SPECIFIC GRAVITIES OF EXPLOSIVES, &C.

Nitro-glycerine 1.6
Gun-cotton (dry) 1.06
    " (25 per cent. water) 1.32
Dynamite No. 1 1.62
Blasting gelatine 1.54
Gelatine dynamite 1.55
Ballistite 1.6
Forcite 1.51
Tonite 1.28
Roburite 1.40
Bellite 1.2-1.4
Carbo-dynamite 1.5
Turpin’s cast picric acid 1.6
Nitro-mannite 1.6
Nitro-starch 1.5
Emmensite 1.8
Mono-nitro-benzene 1.2
Meta-di-nitro-benzene 1.575 at 18 deg.  C.
Ortho-di-nitro-benzene 1.590 "
Para-di-nitro-benzene 1.625 "
British gunpowder, E.X.E. 1.80
   " " S.B.C. 1.85
Cannonite (powder) 1.60
Celluloid 1.35
Cellulose 1.45
Ammonium nitrate 1.707
Mercury fulminate 4.42

TABLE OF THE TEMPERATURE OF DETONATION.

Blasting gelatine 3220 deg. 
Nitro-glycerine 3170 deg. 
Dynamite 2940 deg. 
Gun-cotton 2650 deg. 
Tonite 2648 deg. 
Picric acid 2620 deg. 
Roburite 2100 deg. 
Ammonia nitrate 1130 deg.

RELATIVE SENSITIVENESS TO DETONATION (by Professor C.E.  Munroe, U.S.  Naval
Torpedo Station).

_______________________________________________________

___________________
|
|  Maximum   |
|  Distance  |
|  at which  |
| Detonation |
|  occurred. |
|     CM.    |
|            |
Gun-cotton                |     10     | Nitro-glycerine 86.5 nitro-cotton
|            | 9.5, camphor 4 per cent. 
Explosive gelatine        |     20     | NH_{4}NO_{3} 5 parts,
(camphorated)             |            | C_{6}H_{4}(N0_{3})_{2} 1 part. 
Judson powder, R.R.P.     |     25     |
Emmensite (No. 259)       |     30     |
Rack-a-rock               |     32     | KClO_{3} 79 parts,
|            | C_{6}H_{5}(NO)_{2} 21 parts. 
Bellite                   |     50     |
Forcite No. 1             |     61     |
Kieselguhr dynamite No. 1 |     64     | 75 per cent. nitro-gycerine. 
Atlas powder No. 1        |     74     |
__________________________|____________|____________________

_____

CHAPTER IX.

DETERMINATION OF THE RELATIVE STRENGTH OF EXPLOSIVES.

Effectiveness of an Explosive—­High and Low Explosives—­Theoretical Efficiency—­MM.  Roux and Sarrau’s Results—­Abel and Noble’s—­Nobel’s Ballistic Test—­The Mortar, Pressure, or Crusher Gauge—­Lead Cylinders—­ The Foot-Pounds Machine—­Noble’s Pressure Gauge—­Lieutenant Walke’s Results—­Calculation of Pressure Developed by Dynamite and Gun-Cotton—­ Macnab’s and Ristori’s Results of Heat Developed by the Explosion of Various Explosives—­Composition of some of the Explosives in Common Use for Blasting, &c.