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Show H I' WINNING THE WAR HIGH B J EXPLOSIVES m I When there occurs a disaster in a H J munition plant like the explosions at H. Perth Amboy, N. J., popular sentiment 1 lays it to Hun spies. No doubt they have - I caused many tragedies. It will be safe H I for the secret service to act as if they H" I caused them all. But that won't solve M .1 the whole problem. 1 I ' " Explosives are made up of substances M 1 which when subjected to heat orcertain H. 1 Jkinds of shock, promptly go to pieces, H, -1 - yielding mostly gaseous products and M '' liberating large quantities of heat. These !- gases expanding with inconceivable rap- V' ;, Idity create the power, which when con- H.'jl fined within the barrel of a, firearm, iiiiH ' throws the bullet or shell a long distance. Hvj The great practical difficulty, is in H?W V iinding combinations that will be secure iaK M'r i against change or deterioration until the Hi W " " moment comes to apply the heat or shock, H.fA Explosives are usually composed of sub-. Hffl stances that absorb heat when they are Hs;' ' s formed, and this heat is liberated when 'l' : ' they decompose. iliHs " ' ' '! k happens that if a small portion H'1, :,? qthe.se explosives in storage begin to H.9l v . . ? Break down from any cause, heat is liber- iiiHwr Ml$ ate$ cl'eatin,C an explosion. Many of the Hil " l$j$ tpysterious disasters in munition plants .",;jJrA .. resulted from this spontaneous decompo- H'f , . : sition. An instance of extreme, liability Kiw, J is given by nitrogen iodide, whjch other- dtlfc I - we would have great possibilities in iaHl X. '' "tyarf&ve. It will blow up if touched by a 9'-j; " "; feaihsr, and sometimes go off merelly HH ? . . .after friction with air when being moved, HI, f' ? f ronj One place to another. -x HJS :' " ', '"( Considering 'our scientists are work- H"v y Ihg !with new combinations,- it is remark- H9- ... able that there have not been more explo- Hm . rions. These have seemed less frequent fMjl C s the war has gone on. A great body of HjK , the best chemists are working on the pro- Hwf blem of safeguarding our munition work-9 work-9 V .- Aik'RK an(l onr soldiers while.handling these iliHf ' "" reacherous materials. |
