Miscellaneous Intelligence. 139 



subsequently washed in a continuous flow of water, until the presence 

 of the acids is not indicated by the ordinary test of litmus paper. To re- 

 move any uncombined portions of the acids which may remain afte^ 

 the cleansing process, the patentee dips the cotton in a weak solutiot^ 

 of carbonate of potash, composed of one ounce of carbonate of potash 

 to one gallon of water, and partially dries by pressing, as before- The 

 cotton is then highly explosive, and may be used in that state, but, to 

 increase its explosive power, it is dipped in a weak solution of nitrate 

 of potash ; and, lastly, dried in a room heated by hot air or steam to 

 about 16.0° Fall. It is considered probable that the use of the solutions 

 of carbonate of potash and nitrate of potash may be dispensed with, 

 although actual experience does not warrant such an omission. 



The patentee remarks, that nitric acid may be employed alone in the 

 manufacture of explosive compounds ; but that, as far as his experience 



goes, the article, when so manufactured, is not so good and far more 



costly. 



When used, care should be taken to employ a much less quantity by 



weight, to produce the same result, than of gunpowder; and it has 



been found that three parts by weight of the cotton produce the same 



e uect as eight parts by weight of the Tower-proof gunpowder. The 



cotton, when prepared in the manner before mentioned, may be rammed 



11110 a P' ec e of ordnance, a fowling-piece, or musket ; or may be made 



U P into the shape of cartridges; or may be pressed, when damp, into 



moulds of the form of the bore of the piece of ordnance for which it 



ls intended — so that, when dried, it shall retain the required figure; 



n it may also be placed in caps, like percussion caps, and made to 



explode by impact. Lastly, the patentee states, that although he pre- 



crs the use of cotton, other matters of vegetable origin may be simi- 



r y treated with acids to form an explosive compound, and that acids 



° ^ wferior specific gravity may be employed. 



. * he patentee having thus described the nature of the invention, and 

 ^hat manner the same is to be performed, states, that lie does not 

 confine himself to any of the details above specified, so long as the 

 Peculiar character of the invention is retained — viz., the manufacture 

 explosive compounds from matters of vegetable origin by means of 

 aci js. But, to adopt the patentee's own expression— " What f claim, 



. , e Manufacture of explosive compounds from matters of vegetable 

 n | l n by means of nitric acjd? or nitrjc an( j su |phuric acids." 



4 - Experiments on the use of Gun- Cotton for Uastimr—its value 

 ™Kpared w i th that f Masting Powder; by Thomas B. Adams.— I he 

 guides to be surmounted in ascertaining the relative values of the 

 5 W ^d old explosives are neither few nor small. Different qualities 

 2 P°*der are used in different quarries. That which is made in the 

 **? mill will produce different effects according to its chemical pro- 

 Portions, and its coarse or fine graining ; powder of the same gram will 

 £ dlff erently upon different kinds of rock. The powder used for 



^ ,n g i^ the coarsest and slowest burning variety. 



^n-cotton is uniform in strength, and fires quicker than the finest 



The rock is variable in texture, and liable to be crossed by seams 



out t lf they ** sii 2 ht > ma y destroy the correctness of the 



^ng discovered by the operator. 



