MECHANICS AND USEFUL ARTS. 105 



usual suffocating character of powder smoke ; in fact, there is 

 nothing in the residue injurious to health, or even disagreeable, so 

 that operations can be carried on without intermission. A pound 

 of haloxylin will occupy nearly twice the space of 1 pound of gun- 

 powder; and as it does fully two-thirds the amount of work, bulk 

 for bulk, as any powder now in use, it follows that a material 

 saving of cost is effected. 



The invention of this powder is due to Messrs. Wilhelm and 

 Ernst Fehleisen, of Styria. It consists of sawdust, charcoal, salt- 

 petre, and usually ferrocyanide of potassium, although the latter 

 ingredient is sometimes dispensed with. The proportions in 

 which they are combined are generally 9 parts by weight of saw- 

 dust, 3 to 5 parts of charcoal, 45 parts of saltpetre, and 1 part of 

 ferrocyanide of potassium. The sawdust, which, if not from a 

 non-resinous wood, should have the resin extracted from it, is 

 passed through a fine sieve, and then mixed with finely powdered 

 charcoal (from light woods) and powdered saltpetre. The mass 

 is moistened with about a quart 'of water to the hundred-weight, 

 and then stamped or crushed. By this means the whole is ren- 

 dered homogeneous. The mass is now moistened again with 

 water under ordinary circumstances, and with a weak solution of 

 ferrocyanide of potassium when a quick powder is required. The 

 subsequent processes of caking, granulating, and drying are con- 

 ducted in the same way as in the manufacture of ordinary powder, 

 and the grains can, if desired, be polished as usual ; but this is 

 found to be unnecessary. 



Owing to the great cost of carrying explosive materials, the 

 importation of haloxylin from Germany is, commercially, out of 

 the question : it is, therefore, proposed to manufacture it in this 

 country. There are at present three factories in Styria, Hungary, 

 and Moravia respectively, yet they are scarcely able to keep pace 

 with the continually increasing demand ; and it is to this circum- 

 stance alone that is to be attributed the fact that until now no 

 efforts have been made to introduce it into England. The Hunyad 

 board of the Kronstadt Mining and Smelting Company made 

 careful comparative experiments in their Telek iron mines, and 

 obtained with half the weight of haloxylin the same results as 

 with the powder in ordinary use ; but such a high duty as this 

 probably resulted from some exceptional circumstances not having 

 been taken into account ; that 2 pounds of haloxylin, however, will 

 do as much as 3 pounds of other blasting powder, appears to have 

 been well ascertained. The Austrian State Railway Company 

 certify, as the result of the experiments made at their mines in 

 the Ban at, that the trials in the coal mines of Doman took place 

 in a cross course when very dense vapors prevailed ; nevertheless, 

 the place could be approached immediately after blasting, no 

 smoke being left. As to the effect, 2 to 2i ounces of haloxyline are 

 equal to 3 to 3| ounces of blasting powder. The result of the ex- 

 periment with this substance showed that a firmer inclosing wall 

 was required than with powder; the effect upon the rock was 

 more cleaving than crushing, and on account of this property it 

 promises considerable advantages over powder for the blasting of 



