Opening Cases 



When ready to use the dynamite, open the box or case with a hard- 

 wood wedge and a mallet, and take to the work, in a dry box or pail, the 

 number of cartridges required immediately. Never take more than the 

 day's supply even in warm weather, and in cold weather, take only what 

 can be kept thawed until it is to be used, unless there are arrangements 

 for keeping it thawed where "the blasting is to be done. Let somebody 

 else carry the tamping stick, fuse, and detonators, to the work. As soon 

 as holes are ready for the dynamite and when possible the holes should 

 all be ready before the dynamite is brought to the work the priming, 

 charging, tamping and firing should be carried on as rapidly as possible 

 without becoming careless. 



A very little practice will put you in the way of doing blasting 

 quickly, systematically and economically, and you will wonder how you 

 ever got along without dynamite. 



Thawing 



Some kinds of dynamite freeze at about 50 degrees Fahrenheit and 

 will not explode at all, or only imperfectly, when in that condition. Even 

 when chilled they cannot be depended on to work well. Red Cross Dyna- 

 mite is an exception to this rule, for it will not freeze until the weather 

 is quite cold. When dynamite is frozen it must be thawed, or if chilled 

 it must be warmed before using. Frozen dynamite is easily recognized 

 because it is hard and rigid. 



If, after the thawed dynamite is ready to use, something causes a 

 delay and it becomes chilled or frozen before it can be put into the bore- 

 hole, it should be thawed or warmed again. It does not harm dynamite 

 to thaw it many times, provided this is done in the right way. 



Red Cross Dynamite, if loaded in the ground below the frost line 

 and properly tamped, will not freeze again, but other dynamite may chill 

 or freeze almost immediately when loaded in cold ground, which makes 

 it necessary to detonate it immediately after charging. It is this that 

 makes Red Cross Dynamite so valuable in cold weather. 



The best way to thaw dynamite, and to keep it thawed until it is to be 

 used, is in a thawing kettle made for the purpose. Dynamite may be 

 thawed by leaving it spread out on a shelf in a warm room (not in a 

 dwelling) over night, or by burying it, while in the case, in manure. It 

 may also be thawed by putting it in a covered, water-tight pail and hang- 

 ing this pail in warm water and it may be carried to the work in any kind 

 of .dry bucket or box if covered with an old coat, a piece of blanket or 

 something of the kind to keep it warm. It is exceedingly dangerous to 

 try to thaw dynamite in front of an open fire, or in hot sand, or on hot 

 stones, or metal or steam pipes, or in an oven, and it is in attempting to 

 thaw dynamite in some of these ways that accidents frequently happen. 

 Do not attempt to thaw dynamite by putting the cartridges in hot water 

 or by turning a jet of steam on it. 



110 



