U9 



Dynamite is dangerous, but less so than gun-powder, for 

 if a charge refuses to explode, on account of a poor cap or 

 a slip of the fuse from the cap, it is easy to run down an- 

 other fuse and cap, and so explode it ; but to drill out an 

 old charge of powder is very dangerous, and should seldom 

 be undertaken. When used in a drill hole, it is not nec- 

 essary to tamp it, as with powder, but just fill the hole with 

 water, moist sand, or even dirt that is damp enough to pack 

 and exclude the air. 



For ordinary field rocks of one or two tons weight, a one- 

 inch hole, from six to eight inches deep, under charge of 

 one-quarter to one-half pound, will generally be all that is 

 required to break it enough for easy removal, and if the 

 rock is a little soft or shakey, or has a seam through it, a 

 cartridge or two underneath will do the work without drill- 

 ing, and if you have use for such stone without breaking, 

 no matter how solid they are, they can be thrown out whole 

 without drilling. Run a bar under the middle of the rock 

 and close up to it so that there shall be no cushion of mud 

 between it and the charge, put in one or more cartridges, 

 according to the size of the rock, run in the fuse, fill in with 

 dirt, unless it be under water, and fire it, taking care to put 

 a good distance between yourself and the charge, as the 

 mud and small stone will fly from one hundred to four hun- 

 dred feet. Nine times out of ten the desired work will be 

 well, quickly, and cheaply done. 



Five or six years ago I was the only one in my vicinity 

 who used dynamite, but now there are many who have 

 found it useful in clearing mowing fields, or reclaiming 

 rough pastures. At first I thought it necessary to drill al- 

 most every rock that I wished to remove, but I have since 

 done a great deal of blasting with no drilling, thus saving 

 both time and labor. One cartridge will throw out a small 

 stump if placed under the centre and close to the wood, 

 while larger ones will require more, though one cartridge 

 at a time will often do better than two or three at once. I 

 had one boulder that lay buried about level with the surface 



