158 Nitro-Glycerine : [April, 
nitro-glycerine in question was manufactured at Hamburg in the 
usual way, mixed with methyl-alcohol, and shipped as inexplosive 
blasting liquid, at the commencement of the winter 1866-7, on 
board a vessel which, on account of an accident, had to put ito 
Harwich, where the cargo was received into two lighters, and 
remained about two months exposed to the severest weather of the 
season. One of the cases was opened at Harwich, in order to get a 
sample, but that was found to be an impossibility, as the contained 
nitro-glycerine was a perfectly solid ice-lke mass. The weather 
had apparently destroyed the effect of the methyl-alcohol. When 
the substance was conveyed to Carnarvon, part of it was washed 
with water in the usual way, to remove the alcohol, as if it were 
still protected. But that was found to be unnecessary. ‘The slate- 
quarrymen fired it with gunpowder without any difficulty, and it 
was evident that the effect of the alcohol, if not entirely destroyed, 
was nearly so. Twenty-four of the cases—6 cwt.—were sent into 
the Newcastle district in July last. A large portion of it, as is now 
well known, was stored in the town of Newcastle, in contravention 
of the provisions of the “Carriage and Deposit of Dangerous Goods 
Act, 1866.” At the fatal Town Moor three of the tin cases, the 
tops of which were strongly soldered down, were forcibly opened 
by means of a spade, and found to contain a quantity of solid nitro- 
glycerine. In this state practical men know it to be more difficult 
to explode than when in the liquid state ; but that it resisted such 
violent treatment is almost inconceivable, and that Sub-Inspector 
Wallace is still living is little short of a miracle. Is it possible 
that any sane person can believe that the crystallized nitro-glycerine 
after such a rough career and such violent usage could explode 
spontaneously ? that it was so sensitive that the simple slipping 
or friction of one piece upon another brought about the fatal 
explosion? We sincerely hope not. 
That nitro-glycerine has properties of peculiar value in blasting 
operations may be inferred from the following facts :— 
The first and most successful company formed for the manu- 
facture of the substance is one formed at Stockholm towards the 
end of the year 1864, and the shareholders in which are all Swedish 
miners, with the exception of one who is the director of the Stock- 
holm Private Bank. The shares are much in request, but they are 
not in the market, and cannot be had, and the dividends are greater 
than the directors care to tell. The rapidity with which the 
Swedish miners tock to the use of the new blasting agent is most 
extraordinary. The great tunnel of the Central Railway through 
Stockholm was blasted throughout with nitro-glycerime made by 
that company. A stupid accident occurred—not an explosion of 
the blasting liquid—which frightened the authorities so much that 
a royal order was issued that no more than two pounds of nitro- 
