Proceedings Volume 20, PT. 1

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1894 Excerpt: ...with the plate was very closely the same as for the gun cotton. When these explosives were used as secondary masses they were enclosed in similar open paper boxes, but they were but 5.58 centimeters in diameter. In all cases, the explosive was evenly distributed over the bottom of the case and brought well in contact with it, so that the area of the face of these different explosives in contact with the firing plate was as nearly as possible identical. It is evident from this description that the explosives were tested when unconfined except from atmospheric tamping. In making the test it was of course necessary to proceed in a purely tentative manner. A point was selected upon the plate where no breaches of continuity were apparent for a considerable range, the initial mass was placed upon the plate and at the outset of each series two secondary masses (one being placed on either side of the initial or primary mass and at unequal distances from it) and the primary one detonated. When this was detonated it produced a well marked impression on the iron, and the same effect was observed in the case of the secondary masses when they were detonated, the effect; however, being in all cases diminished as the secondary mass approaches that point at which it ceased to be detonated. The observations were most easily made when gun-cotton was used for both the primary and secondary charges, for when the secondary charge was not far beyond the limit at which secondary charges could be detonated, it burst into flame and was tossed into the air in this inflamed condition through the disturbance produced in the atmosphere by the detonation of the initial mass. When non-detonating or sub-detonating explosives were used for the secondary charges, impressions were produced s...