400 Domestic Intelligence. 
4, Singular Explosion. 
Extract of a letter from Mr.:Samuel Howard to the Editor, 
dated ; 
Savannah, Dec. 13th, 182k. 
Str, I have lately been induced to suppose that I had met 
with a detonating mixture with which I was not acquainted ; 
about equal parts of wood ashes sifted ; of common Liver- 
pool salt, and of clay, apparently of the argillaceous kind, 
were mixed together with water, forming a kind of mortar, ; 
and a layer of this was put between two copper plates, ex- 
posed to a strong heat, with a view to stopping a leak in the 
copper ; but an explosion of considerable violence, took 
place. 
Please oblige me with your opinion, whether this was 
owing to the mixture, or arose from other unknown causes. 
Answer. 
It is well known that the fixed alkalies. at a red heat have 
a strong affinity for the silex and alumine of clay... Upon 
this principle common salt is decomposed for the purpose of 
procuring muriatic acid, by mixing clay with it and exposing 
the mixture toa red heat... By similar treatment, nitric acid 
is obtained by the agency of clay from nitrate of potash. It 
appears probable that in this experiment, the clay uni- 
ted rather suddenly with the potash of the wood ashes, 
and with the soda of the salt, disengaging from the first car- 
bonic acid gas and from the second murijatic, acid gas. 
These aerial agents, thus suddenly liberated, aided, also. by 
the steam arising from the water in the composition, would 
afford a mechanical power of sufficient energy to paedince 
the effect above related. 
