blast hole thirty-six inches deep4 ,this was an exceptional case1 but similar hard layers are met from time to time4 ,had it not been for the ,burleigh drill and ,nitro-,glycerin1 the sturdy indomitable perseverance of ,massachusetts would have been severely strained1 if not exhausted1 in running this ,tunnel4 ,the following extract from the ,adams ,transcript1 for ,april #aa1 #ahgb1 gives a summary of the progress made during the month of ,march1 and the lengths remaining to be opened to complete the work3 ,illustration3 ,profile of the ,hoosac ,mountain1 and ,advance of ,tunnel1 ,january #a1 #ahgb4 ,,hoosac ,,tunnel ,,progress ,,for ,,march1 #ahgb4 8,east ,end1 #abj feet2 ,central ,shaft1 eastward1 #ajj feet2 ,west ,end1 #adj feet1 total1 #cfj feet4 ,total lengths opened to ,april #a1 #ahfb3 ,east ,end1 #aj1aff feet2 ,central ,shaft1 east1 #fag feet1 west1 #cbe feet1 total1 #idb feet2 ,west ,end1 #g1did feet4 ,lengths remaining to be opened3 between ,east ,end and ,central ,shaft1 #b1jed feet--#ehf feet less than half a mile4 ,between ,west ,end and ,central ,shaft1 #d1cge feet--#hee feet more than two-thirds of a mile40 ,a reference to the wood cut opposite page #hj1 shows the profile of the mountain and progress of the ,tunnel to ,january #a1 #ahgb4 ,the distance made during the month of ,march1 in the ,east heading1 was #abj feet of heading1 #bd feet wide and #i feet in height1 exclusive of first enlargement or roof1 and second enlargement of roof to full size or stopeing1 which is usually carried on simultaneously to about #bej feet per month4 ,this heading is being attacked by twelve of the ,burleigh drilling machines1 mounted on two carriages manned by eight miners and a foreman1 who work for eight hours1 with brief intermission whilst the charges are being fired4 ,the drills are impelled by compressed air1 making #cjj strokes per minute1 and calculated to strike with a force of #bjj lbs4 at each blow1 perforating from one inch to five inches per minute1 of a hole two inches in diameter when powder is used1 and #a inch diameter for ,nitro-,glycerin blasting4 ,at the ,east heading1 partly owing to the rock being softer than either at the ,west ,end or in the ,central ,shaft1 partly to the miners being accustomed to powder1 partly to the heavy battery of drills enabling twelve drilling machines to work at once1 and thus make progress satisfactory to the contractors1 who1 wisely1 let well enough alone1 the holes when drilled to a depth of from two feet six inches to three feet1 are each charged with from one to two and one-half pounds of blasting powder1 then tamped2 the carriages are drawn back1 and the sixteen to twenty-six holes are fired simultaneously by means of a frictional electric machine4 ,this takes place every four hours1 exploding from #ajj to #aej cartridges every twenty-four hours4 ,the reader must not infer from this that every blast makes from two feet six inches to three feet of advance2 because1 first1 the holes are never drilled for powder in a horizontal plane1 but at an angle1 sometimes upwards1 sometimes downwards1 to the right or left1 the aim being1 that a straight line drawn from the bottom of the hole to the face of the rock shall be shorter than the extreme length of the drilled hole1 so that the charge or blast which exerts its force in the line of least resistance1 may displace the rock between the bottom of the hole and the surface of the rock1 and not collar the hole1 that is1 merely remove the rock surrounding the outlet of the drilled hole4 ,it is usually found also1 that the power exerted by powder is not sufficient1 in working a heading1 to blast out the rock from the bottom of the hole1 but1 most frequently1 from the point where the cartridge begins1 and the tamping terminates4 ,thus1 if a hole be drilled at an acute angle from the face to a depth of thirty inches1 with a line of least resistance of twenty-four inches from the bottom of the hole1 and a fifteen inch cartridge of blasting powder be inserted1 and tamping to the extent of fifteen inches be rammed in above the cartridge1 the rock removed1 will1 under ordinary circumstances1 be removed from about where the cartridge commences1 that is about #ab inches1 or it may be #ad inches1 in a direct line from the face4 ,and herein lies the very important distinction between powder and ,nitro-,glycerin2 the latter1 bottoms1 i4 e41 removes the rock from the bottom of 7in roofing and quarry work beyond7 the hole2 with powder this is rarely the case4 ,moreover1 as the depth of the holes is increased1 so must the diameter be increased in proportion to the depth when powder is the blasting agent1 but when the drilled hole is to be blasted out with ,nitro-,glycerin1 a diameter of #a inches is sufficient for a hole having a depth of ten feet1 and a line of least resistance of eight feet1 a depth wholly inadmissible for powder1 because the rock at that depth would act like the breech of a cannon1 and the explosion would issue direct from the hole1 only fracturing the edge1 i4 e41 collaring the hole4 ,with ,nitro-,glycerin the holes need not be drilled at so acute an angle to the face of the rock1 and need no tamping1 that is1 the drilled hole is left entirely open1 and no time is occupied therefore in ramming materials over the explosive1 and no risk is incurred in cutting the fuse or electric wire1 as with powder1 dualin or dynamite1 all of which must be tamped4 ,the explosion of ,nitro-,glycerin differs from that of every other explosive in this1 that the explosion is instantaneous1 consequently the rock yields before any flash can reach the mouth of the drilled hole1 and the work is done before the gases can travel six feet4 ,hence the necessity of deep holes2 to charge holes only #cj inches deep 7except they are from to inch diameter7 is a waste of the material4 ,the same charge will clear the rock to the bottom1 with a hole drilled six feet deep1 and in fact bottom the six foot hole1 whilst a similar charge inserted in a #cj inch hole may leave three or six inches of the hole visible with its surrounding rock1 after the blast4 ,and here ,i cannot refrain from narrating what a narrow escape ,nitro-,glycerin had at one time from being rejected at the ,tunnel4 ,in the dark days of this enterprise1 when every cent expended was narrowly watched1 and when it was favor enough for a miner to condescend to allow ,nitro-,glycerin to be used in his shift1 requests and entreaties for deep holes1 and remonstrances that the holes were not drilled deep enough to give this explosive a fair chance1 were found fruitless2 until1 finally1 a consultation was held in the time-keeper's office at the ,west ,end1 the purport of which was1 to notify the writer that no more ,nitro-,glycerin was needed1 as it did not answer expectations4 ,the superintendent1 at the ,west ,shaft1 was asked what reason ,i gave that greater progress was not made with the new explosive4 ,his reply was3 8,mowbray says the holes are not drilled deep enough1 and1 ,i think 7he added7 it is but fair his demand for deep holes should be complied with1 before you throw up the use of ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,he has outlaid some #e1jjj for the experiment1 and you ought at least to see the effect of deep holes1 before you decide40 ,agreed2 the superintendent then went to the foreman of the shift1 and requested deeper holes1 ordering six feet holes4 8,it's no use10 was the reply2 8it's all nonsense2 why1 ,i tell ye1 it won't bottom a hole #cj inches deep2 then how is it going to fare with a six foot hole2 besides1 we can't drill six feet holes by hand in one shift40 8,then take two shifts to do it1 and take three if it is necessary2 this ,nitro-,glycerin man says he must have deep holes1 and he shall for this once1 if ,i drill them myself1 and it takes a week to do it40 ,the deep 7only six feet7 holes were drilled1 and charged2 cartridges of same size as those inserted in #cj inch holes1 were used1 and fired1 every hole bottomed1 every miner was astonished1 and from that day the use of ,nitro-,glycerin was a necessity for the heading in the ,west ,end4 ,but it was a narrow escape from what would have been deemed a failure4 ,on another occasion1 during a drought1 the supply of water at the ,west ,end1 where the ,nitro-,glycerin was manufactured1 gave out1 and1 being a necessity in the manufacture1 we had to haul it by team4 ,this was troublesome work1 and cost money4 ,there had been a change of engineers1 and the gentleman now in charge1 on the difficulty reaching him1 determined first to ascertain whether ,nitro-,glycerin was a necessity1 before complying with the contract the ,commissioners had made1 and which involved a supply of compressed air and water1 if they used ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,and to make no mistake1 the holes of what is termed the 8cut0 in the heading1 that is1 two series of four holes each1 in a parallel line from the roof1 about nine feet high1 were drilled about five feet apart at the face of the heading1 and six feet deep1 tending towards each other so that at the bottom of the holes they terminated about three feet apart4 ,after charging and firing1 the above gentleman and his assistant inspected the result4 ,a mass of rock eight feet in height1 five feet wide in front1 and about five feet deep1 with the rear end three feet wide1 had been blown from its seat1 some ten feet from the heading1 and there stood1 a monument 7until block-holed7 of the use of ,nitro-,glycerin1 when properly applied4 8,you shall have all the water you want1 sir1 if ,i bring it myself in pails10 was the energetic assurance of this gentleman1 who felt satisfied that ,nitro-,glycerin was a necessity for the ,hoosac ,tunnel4 ,illustration3 8,stopeing out0 ,roof ,enlargement 7,east ,end47 ,in drilling holes for blasting with ,nitro-,glycerin1 a depth of not less than five feet should be reached2 six feet are better1 but ten and twelve feet are the right depth for a heading1 whilst fifteen feet for bench work1 and eight feet apart1 or1 for quarry work ten feet apart1 and ten feet from the face1 provided the rock is hard enough 7in clay1 owing to the sudden shock ,nitro-,glycerin is ineffective72 exploded in holes of such a depth it will throw out everything before it--and make progress4 ,how difficult to get miners to drill such holes1 how many frivolous objections1 how the wires and their connections will be tampered with to interfere with the intended blast1 and how criminal1 contrary1 and pig-headed1 they deem the contractor and ,nitro-,glycerin man who insists on such depth of holes1 ,i have often experienced1 and it needs the firmness and vim of desperation to enter a quarry1 descend a shaft1 or go into a rock cutting1 and oppose the life-long habits of men who believe honestly they know everything that concerns mining1 and what they do not know is not worth knowing4 ,but if once a blast is shewn1 and they have to hoist out the rock1 their obstinacy succumbs1 and in three months1 men1 who knew it was poison1 and so dangerous it was wicked to ask them to drill holes to receive it1 have positively refused to descend a shaft if powder was attempted to be used merely in a comparative experiment1 alleging1 that the powder was unhealthy and not fit to be used at the bottom of a shaft1 where the air was confined4 ,and here let me truly add1 ,i have never sent ,nitro-,glycerin to be experimented with in any rock work1 rock cutting1 or rock tunnel1 that was not followed by a large order1 repeated until the end of the work1 during my past experience of four years' manufacture4 ,indeed1 there have been only two cases where it was found inapplicable1 and these were in hard clay1 where it seems actually to mould for itself a chamber1 compressing the walls of the drill hole1 as if an enormous hydraulic ram had been inserted2 but the tenacious mass is not displaced1 it only suffers compression4 ,when1 therefore1 holes can be made with a crow-bar1 and not drilled1 do not use ,nitro-,glycerin1 but if you have rock1 be it as hard as emery1 or as the magnetic iron ore of the ,lake ,superior or ,ottawa ,iron mines1 the harder the better for the economy of drilling1 which is very great1 so few holes being required1 the introduction of ,nitro-,glycerin1 with a good steam or air drill1 causes the progress of the work to advance to that degree that it is only limited by the ability to remove the debris of blasted material4 ,to return from this digression to my subject4 ,to effect this progress of #abj feet1 probably about #c1jjj holes have been drilled in an area not exceeding #bd feet by ten feet1 requiring twelve drilling machines1 and #fj horse steam power to compress the air requisite to drive the drills2 add to this the powder1 over a ton and a half1 the electric exploders1 the candles and oil for miners1 and the fact that a mass of rock #abj feet long1 ten feet high and twenty-four feet wide1 has to be carried out and dumped two miles from where it was excavated1 and some slight idea of the labor at this one point may be formed4 ,now take double this length of rock1 viz43 #bej feet1 increase its height to #ae feet1 keeping its breadth of #bd feet--,i say1 take this mass which is torn from the roof1 whilst the heading is being pushed1 and bring it and dump it #a miles from where it lay solid1 and you have again another point on which you can begin to estimate the ,east ,end work4 ,about #cej men1 a locomotive1 forty cars1 #bjj horse water power1 machinists1 blacksmiths a legion1 for sharpening drills is hand work1 so is picking up rock1 loading cars1 making track1 and all this is done in the smoky1 wet1 grimy1 confined tunnel1 or round about its entrance1 and you have a mixed1 confused suspicion that this tunnel driving is a work needing high powers of organization2 and1 with the license of the miner1 his pay day1 his weddings and his wakes and funerals1 which are all powerful reasons for quitting work1 you have a still clearer idea of the anxiety such work involves4 ,,central ,,shaft4 ,the ,plate1 opposite page #gd1 conveys an idea of the sinking of the ,central ,shaft at #hia feet depth2 at the time of writing1 ,may1 #ahgb1 however1 this shaft had not only reached grade1 but to a sump beneath grade at a depth of #a1jdj feet2 headings and enlargements have been also driven at grade1 east and west1 to meet the works from the ,east ,end1 and from the ,western ,shaft4 ,owing to the stratification of the rock1 which dips towards the west1 great progress was anticipated in this direction2 but man proposes and ,god disposes2 on reaching about #cjj feet westward1 seams of water were struck1 of so threatening a nature that a powerful ,cornish pump was erected1 at a cost reaching1 in all its details1 #hj1jjj1 and now1 ,may1 after enlarging the diameter of the former plunger pump1 prudence suggests the temporary delay of any further disturbance of this water inlet 7immediately under the divide of the mountain71 until the present pumping force has sufficiently drained the sources of water supply to permit a further advance of this 7the western7 heading of the ,central ,shaft to be driven without involving a flooding out of the men working at the eastern heading4 ,meanwhile1 from the sump1 the excavations are enlarged to full tunnel size1 the capacity of the ,cornish and plunger pumps are being tested1 and all energy summoned to meet any difficulties to be overcome when this western heading of the ,central ,shaft shall resume work4 ,all the rock here has to be moved from the heading by hand power1 and lifted 7by steam power7 #a1jjj feet to the surface1 yet1 notwithstanding these adverse circumstances1 during ,march1 #ajj feet was driven to the eastward alone4 ,i append a memorandum furnished by ,mr4 ,e4 ,a4 ,bond1 of actual drilling and blasting1 taken at this point during the dates given1 being about the average performance4 ,on ,august #aith1 #ahga1 on the north side of the east heading1 machine ,no4 #a1 starting at #aj ,a4 ,m41 had at #b4jh ,p4 ,m4 drilled three holes1 averaging about five feet four inches2 the time actually occupied in drilling being #gd minutes1 or an average of about #be minutes to each hole4 ,the remaining #b hours and #ed minutes are accounted for by changes of drills1 breaking of carriage1 and an interval of #dj minutes for dinner4 ,on the south side1 machine ,no4 #b1 starting at #i4ce ,a4 ,m41 had at #b4ji ,p4 ,m4 drilled three holes1 averaging about six feet four inches2 the time actually occupied in drilling being #ha minutes1 or an average of #bg minutes to each hole4 ,the remaining #c hours and #ac minutes are accounted for in a similar manner to the time of machine ,no4 #a1 except that there was no accident to the carriage4 ,the average time of the two machines was about #bf minutes for the average depth of about five feet ten inches1 being two inches and seven-tenths per minute4 ,it will be seen by these facts that the actual drilling is but a comparatively small part of the work2 bringing forward the machines1 connecting to the air main1 inserting the drills into the jaws of the machine piston1 changing these drills as they wear down1 oiling1 releasing drill when stuck1 removing back the machine carriage out of reach of the blasted rock1 waiting for blaster to charge the holes1 connect his wires1 and apply the electric current to fire the exploders1 removing the debris to clear the track for the approach of the drills--all these operations1 so varied and yet so necessary1 each consume a considerable quota of the eight hours allotted to each shift4 ,on ,august #cj1 #ahga1 a blast was made in the east heading at #e4cj ,p4 ,m41 as follows3 fourteen #g foot holes were fired with #be lbs4 of ,nitro-,glycerin1 throwing out about #cj tons of loose rock2 and one solid rock1 diameter #i #d #d feet1 and weighing about #bd1jjj lbs41 a distance of #cj feet1 a weighty testimonial to the explosive power of ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,the expense incurred and difficulties met with1 in working at the ,central ,shaft1 will serve as a hint to contractors to make all due allowance in their estimates for striking a seam of water2 work may go on smoothly for a long time2 the general geological formation of hill or mountain may be well understood1 and yet the contractor cannot tell but that he may strike a vein of quartz that may throw him back days and weeks in his drilling calculations1 or a seam of water which will cost him thousands of dollars in machinery and labor to keep it under4 ,on ,december #g1 #ahgj1 the hoisting machinery broke at the ,central ,shaft1 and then the following measurements of water were made4 ,on ,december #c1 the depth was #c feet2 ,december #ac1 #g feet2 ,december #ae1 #h feet2 ,december #bj1 #ba #a_/f feet2 and ,december #bd1 #dh feet4 ,at midnight they commenced bailing with two buckets1 one having a capacity of #cda gallons or #ed4fe cubic feet1 and the other #ahi gallons or #ca4cf cubic feet4 ,the large bucket was hoisted #a1jge times1 bailing #eh1gde4c cubic feet of water1 and the small bucket #iff times1 with #bi1cbg4h cubic feet of water1 the whole amount being #edi1agi4j gallons in #bg days1 or #ba1jhj4j gallons per day4 ,the following anecdote is worth relating1 as showing the wonderful escapes men sometimes have1 when the chances are one hundred thousand to one against their lives3 ,in ,february1 #ahgb1 ,thomas ,hawkins felt tired and sleepy1 and concluded to lie down in the east heading of the ,central ,shaft1 about #cj feet distant from where the blaster was charging sixteen holes with ,nitro-,glycerin1 intending to retire when the holes were charged4 ,but he failed1 as we many of us do1 to carry out his intention4 ,when the blaster had charged his holes1 he left the heading1 connected his wires1 and having halloed the usual warning 8,fire10 and every thing being quiet1 discharged his blast4 ,thomas ,hawkins was awakened by the report of the blast1 scattering #cj or #dj tons of rock1 and annoyed to find his foot bruised1 he limped out to meet the miners returning to their work1 who now1 when a blast is about to take place1 unceasingly ask him where he proposes to take up his position1 that they may choose an equally safe place4 ,an escape1 as wonderful1 at the ,west ,shaft1 is worthy of being recorded4 ,on ,august #c1 #ahfh1 as ,richard ,dunn was advancing to the heading1 with a can about a quarter filled with ,nitro-,glycerin1 his foot slipped1 and1 in trying to avoid falling1 he swung the can over his head1 striking the drilling machine frame1 and fell prostrate1 still holding the can2 a rush of air was heard1 and the can was found as shown in the photograph1 page #ff1 the ,nitro-,glycerin not having exploded4 ,the man got up a great deal more unconcerned than those at work near him1 and quietly went forward and filled his cartridges as if nothing had happened4 ,as ,i told him afterwards1 he will never be so near eternity again without actually reaching it4 ,the can had been filled at a temperature of #de;,f1 and the temperature of the room where it had been stored for #cf hours1 was about #fe1 thus causing an expansion both of the ,nitro-,glycerin and the air contained in the can4 ,the ,west ,end of the ,tunnel comprises the brick arch and portal1 well ,no4 #d1 the supplementary shaft1 and what is known as the ,west ,shaft4 ,the brick arch has been driven through what is aptly termed1 8demoralized rock10 for immediately after the spring thaw it becomes a quicksand1 and spews into the tunnel from every direction4 ,by driving small adits on each side1 and a central adit some distance ahead of the main tunnel1 ,mr4 ,b4 ,h4 ,farren overcame this dangerous and difficult work1 which at one time threatened his contract1 and thus enabled the arch work to be carried on4 ,subsequently1 the central adit was carried through to the ,west ,shaft1 and thus the costly and difficult task of lifting #dbj gallons of water per minute1 to a height of #cbj feet1 was avoided1 and it now escapes by natural flow through the west portal4 ,drilling is practised here as described for the ,east ,end and ,central ,shaft2 in the ,east ,end the heading is driven on grade1 and the overhanging enlargement is 8stoped0 out by hand drilling worked from an arched stage1 7see plate opposite page #he7 thus avoiding the necessity of handling twice2 mules draw the laden trucks1 from the heading and beyond where this stopeing out of the roof is going on1 to the locomotive1 which hauls a train of cars laden with stone to the dump4 ,at the ,west ,end1 however1 the roof of the heading is driven in line with the roof of the tunnel1 which is hereby left complete as the heading progresses2 this involves trucking by hand1 and dumping the rock from the heading over the bench to the lower level1 see plate opposite page #ij1 and is not found so economical as the ,east ,end method4 ,these differing methods of working1 however1 were not started simply as experiments1 but for good engineering reasons2 at the ,east ,end1 the dump was ample below the grade of the outlet1 whereas1 at the ,west ,end there was no opportunity to get out at the portal1 on the line of the intended railroad2 all the rock here had to be lifted 7until the portal and arched work were completed7 up and out of the ,west ,shaft1 and dumped on to the mountain side1 and1 to avoid being impeded by water1 the heading was driven on a level higher than the grade of the ,tunnel1 thus ensuring good drainage for the most important part of the work1 as it was then deemed1 viz43 monthly linear advance4 ,for the ,commissioners were servants of the public1 and the advance1 rather than the enlargement of the ,tunnel1 was the measure of their success so far as public opinion was concerned4 ,only by a personal visit to this enormous work can a correct idea be obtained of the expense1 ingenuity1 engineering skill1 and indomitable energy of the several foremen and superintendents at the four divisions1 viz43 ,east ,end1 under ,mr4 ,blue2 at the ,central ,shaft1 under ,mr4 ,roskrow2 at the ,west ,shaft1 ,mr4 ,williams1 with underground superintendent1 ,mr4 ,white2 and at the ,west ,portal or arch work1 the sub-contractors1 ,messrs4 ,hocking and ,holbrook2 all of whom are daily devising more expeditious methods of detail1 in compassing the great end sought by each brigade1 the completion of the ,hoosac ,tunnel contract at the time specified4 ,and whilst this energy1 this organization1 and all this development of the highest grade of modern engineering1 are being devoted to carrying out the expressed wish of the majority of the people of ,massachusetts1 the malcontent minority is sleepless in offering every possible obstruction to the work2 in ,governor's council1 in consulting engineering supervision1 in committee of assembly1 in the newspaper press1 covert expression of the opposition has found vent1 and been doubtless useful in its way4 ,but is it not time this opposition should cease8 ,must our citizens be for ever confined to one route from their ,capitol to the ,west8 ,surely there will be traffic enough and ample1 to remunerate both lines1 when the ,hoosac ,tunnel route is open4 ,if so1 the time is approaching for a generous welcome from the opponents of the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 and the conditions 8at owner's risk and at corporation's convenience0 may cease to appear on our freight notes4 ,illustration3 ,driving ,bench ,work and ,dumping from ,heading 7,west ,end47 ,instructions for ,handling and ,using ,,mowbray',s ,,tri-,,nitro-,,glycerin4 #a4 ,handle carefully1 avoiding a sudden jar or concussion1 and be very careful1 if any is spilt outside the can1 to avoid striking it against any hard substance4 #b4 ,when solid1 thaw out by placing the cans in a tub of warm water1 not hotter than the wrist can bear1 first pouring warm water into the can1 and always remove the can before adding more hot water to the tub4 #c4 ,to fill ,cartridges1 c4--,hold the ,cartridges to be filled over a tray1 say #b feet by #c feet1 the bottom of which should be covered with ,plaster of ,paris 7which will not readily explode when saturated with ,nitro-,glycerin47 ,the soiled ,plaster of ,paris should be frequently renewed4 #d4 ,if the ,nitro-,glycerin in a liquid state is kept in store or magazine for some time1 the cork should be loosely inserted1 and a pint of cold water poured in each can1 to be frequently poured off and replaced with fresh cold water in warm weather1 taking care to retain the bladder under the cork4 ,it is preferable1 when ice can be procured1 to congeal the ,nitro-,glycerin4 #e4 ,use ,funnels 7gutta-percha if they can be had7 for filling water holes4 ,under no circumstances whatever attempt to tamp the drill holes2 it is unnecessary1 and may kill the man who attempts it4 #f4 ,hot irons to warm the water1 or soldering the cans1 will be sure to cause explosions4 #g4 ,never sledge or attempt drilling in a hole or seam where ,nitro-,glycerin has been spilled2 fire an exploder1 which will effectually clear it up4 #h4 ,never pour ,nitro-,glycerin into a hole unless perfectly sure that it is a sound hole1 or will hold water2 if seamy always use cartridges4 #i4 ,to obtain the best results with ,nitro-,glycerin1 drill deep holes1 #f feet or more4 ,use powerful exploders and well insulated wires4 ,it is cheaper to fire by electric battery with simultaneous explosion1 than to fire several holes with tape fuse4 #aj4 ,look out after a blast for any unexploded cartridges lying around4 #aa4 ,never allow any but the most careful persons to handle or have charge of the ,nitro-,glycerin1 and insist upon the use of every precaution to prevent an accident or explosion4 #ab4 ,never allow empty ,glycerin cans to be used for any other purpose1 but destroy them by a fuse and exploder1 or building a fire under them1 first1 however1 removing them to a safe distance4 #ac4 ,examine your cans from time to time1 and notice if1 at the level of the ,nitro-,glycerin1 any pin-holes have eaten through2 in such case procure a new can1 or stone jar1 and empty the contents out1 not trusting your hold to the upper part of the can1 lest it may give way4 #ad4 ,when solid1 or congealed1 it is absolutely safe2 if possible1 therefore1 any surplus should be stored surrounded with ice1 since no explosion can take place when it is solid4 ,,george ,m4 ,,mowbray4 ,north ,adams1 ,mass41 ,june1 #ahgb4 ,,appendix4 ,a4 ,,memoranda ,,for ,,contractors4 #a4 ,there are very different qualities of ,nitro-,glycerin1 varying from #ej per cent4 in blasting force1 and the same manufacturer1 unless able to control absolutely every detail of his work1 cannot insure a precisely similar product1 even from similar ingredients4 #b4 ,the best ,nitro-,glycerin may be simply fired1 or only exploded1 or its full blasting effects achieved1 precisely according to the initial velocity or force used to start the explosion2 two cents in an exploder therefore may save ten dollars in a blast4 #c4 ,ten per cent4 of water diffused through ,nitro-,glycerin1 giving it a milky appearance 7,nitro-,glycerin emulsion71 will diminish its effective blasting results #cj per cent4 #d4 ,thirty per cent4 more blasting power is evolved1 when the ,nitro-,glycerin reaches the bare rock of the drill hole1 than when1 by insertion in cartridge1 the metal of the cartridge and a layer of air or water are interposed between the blasting gases and the rock4 #e4 ,pure ,nitro-,glycerin may be safely stored1 and does not readily change2 impure ,nitro-,glycerin needs only time and temperature to explode spontaneously4 #f4 ,in hard pan1 or indurated clay1 ,nitro-,glycerin is not so economical as powder2 in granite1 gneiss1 hornblende1 quartz and other hard rocks1 the harder the better1 especially in large erratic boulders1 the larger the better1 ,nitro-,glycerin will enable the tunneling1 cut or block-holing1 to be performed at half the cost as compared with gunpowder4 ,b4 8,,over-,,sensitive0 ,,exploders4 ,the term1 8over-sensitive10 has been used in the foregoing pages1 and applied to exploders4 ,mr4 ,joseph ,dowse1 of ,lockport1 ,illinois1 applied 8fulminate of copper0 7a discovery of ,dr4 ,john ,davy7 as a priming for exploders1 and patented the application1 observing in his patent that parties unaccustomed to the preparation of fulminates had better leave this preparation alone4 ,the sequel shows ,mr4 ,dowse's caution was not superfluous4 ,two manufacturers1 provoked by the commercial inconvenience of the constant return of exploders owing to their inefficiency1 have resorted to this 8over-sensitive0 priming1 and received the following warnings3 ,in #ahfi1 ,mr4 ,stowell was standing in the office1 on ,sudbury street1 ,boston1 whilst ,mr4 ,h4 ,julius ,smith was packing #bjj exploders in a rubber bag1 in which an ebonite electric machine had been placed4 ,mr4 ,stowell remarked1 8,is it safe to crowd them into a bag like that80 8,oh yes1 perfectly safe10 was the reply1 when instantly #agj out of the #bjj exploded1 severely burning and injuring both ,smith and ,stowell1 the latter being confined to his bed for five weeks in consequence4 ,a similar explosion occurred to ,mr4 ,smith on another occasion1 the copper caps penetrating the fleshy part of the thigh1 in almost the same parts as ,mr4 ,stowell had been wounded1 and burning the eyelashes1 eyebrows and face severely2 by this accident ,mr4 ,smith was confined to his room for a considerable time4 ,mr4 ,smith's partner1 in touching some of this priming1 whilst moist1 in a wooden bowl1 was also severely burnt by its detonation1 the face1 eyebrows and eyelashes being injured1 and himself confined to his room for four days4 ,on ,thanksgiving day1 #ahfi1 ,charles ,a4 ,brown was handling some of this priming1 incautiously touching it on a piece of glass with a steel knife2 it exploded1 and the consequence has been deprivation of sight4 ,one ,hogan1 in the ,fall of #ahga1 working in ,charles ,a4 ,brown's exploder factory1 lost the sight of one eye1 the other being severely injured1 by imprudently omitting his helmet 7usually worn whilst handling this material71 and proceeding to move some of the primers whilst drying the same4 ,the superintendent1 foreman of machine shop1 foreman carpenter and blaster1 engaged in connecting the wires1 at the enlargement of the ,east ,end1 were killed ,april #ba1 #ahga1 by a premature explosion1 caused by the lightning striking the iron rails1 whence the induced and ambient electricity1 radiating to the leading wire1 fired the over-sensitive exploders which were inserted in the charges of ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,at the ,burleigh ,mine1 ,georgetown1 two men were killed from similar causes producing similar effects4 ,an exploder1 from one of the above manufacturers1 placed in a cartridge that was being lowered with forty pounds of ,nitro-,glycerin from the ,government scow1 at ,dimon's reef1 to the diver below1 exploded by reason of the friction of the insulating wire as it passed through the hands of ,superintendent ,pierce2 now1 as there were #cjj pounds of ,nitro-,glycerin on the scow1 had it exploded1 it must have destroyed the scow and every soul 7about #dj7 on board4 ,fortunately1 the fulminating charge was as imperfect as the priming was over-sensitive1 confirming remarks on page #db4 ,these casualties1 the comments of the press1 together with the constant explosions in the factories of those who prepare 8over-sensitive0 exploders1 are beginning to influence both principals and employees1 and it is hoped exploder makers will eventually succeed in either resorting to the ,abel priming1 or discover1 in the records of the ,patent office1 some formula that they can imitate1 not so sensitive as that of ,mr4 ,jacob ,dowse1 and whose proprietor is equally indifferent1 or not 8over-sensitive0 to infringement4 ,it is too much to expect they will surprise their friends1 as ,sheridan is reported to have astonished his1 when1 after repeated failures to guess how he became possessed of a new pair of boots1 he coolly announced1 8he had actually bought and paid for them40 ,meanwhile1 the manufacturer of ,nitro-,glycerin1 if he would avoid the additional risk of exploder accidents1 which are invariably laid to ,nitro-,glycerin1 must make his own exploders1 and try to construct the necessary electric apparatus to fire them1 until further developments have stimulated those who have entered into these trades to perfect their wares4 ,c4 ,,professor ,,abel ,,on ,,effects ,,of ,,initial ,,explosion ,,on ,,explosives4 ,mr4 ,abel1 of the ,woolwich ,arsenal1 ,great ,britain1 in an abstract of the ,proc4 ,royal ,society xvi4 #cie1 observes3 ,the degree of rapidity with which an explosive substance undergoes metamorphosis1 as also the nature and results of such change1 are in the greater number of instances susceptible of several modifications1 by variation of the circumstances under which the conditions essential to chemical change are fulfilled4 ,excellent illustrations of the modes by which such modifications may be brought about are furnished by gun-cotton1 which may be made to burn very slowly and almost without flame1 to inflame with great rapidity1 but without development of great explosive force1 or to exercise a violent destructive action2 according as the mode of applying heat1 the circumstances attending its application1 and the mechanical conditions of the explosive agent are modified4 ,nitro-,glycerin or ,glonoin1 which bears some resemblance to chloride of nitrogen in the suddenness of its explosion1 requires the fulfillment of special conditions for the full development of its explosive force4 ,its explosion by the simple action of heat can be accomplished only when the source of heat is applied for a considerable time in such a way that chemical decomposition is established in some portion of the mass1 and is favored by the continued application of heat to that part2 under these circumstances the chemical change proceeds with very rapidly accelerating violence1 and eventually brings about a sudden transformation of the heated portion into gaseous products1 which transformation is instantly communicated throughout the mass of ,nitro-,glycerin1 so that confinement of the substance is not necessary to develop its full explosive force4 ,this result can be obtained more expeditiously1 and with greater certainty1 by exposing the substance to the concussive action of a detonation produced by the ignition of a small quantity of fulminating powder placed in contact with or near to the ,nitro-,glycerin4 ,the development of the violent explosive action of ,nitro-,glycerin1 freely exposed to air1 through the agency of a detonation1 was regarded until recently as a peculiarity of that substance2 but ,abel's experiments have shown that gun-cotton and other explosive compounds and mixtures do not necessarily require confinement for the full development of their explosive force2 this result being obtained 7and very readily in some instances1 especially in that of gun-cotton7 by means similar to those applied in the case of ,nitro-,glycerin1 viz43 by the percussive action of a detonation4 ,the action of a detonation in determining the violent explosion of gun-cotton1 ,nitro-,glycerin1 etc41 cannot be ascribed to the direct operation of the heat developed by the chemical changes of the charge of detonating compound used as the exploding agent4 ,an experimental comparison of the mechanical force exerted by different explosive compounds1 and by the same compound employed in different ways1 has shown that the remarkable power exhibited by the explosion of small quantities of certain bodies 7the mercuric and argentic fulminates7 to accomplish the detonation of gun-cotton1 while comparatively large quantities of other highly explosive agents are incapable of producing this result1 is generally accounted for in a satisfactory manner by the difference in the amount of force suddenly brought to bear in the different instances upon some portion of the mass operated upon4 ,most generally1 therefore1 the degree of facility with which the detonation of a substance will develop similar changes in a neighboring explosive substance may be regarded as proportionate to the amount of force developed within the shortest space of time by that detonation1 the latter being1 in fact1 analogous in its operation to that of a blow from a hammer1 or of the impact of a projectile4 ,several remarkable results of an exceptional character have1 however1 been obtained1 which indicate that the development of explosive force under the circumstances referred to1 is not always simply ascribable to the sudden operation of mechanical force4 ,thus silver fulminate1 which explodes much more suddenly1 and with much more powerful local force than mercuric fulminate1 nevertheless1 when applied under the same conditions1 does not induce the explosion of gun-cotton so readily as mercuric fulminate4 ,five grains of mercuric fulminate enclosed in a case of stout sheet metal1 and exploded in close contact with compressed gun-cotton1 caused the detonation of the latter1 but five grains of silver fulminate enclosed in tin-foil1 though it appeared to produce quite as sharp a detonation as the same quantity of the mercury salt enclosed in the stout case1 did not explode the gun-cotton with which it was surrounded1 but merely scattered the mass2 when enclosed in the stout sheet metal case1 however1 the five grains of silver fulminate accomplished the detonation of the gun-cotton4 ,iodide and chloride of nitrogen are much more susceptible of sudden explosion even than silver fulminate2 nevertheless1 the iodide does not appear to be capable of causing the explosion of compressed gun-cotton2 and the chloride of nitrogen shows but little capability of producing the same effect1 fifty grains being the smallest quantity that will answer the purpose4 ,lastly1 it is found that ,nitro-,glycerin when exploded by a charge of mercuric fulminate1 will not bring about the explosion of compressed gun-cotton placed in contact with it1 though under precisely similar circumstances the explosion of gun-cotton or of ,nitro-,glycerin will induce the explosion of a larger mass of its own kind4 ,these results point to the conclusion1 that the effect of the detonation of one substance in causing the explosion of another depends not only on the force1 but also on the nature of the vibrations developed in the former2 the most probable explanation of the observed results being that the vibrations attendant upon a particular explosion1 if synchronous with those which would result from the explosion of a neighbouring substance in a state of high chemical tension1 will1 by their tendency to develop those vibrations1 either determine the explosion1 or1 at least1 greatly aid the disturbing effect of mechanical force suddenly applied1 while1 in the instance of another explosion1 which develops vibratory impulses of a different character1 the mechanical force applied through its agency1 has to operate with little or no aid1 so that greater force or a more powerful detonation is required in the latter case to accomplish the same result4 ,d4 ,,nitro-,,glycerin ,,car ,,off ,,the ,,track4 ,the perfect safety with which ,nitro-,glycerin can be transported1 when congealed1 is demonstrated in the following fact1 which should effectually banish from the minds of freight agents and express companies the objections which they have heretofore successfully urged against carrying ,nitro-,glycerin by rail2 so far1 at least1 as concerns that manufactured by the writer4 ,on ,may #c1 #ahgb1 a special car loaded with seventy-nine cans containing #d1hjj pounds of congealed ,nitro-,glycerin1 was being transported over the ,chesapeake and ,ohio ,railroad1 from ,huntington to ,charlestown2 ,c4 ,j4 ,cheshire1 ,assisting-,superintendent at the ,maysville1 ,ky41 ,works1 was on the car running at the rate of #ah miles an hour2 suddenly the car jumped the track1 and was dragged over the ties1 some of which were two feet ten inches measured distance apart 7the new roadway not then ballasted71 for a distance of #fhd feet1 before the train could be brought to a stand still1 to the no small consternation of ,mr4 ,cheshire1 the engine-driver and stoker4 ,the rough jolting had no effect whatever on the ,nitro-,glycerin1 except tumbling some of the cans off the car1 and in a few hours1 the car being replaced1 transportation was resumed1 and one more experience of the properties of our ,nitro-,glycerin added to the list4 ,e4 ,,accidents ,,at ,,the ,,hoosac ,,tunnel4 ,until within the last two years there has been no complete record kept in the ,state ,engineer's office of the casualties among the miners at work on this great undertaking2 but a careful examination of the existing records1 and of the superintendents at different portions of the work1 has enabled us to present the following analysis of the accidents1 causing death or injuries to miners1 which have occurred within the past three years1 and to this we append the accidents by gun-cotton1 ,erhardt's powder and fire1 which1 although of an earlier date1 from their peculiar nature have had special memoranda made in regard to them4 ,,analysis4 ,killed4 ,injured4 ,killed and injured by falling rocks1 tumbling down ,shaft1 and the usual casualties of miners other than those mentioned below1 #ad #ab ,fire--,burning ,central ,shaft1 #ac ,over-sensitive ,exploders1 #g a number4 ,dualin 7about #fjj lbs4 actually used71 #a #c ,erhardt's ,powder 7less than #ejj lbs4 used71 #c #aj ,gun-,cotton 7about #bej lbs4 used71 #a #d ,nitro-,glycerin 7about #aej1jjj lbs4 used71 #e #e ,gun-,powder 7most of the accidents from powder1 occurred at an earlier date than our record1 which in this respect is necessarily incomplete71 #b #c ------ ------ #df #cg #h ------ #de ,this analysis shows #df killed1 and #de 7allowing #h as the 8number0 vaguely mentioned in the records7 injured by the various sources of accidents referred to1 and as the relation of ,nitro-,glycerin to other explosives is what especially interests our readers1 the following comparative analysis of the deaths in proportion to the number of pounds of each explosive used at the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 will enable them to form some idea as to the comparative safety of those mentioned4 ,,analysis4 ,killed4 ,amount used4 ,proportion lbs4 of deaths per #ajj lbs4 ,erhardt's ,powder1 #c #ejj 4#f ,gun-,cotton1 #a #bej 4#d ,dualin1 #a #fjj 4#af ,nitro-,glycerin1 #e #aej1jjj 4#jjjc ,as ,nitro-,glycerin has #ac times the explosive power of gunpowder1 our readers1 who are accustomed to use the latter for blasting1 can easily ascertain the percentage of accidents in proportion to the amount used1 and so judge for themselves as to the comparative safety of these explosives4 ,really1 whilst using1 only two lives have been lost2 one man rashly advancing to the charge1 although advised to desist1 whilst his fuse was burning2 the other1 on change of shift1 after a blast1 a cartridge having failed to explode1 and the blaster neglecting to examine whether his cartridge had exploded1 allowed the new shift to proceed drilling in the same rock1 and within one inch of the same spot previously drilled1 and where a charged cartridge was contained1 when after a few inches of drilling progress1 they came on to the concealed cartridge--explosion followed4 ,in the magazine where three were killed1 in order to hurry up1 after a previous night's spree1 it had become the practice1 notwithstanding peremptory warnings1 to remove the cover of the stove1 and expose the naked can of ,nitro-,glycerin to the naked fire1 of course1 explosion must1 as it did1 follow this reprehensible folly1 and disobedience to orders1 resulting in killing three men4 ,i have established ,tri-,nitro-,glycerin ,factories ,at ,north ,adams1 ,massachusetts1 ,,alfred ,,wallace1 ,foreman2 ,at ,maysville1 ,kentucky1 ,,john ,,wallace1 ,superintendent2 ,at ,kingston1 ,province ,ontario1 ,upper ,canada1 ,h4 ,h4 ,,pratt1 ,superintendent2 ,in order to facilitate supply1 and make deliveries at least possible cost for freight4 ,,geo4 ,m4 ,,mowbray1 ,,north ,,adams1 ,,mass4 ,where orders for ,exploders1 both electric and tape fuse1 gutta-percha insulated leading and connecting wire1 of quality very superior to any hitherto made in the ,united ,states1 should be addressed4 ,agent in ,new ,york ,city3 ,w4 ,b4 ,,townsend1 ,no4 #dj ,broadway 7,room #ci47