202 Lieut. Schmidt on some Kinds of Fulminating Po-wder. 



but foi- that very reason I must give the chlorate of potash 

 the preference for practical use. 



2.) In the fire it puffed away like gunpowder. 



3.) The substance remaining after the explosion is blackish 

 and dusty, and contains less of acidity than that left by the 

 quicksilver. Thus, and indeed from all my experiments, it 

 is evident that it oxidizes the iron less than the fulminating 

 mercury. Moisture is also left by the latter ; and the charcoal 

 left by the mixture of chlorate of potash, after kindling a cop- 

 per box filled with it, is very unimportant : — therefore this 

 mixture is preferable as an igniting powder. This is also the 

 reason why the manufacturers no longer use the fulminating 

 quicksilver. I know one who makes and fills weeklj'^ several 

 thousands of copper caps, for which he uses the chlorate mix- 

 ture, the pi'eparation of which is both less expensive and less 

 dangerous than that of the fulminating quicksilver. There is 

 another circumstance attending this mixture. In filling the 

 caps, it will sometimes happen that the quantity put in is 

 doubled, which 1 find is of no injurious consequence with this 

 mixture ; but might endanger the person firing with the ful- 

 minating mercury, as the box will hurst too violently. 



With respect to the power of igniting the charge, the dif- 

 ferent kinds of powder which I have compared are equally 

 effectual. 



IV.) I submitted the mixture of chlorate of potash men- 

 tioned above to the following experiments. 



1.) That part only ignited which was struck, without igni- 

 ting that lying around it. 



2.) In the fire it burns away with noise. 



3.) I placed it in the usual way in copper caps, but could 

 not ignite a charge with them. The cause of this may be ex- 

 plained by the construction of the locks, with reference to the 

 properties of this detonating powder. That part of the cap 

 situated just above the opening of the cylinder B remains, as 

 the blow cannot fall on it unignited, as shown by the experi- 

 ment No. 1. But the communication of the ignited part with 

 the charge, is prevented by the manner in which the cock 

 strikes the cap. In guns in which such powder is used for 

 igniting, it lies, as above stated, in small balls in a conical 

 aperture. Here it is nearly all ignited by the striking of the 

 cock, and must of necessity flow inwards, every other way of 

 escape being shut up. 



In conclusion : — I have to add that the method of filling the 

 caps recommended by Mr. Wright is not only laborious, but 

 even dangerous. How are manufacturers to employ that me- 

 thod when they have to fill several thousands a week ? I have 



made 



