NORTH CAROLINA. 



549 



of cold water, and, constantly stirring, pours in 



.mines (about 1.1 Ibs.) of the 



rino. It N rs-ential that any percept iblo 



the niixtuiv, as leading to oxidation, 



nnd forming of oxalic, acid, should l.o avoided; 



is end tlie cold water without may 



bo fjvi|uoiitly renewed. The mix- 



ed, the liquid mass is after 



: u u minutes turned into cold water ? to 



whir. rj movement lias first been im- 



;in>leiim is rapidly precipitated 



as a heavy oil. Decanting it into a tall vessel, 



d with a little water, which is then 



poured oil'; and the oil is put into bottles in 



Tor use. As it is to be employed 



forthwith, the little acid and water remaining 



in it proves no disadvantage. 



To detach with this explosive a layer of 

 rocks, at a distance of about three yards from 

 the edge a hole is drilled to about the same 

 depth, and of some two inches diameter ; this 

 is cleaned out, and 1,500 to 2,000 grammes 

 (about 3.3 to 4.5 Ibs.) of nitroleum is intro- 

 duced by means of a funnel. A small hollow 

 cylinder of wood, card-board or sheet-iron, 

 fitting easily into the drill-hole, about 2 to 2i 

 inches in. length, containing gunpowder, ana 

 having a wick or mine-fuse inserted in it, and 

 reaching into the powder, is by means of the 

 fuse lowered until the feeling indicates that it 

 has reached the surface of the oil. The fuse is 

 then firmly held, while tine sand is ruu into the 

 hole until the latter is filled to the top ; it being 

 unnecessary, however, to compress or tamp the 

 sand. The fuse is cut a little way above the 

 orifice, and fired; this in about 8 or 10 minutes 

 inflames the powder, producing a shock which 

 explodes the nitroleum : the explosion is so 

 sudden that no time is allowed to project the 

 sand; and, with a dull report only, the rock is 

 lisiured in various directions and detached. With 

 the charges mentioned, 40 to 80 cubic metres of 

 very resisting rock may bo freed at one blast. 



In respect to the other plan referred to, that, 

 namely, of rendering the uitroleum temporari- 

 ly non-explosive, Prof. C. A. Seely, of New 

 York, has recently presented in the Scientific 

 American a summary of the methods which 

 have been proposed, including one suggested by 

 himself. Nobel had proposed to mix the oil 

 with wood-naphtha, the two liquids blending 

 in any proportions required, and the oil being 

 thus rendered non-explosive in respect both to 

 percussion and heat When required for use, 

 the oil is thrown down by addition of water, 

 and, being drawn off with a siphon, is found to 

 regained its explosibility. Among objections 

 to this method are, the loss of some nitrolenm, 

 liability of the naphtha to volatilize, the possibili- 

 ty of chemical action between the two liquids, 

 and the combustibility of naphtha and its va- 

 por. Several persons have proposed to keep 

 the nitroloum mixed with sand, which, be- 

 sides dividing its mass, should conduct off heat ; 

 iiut this would greatly increase the bulk and 

 weight of packages, and occasion much loss 



of the oil. Dr. Henry Wurtz recommends to 

 make a m>< hanical mixture or emulsion of the 

 oil witii some saline solution, aa of nitrate of 

 /me, lime, or ma^in-ia, and ot the same BJ 

 gravity, recovering for use by adding water; 

 but it is not yet known how long such a mix- 

 ture would be maintained. Mr. Seely proposes 

 to prepare the nitroleum with greater care, BO 

 that it shall be entirely free from acids, and 

 then, by keeping suspended within the oil a 

 small quantity of some substance having of it- 

 self no action on the latter, but which should 

 neutralize any acid that might be generated, to 

 prevent all accumulation of such matters in the 

 liquid. Ho believes this method to be an effi- 

 cient preventive of [the effects of] spontaneous 

 decomposition. He does not state what chem- 

 ical agent would answer the required conditions ; 

 but he thinks that of such neutralizer 60 grains 

 to the pound might be sufficient ; that its addi- 

 tion would not interfere with the use of the oil, 

 so that it need not be removed from it ; and 

 that the method is compatible with any of the 

 others suggested, and should be adopted in con- 

 nection with all of them. Indeed, he would not 

 have nitroleum kept in store, unless first freed 

 in some way from its most formidable property 

 the liability to spontaneous change. 



Besides accounts in the foreign periodicals 

 already named in this article, and in the Chem- 

 ical News, the writer is indebted also to notices 

 originally appearing in the Scientific American, 

 the Mining Journal, and the Artisan, for in- 

 formation here presented, and to some extent 

 for the language in which it is couched. 



NORTH CAROLINA was the only Southern 

 State in which the ordinances declaring null 

 and void the act of secession, and prohibiting 

 slavery in the State, as adopted by the conven- 

 tions assembled under the President's procla- 

 mation of 1865, were submitted to the people 

 for .approval or rejection. To ratify the ordi- 

 nance declaring null and void the ordinance of 

 secession, 19,977 votes were given and 1,940 

 against it. To ratify the ordinance prohibiting 

 slavery in North Carolina, 18,629 votes were 

 given, and 3,096 against it. 



On January 3, 1866, Governor Worth issued 

 his proclamation requesting the General As- 

 sembly of the State to meet on the 18th. The 

 urgent motive for this call was the opinion held 

 by the Governor, that the term of all officers 

 appointed by the provisional governor expired 

 with his removal. The debt of the State at this 

 time is shown in the following statement : 



Old debt due and unpaid $364,000 



not matured 9,885,500 



Coupons past due and unpaid 3,000,000 



Total ante-war debt $12,749,500 



Add debt for internal improvement during 

 The war 1,619,000 



Total debt $14,868,000 



Deduct assets 9,673,290 



Balance $4,694,71* 



