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MKIOCOPV IISOIUTION TBT CHART 
 
 (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No 2) 
 
 ^ APPLIED IM^GE In 
 
 ^^ 165^ East Mam 5tr»«t 
 
 rVS ''ochMter. New York U609 uSA 
 
 ^S (^^6) *82 - 0300 - Phon* 
 
 ^S (^'6) 3ae- 5989 - Fax 
 
CAJTADA 
 DEPARTMENT OF MINES 
 
 MINE! BRAXOH 
 
 00l«. W. TlHPllMAN. MiMgTM; A. P. Low, I.L.D., DiprxT Misibtm; 
 Kdsine Uaanil, Vu.U., Ouictoi. 
 
 REPORT 
 
 ON THE 
 
 EXPLOSIVES INDUSTRY 
 
 15 TBF. 
 
 DOMmiOX OF CANADA 
 
 BY 
 
 Capt. Arthur Desborongh, 
 77.3/. Inspector of Explosives. 
 
 OTTAWA 
 GOVERNMENT FEINTING BOKEAU 
 
 1911 
 
CANADA 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF MT ;8 
 miras amAiioK 
 
 Iluv. W. ■rr.Mi>UM>x. MlMiTU; A. I', low. M-.U.. Dihtt Mi<ii«i««i 
 KvMNE llttNEL. Vh.U., IMnrrnM. 
 
 RK IM)RT 
 
 ON TIIK 
 
 EXPLOSrVES INDUSTRY 
 
 IX TIIK 
 
 DOM L\ ION OK (\\NADA 
 
 BV 
 
 Cipt. Arthur Detborough, 
 
 ff.M. Iimi.nliir of ExiiUtaiini. 
 
 I 
 
 O'l TAWA 
 G O V E R N >I E X T P U I N T X N G B U E E A U 
 
 1:.'.VI2— 1 
 
 No. 92 
 
EXPLOSIVES INDUSTRY 
 
 ChTAWii. Uctobar. 1, IftlO. 
 To Dr. EiuKNi: H*am:i.. 
 
 Dirrvtor ol: MineR, Ottuwn. 
 
 8iN> — I have tlic honour t» '<iibmit iir I'lllouiiiK n-iMirt mi m.v iiivfittiKUtiiiii of 
 till' t'xploaivot indiutrj' in thai DouiiuioD of ("uiiida. 
 
 Before offering any fritioiuu* or rticomiiK-ndatioiiH, I pro|ioiie to state briefly tb« 
 niorH iuiportunt iiriufiples upon which tb« Britiith r««uUtionit «ro bated: thM« itenoral 
 prineipk'a being, in niun.v caMts. ihiuhII.v apnlii'ablf to the rpRulatiou o( the industry 
 in tin* Dominion. 
 
 (1) Aulhoriiatioii of KrplonivfH. — .\o i-xploHJvi! may be luunufacturtiil iu or iin- 
 liortod into the TnittHl Kingdom lor xale uiitil it ban been subjet^ted to examination 
 by the chemiciil advi'^-rs of the KxpbMivct Department It U t(u- duty of theiie 
 gentlemen to »iiti»fy themnelves that the explosive i" not undul.v >«nHitive to friction 
 or porouiMio:i, und that it alno iMM<H>siie<t a rea»onuble degree of chemical (t«biUtjr< 
 KxplosiveH which are found to U) of the re<|ui>«it«> standard am included in the li«t 
 of authorized exploxives an aoon a* a liceuM) in obtaineil to allow of tlteir beina; manu- 
 factured or imported. 
 
 (•i) Maitufncluri- of AV/Wo«ici-». — Xo expltwi vc>. may Xm manufactured except iu aii 
 HUthorize<l place. A |)crHoii, tlicrcfore, who wi^<lii'.t to niuuiifucturc cxplo^iveti buH to 
 obtain u licennt*. By the icnnn of his Hciiim^ be i» only permitted tu erect buildings 
 of a specified construction, on the hIIck ^llown on h plan uttuched to hi* licence. The 
 maximum number of work-p<'r<«unn, and the niiixiniiim i|iiuntity <>f cxploHive* a'llowed 
 to be present in each liuillinK lire i>|>ecitietl, u.> i» uUo the nature of the operations pro- 
 posed to be carric<l on in the buildings. The factory liuildingA are required to be at 
 certain ilistancex from one iiiiotlier, un<l c(>rtHin .!i-tance.> numt also l)e observed from 
 buildings and works outside ♦he fu'-tctr.v. The ilistanceH htc determined by the quan- 
 tity of e.xplo8ives allowed to be present in the building, A table showing quantities 
 of explosives and distaiu-eit was drawn up some years ago from data obtained by 
 noting the damage caus«><l b'- '>xplosioiis <if known quantities of e..-pl<viive; suitable 
 inter]>olation8 were made to 'er the application of the table practical, Siuoe the 
 
 adoption of this system of d -ces, no meniU^r of the gcncml public has been killed, 
 and no dwelling house has sustained any serious structiinil diiniage by an explosion 
 in any factory. From recent explosions it appears that the distances are hardly ade- 
 quate where the explosive involvetl consists of nitro-glycerine unniixe<] witc other 
 ingredients. 
 
 Generally s|ieuking. th<> Imildinvcs in which oiierutions of nianiifric''.ire are carrie<I 
 out ave required to l)e of light cuii^triK-tinn, luiving close joincil wooden floors and 
 being lined with woo»l or other suitable nnitfriul, I will refer to uiiigazine construc- 
 tion under the head of storage. 
 
 No responsibility is taken b.v I ■ K.\iilosives Department rc^'urding the machinery 
 eniplo.ved, but in the event of any particular type of machine pruviug to be dangeroue, 
 the question of ita ditcontiauanco is taken v with ihe occupier of the factory. 
 
 The maximum number of work peopU- allowed to be present in a buiidinir is 
 determined by the nature of the operations carried out in the particular building, und, 
 as a rule, varies from two to six. This number is exclusive of the men employed to 
 
 3 
 
i-ror ;::!;;!;':j/Ii::'';';;:';:,:;:*''''' ••-■ '""'''^••" '-" •-" ^ «..„ 
 
 .... th.. qu.n,it, of ax,.|«,ivo, .llo J ,J l' ./'^.J^^^ *:'"' "•'^'" '•""«•'"""« 
 
 •"•.-I Ih. •...m..„i,HKl if ,1... iM.i' C L ' 1 J^ ; ' •' ''"'f ""• '"•"•'«•■■' ••'«««"<v 
 
 «rc -on.rti.nr. .limin, '...| |,v ;:. ,«., ..,.,,, \ I" .'i? i ".•■■"""' "»' -li-""..'- 
 
 •l".il.lin«. Tl l.v\.l.j.H.ri . Si.' !^' "7 "":' *•"•■'' "'"'•""«• •>«•". .'"1.1.10 II.., 
 
 .H-ur i„ u |.„il,liMu MO, ..r.uLV'L hi .L '''■''";' ";.""" -^""''' «>'''»'".. 
 
 .i.-vr..>^-.i I..V ..x,.io.i , i,. , hI. . 1. "Viv "; "" '"''"'"'r ■'"*" '^^ 
 
 wriou-ly .liiiiiiiKwl, • "*' ' ' '" "•iirr.iiiiiilnm |>ro|HT(v 
 
 »trut.tion himI ,\i,tmi»>» ««. „|,»erved. """""""-• " '\«'>h>-,\ .om.I,,,..,,, „, ,„ ,,,„. 
 »..v th.. H,.pll....nt in .•.m.ni.M io^viTl Hu/kv' rr''';;" "■"""" ""• •""""'••'' '" '''"f 
 
 .Ir-ft licen^ i. oonfinned. If. ho:Cr ' th -v tf h7 |^ " ''""''^ f'' 'I'-'' "-"^ the 
 by an ortic^cr of ,ho Kxplosivrs tV,mrtn,.. ^ „n | .. sT """"•• "" ""I'.iry in held 
 
 ..l.je.tion.. .,r ,.vor.ri.l.H. ,h..ir .l,.,.ision. ' ..'WitiouHl t.-mi. i,. ,.„».,., their 
 
 n...y Ik. fnirly ."«TiM\rH.lM,\miily',?rrhr!rw'rivr ""'*."""" "'"' """' 
 
 «. t . tr„n.p„rt«,io„ ,r. pr..crihed i. Or^T.^^^'^^ZX ^""'1 '••''"''•'»'"''"» 
 Art. Rnilwiiy ....niponies ,..,ni.l <H)mpanieH „„,l hni-h..,, .i •^'.'"♦' "'".'.' ""'Lt tlir 
 mak.. bylaw. nVar-linK tlK- trans.^rtuti:. J ft ,n I ''T'!r. '"'^ 
 The«e bylaw. I,„v.. ... r...eive ,1... '-...ofion of £''^;, ' ;''.'i"*'1'"f "^ ••xpl"'.ive.. 
 orwrative. """.^" "' • ni.le Im . r.. they ,ir.. 
 
 lm,,u,M!o„.--{My .q„thori/„l expio-ivr. . v I ■. 
 .L-irinK ,.. import explosive, ha, to ' ,,.„'' L^WT'V '"' '■•^*'- '^ l-rson 
 
 Place of stora... at hi. .li.po..!. (M.n..n.Ii;;!;;"i;;.' ;:.;""• ""','. ''^ •'" """"Ti-I 
 
 it not he ohtu.ns n .•ertiti...uto from an ..frnpier of 11..,, ' '"'"'""."•^ '"'^g^'inr*. |,u, 
 >*..rHK,. a.-,onunodation i» „vail.,bln for the i m porta tn,' ' ' ..'j;''*'*^;'"'. 'hat .ufficien. 
 
 •'»'"■»'•'•• ""■ -"-t, fH...rs tnkv ^a,npl..' whiH T. ^'■" "'" '""Potation is 
 
 tlu. o.xplo.iv.. is .lc.po,i,.., i„ „... .,„.,«^, .,:^ . •■ ^l?;-'''"' •"; .-."i.u„io. , 
 
 as ,.om,„K ,^, ,o th,. r..,„Mre.l stan.Ianl. ,1,,. ,.xpio,L;, ; „ ?"'"'"" '"■'■* ■■'■•""■''■"" <"' 
 •mportor. Otherwise, forthe.- .„„pl,.. „„. o,nt. 'o! '"«":' «' '^e .li.p„.„, „f ,h., 
 the explosive is definitely condemned a. beiZ LL il J'T-T'' '" •'•'^'"->- "r 
 rb.ubtfnl e«... the explosiv.. i. releas<.,|. " the^n^^L^*' d« "bution. !„ certain 
 be nge<l up in n limited tima ""portor »riu.rnnt,H.,nK that it will „ll 
 
 •> 
 
J. 
 
 I'm itf /i"i7»/««M.«. — Tlw ic«> nt fX|>l«»i\i>. in ii.il mi»iriH«l !•> ilu- K»i>li>»ive» .\'». 
 IIm 1I.I' ill iiiiiir. mill .|iiiirru- !• nitfiiliilf.l \>\ ui'mnil riili^ lo.ituiiii-l in tlip Mini* 
 ■iIkI (iiLinii- Alt., nn.l \>\ -|i.<iii! nili- iiiii-l.' uinltT tti"-«' A'l- V Hill hh- intro- 
 • liii'<-<l iiil" I'lirliniiiiiil lii-t >riir uiuiiu llif S-itiIho »\ Smi.' |...«.r I., mukf ruaiihi 
 litiii- ivttiiriliim llie lit- ol fxiiliwivf. ill •■i.ii»lriiitii>ii w..rk>. ' nt. '"(iiu t,. ilu- Ittrui- 
 .iiiiiiiiiit lit' iillwr li'Ki'-liilioti ln'I'Ti- llir limit', till' Hill «ii" ' ••I'lx-'l, 
 
 llnm, ttffiii T'-lnifi Sliiliiiii. Tlw -liiliMii «ii- i"»lMl.li-lii'.l in l"«''T limit r ii -• i- 
 
 ij f iIh' 1'i.iil Mini'. Ui-«nliili.>n A«t. l-im. nn.l tlic Hi.rk .-iirrii I .. i lli. rr iini-t not 
 
 h«' rnnfit'i'tl with lli«« iinri'ly ••lii'iniiiil w..rk <>l tin ilu ini.iil inlvi-ir- ol' lIu' Kx|ilii"iv.'« 
 Ih'lHirlii'.Piil. Till- •tiilii.ii i« ii-ril •'•■r trxtinit . x|>lM-i\'- ("T iif in ...iil iniiii- wlnr.- 
 
 ilmtger i. to U' tVnrt'.l from fiii-'l.iiii|>. ..r ■••ml 'In-t. Tln' It-t i«t« in tirinif iliiirin-i 
 
 11^1111 II niiiiiiin intii ii ••Iniiiil.or tillnl willi iin ■•x|>lrt»iv<' iiti |>l rr .'I' nir ini.l il «a<. 
 
 TIm' ili'liiiU of III.' ti-f lire iilioiil III U n^iilrriililv iniMlififtl nn.l I'.ii ilii- |Miriio-i' u 
 
 iii'W .ipiuiriitii- i« U'iiiB .n>.li>il in tli.. in.rtli ..f Knulinnl, Only millioi i/. d .■xpL.-ivcr. 
 iiiii.v Im- >iil.iiiitl('il to ill.- ii'-l mill iIh' niiiiif. ..I tlii-i' rtliii'li liiivr |iii— iil tlii- ti'«t iiinl 
 till- ••oinlitioii" iitnlpr wlii.'li tiny iniiy 1... n-cl iin> |iiil.li.|i<il iVoiii liiiii' t.. limr in ii . 
 OrtU'r of till' StM-rrtiiry of Stiiti'. Tin-.. i'N|ilo-ivi'- iin- known n- ri-nnitir.l Kx|ilo-ivi -.. 
 
 Exploiivci Industry in the Dominion. 
 
 I liiivf liiiU tlif opiM.rtniiity of v!- i li Mio nnijoi-ily .,1 tjir .■ iiniiortiinl fii<- 
 
 l.irio-. A» will, to II- ..xiNNtiil. fill' •.tun uinl ..f |'r.M'iinti..nitr.v inin-nn- iiKuiiut in-i'i- 
 
 .|i.|it« viiri.'il coii-iilernlily. Any <'riliri?tn I iimy niiiki- inii-t not In n-iil.'rol ii-* 
 
 iH'iiiK iliri'it. .1 iiBiiin-t any imrlinnliir fintory, n- I piiriMi-oly iivoiili^l ninkinu ii il«'Uiili'<l 
 in«|»'i'tioii of Hiiy our pliint, fct'liiiu that with tlir \<>ry liiiiili"l tiliir iit ii v <li-.|Mwnl. 
 
 till' iitiiiDsl i cuiild ilo would U' to olitiiin n «iiuriil iin|>re».. m a- to tli inlitinn* 
 
 iinilir wliii-li I'Xpliwivi- wiri' nnimifin'InriMl. 
 
 A« n'KiinU till- umility of tlir ixplo'ivi«. I will ilolir .•oniiinnt nniil I ili»cu.-< 
 till' ipioition of iiMS -I-, till- only iiiforiiiiilion I Inivi' olitiiini'.l wn- tininril in .'oiirm; of 
 ••im\ jrmition with tlir ii-it" of rxplosivi--. 
 
 Miwt of thv fm-torii'" ii|i|H'iir to -iiffiT fioni the .Irfci'i ol Inivina Ik. m -tiirlcl 
 
 ill II .mull wiiy iiinl thru nikliil to u. tlio l.ii.ii I'Xpiinili.l. Mini 'Ih' inoiuihility of 
 
 ixpan-ion Ihi'Ii riH-oKiii/i'il iit the cnniincniiiin'iit. ihiri' i* little iloiilit hut tliiit tin 
 liiiililiiiK. wouhl lii'vi' hiM'ii pliK-o.1 il inor.' -nitiililo po-iiioii. jiimI ovir.-n ''iiijr tlin. 
 
 iivoiili'il. In soiiii. iii.liiiin- llii- ipnintitic in flu- lniililiii«. wir .i>lr. ari-iitiT 
 
 tlitin till- ilistuni-p. fro tln-r linililintf. w.mlil iillow. Tlii- wii. ."iiu'tiim- o to iln- 
 
 fuel tliiit I'xplo.ivi- whiili liiiil Ihi'II o|K'nili'.| on wii. iill.iwiil t.. r iin in it linililiiikc 
 
 while u wH-oinl huteh wu. Inmiik oiktiiIimI on mnl n tliinl wii. U-oi'.! i.r.iii«hf int.) tin- 
 hnlhlinif. A^ ii acmeriil prin.-ipli-. a luit'li ..f i'X|tlo.iv.- -Iionl.' •«• roiMovnl from d 
 hiiilililiK as soon as if liii- Ixfii .i|H'rat.'.l on; if tlio MiiiK in w ■. ■], tin next oixra- 
 fion il to take place i- n.il aviiilahle. it -lionl.l 1" ••'■ .■••I in mi .'\iieiis<' mairuziii.- 
 .itnateil ut a .tiitahle ili>tanee. Tli.' chief .li!iii;er ol espl.i-^in I'lii-l ..; ni'.'es^ity Ih- 
 with the ex|'lo.i\e whieh i. leinc ..iieriit.'il on: ii i-. tl.eiefoie. .ii.si-e. t.i -iiy the lea-t 
 
 of it. to exp.i-.' II -e.-..n'l or lhir.l luM.li t.. ih. i-taiiiTv .if .'..mMinMi.'iite.l exphisi-.n. 
 
 Ill other I'li-e- the cN. i--iM' qiiiii.t ili.- v.. le .liii- l.i iivi'i'.i.i\\.linir "f 'li.' lii.l.iry l.nihl- 
 
 '"""• ...... , 
 
 The aetiial opi'rntiiin. ot niiiniitMetiii-intf nitr..-«lyecnne npiiear to lie ■.'.•neriiily 
 
 .-.irrie.l ..lit in liiiildinjr. nwiiej t.i eliniiili.- .•..ii.lill.m-. mi. I tlii. .'iit/il- the i ii- 
 
 niiiliitioM of liirRe i|ii«nti«ip>. .oliietinies aiiloiinfinu to over live ton., in nne IniihliMi:. 
 
 Th.' Miii.i.iiitv of the fa.'torie. have only .nn- iiitr;itiiii; pliint. nn.l 1 ihiiik nimiiifiii-tiiiers 
 
 shoiihl coiniiler whether it woiilil not he mlvisahle to in-tiill ii sceoinl plant, whieh eonl.l 
 
 l,e u.«m1 iiltennitively. mnl thus prcvint -iieh liiriie a.-.-niniilatinn. in .m.- hnildinu. 
 
 All I xplo-ioii in .1 iiiiraliii).' plimt inn-t put ii fai'lory out .M ji.'iion f^r -.nu' .'onsiiler- 
 
 iilile liliu'. nil'.-.- tlii-le i- il .lupli.'iile plmil ii viiiliilil.'. 
 
 I 
 
The 'i^!Ts^::^z:r^^ srtti""? """f "^v" "- '^^''■-- 
 
 ni.raber of men who must 1^ D^nt in ,1 \ -W ^' °^ machine, but in the large 
 one innam,.. all the mad incB^^e Wtor^- «" '"^ "** """"**/" '^' '""*'*•'"««• I" 
 men were present \Zn7rl^ Cl T^ '"?• ""^'"" ""'^ '°**'' ""^ «» '•'''« thun i:, 
 lives to„n.?^rX ■amitroUrof rnrnr *•" !^ •'^•'"^"'« "*' «" "-^ 
 
 all the cartridge paiki..J in tn h u- ^' '.'* ^^''""""•''•lly "nwise to concentrate 
 11 lives wcreTt du« t^ i" ' • '^l.""; ^ ""''^'•^««"'» t''«t i" ""e factory last year 
 
 Great Britain/ GeraHrsSinntr '' '^'^^""'V'; "" ♦•'«."='P'-ives factories in 
 sary articles to ac^-^.ln. dan.^J T„;fr" to U, a tendency to allow unneces- 
 should be to reduceX mlber of mov. .h ■ *'; ^^" **^"t* "*■ '^'- «»""»f«eturor 
 iH remembered thaVu^in C / '"*'\''''^^'i iDiple.nents to the minimum. When it 
 comparatively light weight f^ir """,■ f"""'"'^ '*■«•« ^'"^ ^ ^^V^'-^^d by a blow fron. « 
 point will S r;£d T m„?nZio. i r "' " '^* 'f' *'"" ""P"^*""- "^ ^^^ 
 « itnes^^d the experiment o a ' lV^^r f '""""'"." "'"* ' ^''' '"*"* **""' "^"'^ 
 
 ..ing ignite! by a"gi«n:i:gtoitm?;;i„^3rlt-.r"'' "" " "■°'^-" «- 
 
 arc mu^SX. rii'cJrr^l:''" '"^^i^ «>- olicctioaable. When thoy 
 OS -.n as they are T l'„^'r wanj^i] ' .■.-.K>ns.ble person and should be reu.oved 
 
 also loTi" „T7x;St\tmTdS;i !' """"' ?-'\''"^"""' ■■"»" ''"• •••^P'-'- «"'« 
 The iron frameS of „ .T„ . 1 ^ V"*"'!*-""' '" "'^ """" «"•' """'^ "^ buildings. 
 
 on.y\f studvSTde r. Zt" :?":" Tr ^•"""'r r"*'°" *" <^^«-'- -'^ '» - 
 
 relativdy safc^ A I t fto„ he r L-' 'If' ' T '""''" ,**"^ «nanuf«cture of e.xplosivo. 
 on rare occasions during hi m«^?"° !■'"""' ''r'"P«>*"«'o". which may arise 
 .poutaneous dZlSSntomJZui''' '^^^'o-glycerino, there is the risk of 
 left the.^. andToTacc Zu ItillTJ '^ ^!«st settl.ng on heating pipes and bcmg 
 
 able precaution Tcs:irr:ks" luTd rn^rt ""' '''''■'"^'- ^'^^ '««-«» 
 pipes should be so rfaced Hint ?W J^i P"*''*"'*"^ "on-cx.stcnt. The heating 
 
 should be lin^ .^th atuX mTter "iMlfe flr^T''': *? "''^'!T V"" *''« ^""^ 
 cato the wiring as uZ^ a fi" ' ' " """■'''''"-"*<' building may so di,-lo- 
 
Stonce of Ezploiivet. 
 
 1 huvo not liiirl thn opiiortimity of visiting iimnv niiiRiuiii.-'. In """-t iii>.liiii<-f« 
 the tlixtanc-es nminniiiuMl from otli.-r buiMina, w.Tf itiu.l.><iuut4'. (.wiii« tn tli.^ liirK.- 
 quantities storcl. I <-imiiot help thinkiim that it would l* wiser to r>rp.-t a tfn.iit.r 
 number of building* and to store in cai-h Mniillcr (iuantiti««. of from -»."> to .V) tons. 
 
 In som." instan<-.s I found pac-kaRt- of duma«fd «'xplo-iv». which had l«H-n n- 
 turncd by the users. I)»ma(rp<l explosive sliould !»■ dpstro,vc<l. as. if h-ft in ii maua- 
 zine. it is liable to be overlt«ike<l and if of tiie nitro-.onipmmd elass may imtite spon- 
 taneously. 
 
 Transportation of Explosives. 
 
 My attention was drawn to two instan.vs of the transportation of explosives b.v 
 water, which I think are deserviajf of .'omnierit. In one case, after over HH1 tons ol 
 dynamite liad been loodtnl into a vessel, a numU-r of <-ans of gasoline were l>lace<l o;i 
 top of the explosive. IliRhly inHammable an<l volatile liquids, such as Rasolme. 
 should not be transporte<l with e.xplosive. In another instance. carRoos of explosive 
 were habitually conve.ve<l in a gasoline laun<-h. I <h. not think it can In- claimed that 
 pasoline launch.-s have rea.-hed sn.-h a state of |>erfection that the pos«ibilit.v of hrt. 
 can even be reftanled as remote. If such a launch can«ht Hre in it .Towded harbour, 
 the results would lie disastrous. 
 
 Use of Explosives. 
 
 In the course of conversation with the users of explosives I have fr.Mi'cully been 
 told that the quality of the e.xplo*ives manufactured in the Uominiou leaves much to 
 be desinnl. It wa.s assert«Hl that no two charges Hn.l in similar circumstances would 
 do the same amount of work. Kxcept so far as shot tiriim in coal mines is concerned. 
 I «lo not think this uiieveiinesj' of explosive can b csaid to be a positive «lan«er. apart 
 from the production of an unnecessarily larife volume of deleterious (ras«-s from an over- 
 charged shot. In the case of coal mines, where there is risk of i({niting gas or dust, 
 the danger is verv appreciable. A miner will alwa.vs gaiiRc the weight of Ins charge 
 by the weakest shot be has fire<l and the tendency will always be to over<-hargc. Uie 
 gases produee<l from the surplus of exiilosive not having any work to do will not cool 
 down rapidlv. ami should they come in contact with fire-damp or coal dust in sus- 
 pension would probably cause an ignition. It is imp.>rativc. therefon-. that ste|.s 
 should be taken to ensure an even quality of .xplosive for ust> in coal nHiies. 
 
 A thin film of explosive on the exterior of a cartridge, a state of affairs which I 
 frequently notice<l in the buildings in which cartri.lges were l>eing packed into boxes, 
 can hardiy be condu.ive to safety in ramming. In the absence of specific intormatiou 
 as to the accidents which occur from the use of explosives. I do not f<M-l that it is 
 possible for me to offei any further .-omments. 
 
 It will not be out of place, however, to give a word of warning as to tho mislead- 
 ing effects of demonstrations of the safety of explosives. These experiments generally 
 consist in burning a cartridge in the o|H-n or throwing a small quantity on to a fire. 
 Such experiment* can generally lie iK-rfornied with blasting explosives without risk. 
 The behaviour of the explosive when confined in a bore hole or when ignited in bulk 
 so that a certain amount of pn-ssure is generated would be a much more reasonable 
 test, but such exix-riments would not suit the demonstrator as they would be much 
 more likely to result in an explosion. I may instance the case of many of the am- 
 monium nitrate explosives, which are very difKcult to ignite in the open, and when 
 thrown on a red hot sheet of iron merely melt, but which in the confinement of a Miot 
 hole have been found, under certain conditions, to burn fairly readily until suftieient 
 pres-ure is set up to cause the iinbiiriit portion to explode. 
 
8 
 
 It ••uiiiiot l)(. pri'ss,..! to.) ,troii«l.v upon the u«er of cxplosivf. thut tho function 
 ol un .-xploHivv 1, to ...xpliKl... iin.l tinit. uo nuitt.-r wliut ussortions aiv n.u<U. bv au 
 mtm-st.-.! ,K.r.on „> to th.- .ufi-ty of l.i. ..xp|„Mvo. ..11 i.xj.lo.ivc- -l.onl.l l,e r..Karde.l us 
 
 Becommendationi. 
 
 h. tl... following p..K.., 1 |,„v.- ...-t.-i on th.. u,M.n.ptinn that tlie Dominion (iowrn- 
 niiMit has the powor to k'Kislato on tlu'st- niattirs. 
 
 't '-^ ""t possihl,. f.„- n... to ni.-ntion in .Irtail all tlip points which I think should 
 !>.• m.-UKl.,l 111 th,. .In.ft hill whirl, is in ,.„urs.. .,( preparation. I propose, therefore 
 u...Jer the ahov laMulinK. to .lis.-i.ss shortly s,.nir of the inor.. important provisions 
 
 'vliirli should he in.-li.d..d in the prop, I le.nis|ati„i. mi.l also to offer some suKRestiois 
 
 on matters whieh. though th..y ,l„ ii„t .-..me .lir..,-tly within the s,.o|h. of the hill, are 
 1.1 siifiieient im|)ortanee to warrant my eoinmenting on them. 
 
 The followins: are the ess,.,itial points wh.eh I proiwse to diseuss:— 
 ]. Authorisation of explosivoa. 
 1'. l.ifeiisin)^ of factories. 
 
 :!. Contnd of storase not oflierwise provided for. 
 4. Control of transportation not otherwise l>iovided for. 
 r>. Contnd of importation. 
 <>. Iiis|)eetion and sampling. 
 
 7. Kstahlishment of ejieinical lahoratory and testinif station 
 H. Investigation of accidents in factoricB. 
 
 5>. Investigation of aeeidents in storaRe. transportation, and use. 
 U>. Appointment of staff. 
 
 (1) Authorization of Jixplo^iiiK.—l tjiink the system in (ireat Uritain shouhl be 
 adopted. It will un<Iouhtedly improve the <iuality of the explosives mannfaetured in 
 the Domiaion and .should therehy have a tendency to diminish accidents in use; it 
 must not lie exiH>etcd. however, that fool-proof explosives will ever he i>rodueed. It 
 will also pn>vent the user b<.iiiK at the mercy of the enthusiastic inventor who |)er- 
 snades him to try ii new exiilosive which has prohably been invented many years pre- 
 viously and then discar<h>d on account of its danger or unsuitahility. 
 
 (2) Liceming of fV/r/oc.Vv.—Fa.'tories should he li<-ense.l on the principle of limit- 
 iiig the amount of explosive allowed to he present in a building, in accordance with 
 the distances that the building can maintain from the other buildings in the factory 
 and Imil.lings and works outside the factory. Limitations shoul.l also he assigned 
 as to tyjies of construction adopted, the number of work persons allowed to Im^ present, 
 and the nature of the operations to he carried on in the various buildings. If these 
 points are enforce.1 in a reasonable inunncr. I .1.. iwit think that manufacturers will 
 find their trade unduly hami>ered. 
 
 As regards existing factories. I <l.. ii,,t think the o.cupiers should be requir»l t.. 
 immediately conform to the new system, but th.nt a <lefiiiito time limit should be as- 
 signed, so as to admit of the change being ma<lc graduall.v. If. however, there hapiien 
 to he particular bnihlings in a factory which constitute a very definite menace to the 
 public safety by reason of their proximity to a city. I think the occupier should be 
 required .'ither to remove the building forthwith, or tcv reduce the quantity of ex- 
 plosive in the loilding. so as f„ iliniinish flic danger zone. It is not possible to lay 
 down a hard aii.l fast rule mid c;icl. case should be consider.',! separatciv and trcat<!d 
 on its merits. 
 
(y) Voidrol o) Sloiaiie. — i'lio Mptn-iul {raiiit^t to \vhi<>li uttcntinn ■ilioiiM be paid u re 
 tlip .xituiitiou, tiiiuiititv iif i'X))li>siv<'. iiliil ronstriH-tin;!. Tlif first iiiiil m'cdiiiI ^houltl 1m' 
 goveriipd by the table of diwtuiifes. As rcKartIs the tiiird, .wo soiiicwhiit iiiitHKonislic 
 features bavo to be eonsiilore<l. First, the biiibliiiK should b<' protected from daiifrers 
 from without, such us ritJe bullets, and siiuuid have seeurity axaiiist unlawful entry 
 unil tire. Second, in the evci't of an e.\plosiiiM (X-currini^ the prnjectinu of heavy 
 debris should' 1h- minimized ; this feature is prol)al)l.v of greater importanee in the 
 Dominion than it is in (iri'iit Britain, owiuii to the fact of the lartje nund)er of frame 
 dwelliuK houses which are t<i be fmnid here. wliiUt they are alnin-t ni>n-exi-tent in thi- 
 hitter country. 
 
 The ideal coii-.truetion fur a niaK:a2iu<' would \x- to have a relatively lijthtly con- 
 strneted buildinfi:. snrroundeil by substantial earth banks, but it is ilittieult to make 
 llii« ty|M' reasonably sn-urc against unlawful entry and other ilau(rcrs from without. 
 It mn«t always be remendiered. however, that with the sysfeni of the authorization of 
 p.\l)losives ther«' should be little risk of the explosive i^uitinu: -piMitancously. and as no 
 operation should 1)C carried on in a nuiftaxine the principal danger of explosion come* 
 from causes outside the liuildin;i. The results of somi' cx|)erimcnts carried out in 
 (ilemiany were recently p\iblished and the couclusiou arrived at by the ex|H'rimentcrs 
 was. that a i-ertuin tyix- of reinforced <'oncrete trave the In-st ri-sult. It was found that 
 with the particular form of constructiiai very little debris was i>rojected when an 
 exjdosion occurred in the buildiufr. as the concrete was .so pulverized that the fraft- 
 ments did not c'arry au.v utiut ilistan<-c. If funds are available. It would be of con- 
 siderable value to have experiments carried out on similar lines with buildings con- 
 .strueted to suit Canadian requirements. 
 
 In Oreat Britain there is a statutory rc<piirenicnt that every masazine should be 
 fitted with an efficient lightning conductor; there are, however, no suggestions given as 
 to what constitutes such a conductor. As I understand that parts of this country 
 iiri> frequently visite<l by sevi-re electrical storms. I think the (piestion of protecting 
 magazines from lightning should be c.iusidered. 1 would venture to suggest that the 
 -cieiitific staff of some of the I'uivcrsities and repn'seiitativi's of the explosives nuiun- 
 facturers should be invite<l to co-oiH>rate with your Department to inquire into the 
 most efficient anil economical system of securing the nece.ssar.v prote<'tion. There is 
 a system of storage in (Ireat Britain, which I have not met with in the Dominion, but 
 which might lie found of use where the climatic comlifion- will admit of it. In tho 
 rivers Thames and Mersey vessels ure moored at places s|x'cially selected by the Har- 
 bour Authorities, and these vessels are licensed by the Home Office as Magazines. 
 Where ♦here is a considerable water-borue trade, the use of such vessels as distributing 
 i-entres might prove of advantage. 
 
 (4) ('oiitrol of Transportation. — The control of transportation by rail is in the 
 hands of the Railway Commissioners, and the i>nly way in which the proposed legis- 
 lation will affect this method of triiiisportation will Ix- as regards tlii' (puility of tin.- 
 explosive conveyed. 1 understand that the regulations adopted by the ('ominissi()iu>rs 
 are those promulgated by Col. Dunne's bureau in New York. The great value of 
 these regulations has been amply proved, but iK'ing a private concern there are not 
 the same facilities for maintaining the standards of tpiality of the explosives as will 
 be the case when the authorization <ir explosives is in the hands of the (loveriiment. 
 
 I understand that at present it is practically impossible to transport legally small 
 (juantities of explosive by rail. It is generall.v certain that this traffic i~ carried on. 
 probably in passenger trains, niid with detonators and blasting explosive packed to- 
 gether. T woidd venture to suggest, therefore, that ,vour Department should api>roai!i 
 the Railway Connnis-iouers. with a view to discussing the question of recogni/inir iind 
 i-ontrolling the transpi,rtation of snndl <iuantities. 1 ma.v mnitinn that in (Ii-eat 
 Britain the railway companies have agreed to transport snndl quantities of ex;)li>-ive 
 in e.'jrs loaded with nther freight, when piicked in a sjH^cial ni:iniicr. 
 
10 
 
 it o ti "y'"** «««"fy the metho<i of stowage, the method of packing, the limit- 
 K of the natur.. ..f fro.Rht which may h,. trn.i sported with .■xplo.ive,. and the li.uit- 
 
 the voxsol or vehiele mi whieh the tniMsportation i- beiiiR effeetwl. 
 
 (5) If>v>oylalion.-Beiote any explosive is imported into the Dominion for sale or 
 u.e. a sample .houKl be submitted f.,r .tuthorization. The terms of the liccni for 
 itrT """"■•'."""•- :'"?'«' -'"-e the importer to have at hi. dispo^d a licl ed 
 
 me^ tT.TZ 7^''^ !''" \*P'°'"'^ "^"'"^ ^ '^'"'»«' ""»» *he chemical depart- 
 ment have satished themselves by examination of the samples taken by the Customs 
 that the explosive is of the requisite ^^tandard. 
 
 An. hi ''IT''.'"" ""1 'y""'"''""-! "-"l "■'">• remark that when a factory or raa«a- 
 a ertZtt, rr 'S'" rr"'^' ''"" '^"■•^" ^''°"''' '- I-no'neally inspected to 
 e^emi d ttt f ""' "f •'"■ ^■''"^'■■' ""' '"'""^ "'""P'**^' «■'"'• Similarly, it is 
 
 ea^v ei™^ fl''' *"* ^'P'°«'/« ^as onc-e been authorized, samples should be periodi- 
 \lZ J^Z^ ? """V ''■** .*''•' """"'f-^t'"-*-' i^ ninintainiiiK the required standard. 
 Most explosives deter.oraU- m ,,uality and ehemieal stability after prolonge.l storage. 
 
 agaziiies. but also from magazines in the ,H..eupation of the us^-rs ot explosives. I 
 ha e reason ,o beheve that the Provincial authorities will W- glad to eo-operate with 
 .>our department in this respect. 
 
 V 11 ^■>.'^*f''""'"f"'// 2««<.nff AV«t.o,..-Apurt from the chemical laboratory, which 
 «ill be in thfc .,ands of the chemical advisers of tb- explosives department, it will b<. 
 iux-c-ssary to establish a station for the testing of explosives for use in .-oal mines. I 
 understand that it is also considered desirable to erect an apparatus for te,.ing t;^ 
 
 thi i^srif'" mT^^ T"^"'' '"•'"■'T'"- '*"'* ^'^"''' '''^••'^"'» °" 'he anal det.!i!s 
 1 It f u '} ''^' '^''" '" """"^ *''*' eoneiusioa of the experiments which are 
 
 shortly to be carr.^1 out in (m-at Britain. It may be of interest to state that the 
 ilome (roveminent have not contemplate,! instituting an official test for the so-called 
 rescue apparatus. Ihe wonl ' rescue ' app^-ars to give the general public the idea that 
 after an explosion has oceurre.1 in a .-oal mine it is only nm-ssary for men wearing 
 these breathing apparatus to .uter the mine, to enable them to rescue the unfortunate 
 miners who have been expos<-d to the .^tftvts of the explosion and the .leadlv .-ffect of 
 « ter damp. I think the mon- ivasonalde view to hold as regards the prH<.tieal utility 
 
 01 brea hing apparatus ,s that their chief scope lies in the direction of coping with 
 t.r,., Mow groun, in th,. early stag,*, and it is oi.y in the sense of preventing the 
 
 si.read of a hre which w, 1 endanger the lives of those present in the mine that the 
 
 term rescue can l)e applie.1 to tlieni. 
 
 Apparatus should W installed „t the testing station to enable comparisons to l,e 
 n.ade between the k.netie energy of ditferent natures of explosives and also to deter- 
 mine the veloc-ity ot detonation of expU^ives. Information on these two points 
 should prove of va ne to the users of explosiv.-s. to enable them to sc.leet the explosive 
 most suitable for the work which they are undertaking. "Piosm 
 
 (8) Accidents in Explosives Factories.-lt is of the utmost importance that the ex- 
 plosives department should have full infornmtion regarding all accidents which occur 
 in factories eithe. by fire or explosion. ,.ven when no personal injuries are sustained. 
 
 , f r. T" '" ,"" ',""■!" V" r'"'""" "" P*'""*"'"^ "'•'' "■J"'-*''' t'*"* tl'e '"lo^t valuable 
 information can k- derived. I think that it should be obligatory for the occupiers of 
 
 1« f-r« •" '■^P"'"V'*.r'." "' P°r'y- "" ^"'^J' «^-<'i'»-'its. and to leave things untouched 
 as far as ,9 practicable, in case it should be deemed advisable to have the circumstances 
 ot the accident investigated by an official of the department. 
 
11 
 
 (9) Aceidenta in Storage, Trantporiation, and IV.—Acc-identgwbicb occur by fire 
 i>r »-xriI(>»ioii in tin- ^toru(tp and tranfportatiou of explosive* slioiiKl ulco Ix- brought to 
 the notice of tho (loparfniPiit; in tho-e .'awes in wliich the htorajc.- or traii-t|)ortation 
 conies under the control of the new Act, it may be desirable to have an inquiry 
 liel<l l)y ail official of the <lc|>urtmeiit. In other casoH. the co-oi<-rHtion of the Pro- 
 vincial Oovornmenfw and the Kailway Comtnir-.ioner* fhoul.l b.- w.uKht, in order to 
 ol)tiiiM iH coniplotc li r<K-<.rd us p^issible ..f such accidents. Doubtless, the Provincial 
 Iiis|«'ctors of mines will In- willinjf t« inform the new department of the re-iiits of 
 their investigations. As rcirnrds iiccidents in transitortntion by mil, the servics ..f 
 mi in^iH-ctor of explosives should U- placed at the disposal of the Uiiilwav <'oniini.- 
 sinncrs. should they so d,.sire it. to assist in eiirryliiK out investiftations. 
 
 By far the larjrer niunber of accidents whi<'h oc!-ur with explosives arise from 
 their use; it is of the utmost importance that all accidents otteurrinR when the 
 explosives are in use should be thoroughly investigate*! and classified. I have reason 
 to believe that the Provincial Inspectors of Mines will be willing to co-operate with 
 the department by forwarding accounts of accidents occurring ir, the mines under 
 their jurisdiction. I understand, however, that a large number of accidents occur 
 ill works where there is no legislation affecting the use of explosives. I think it 
 would be advisable for the Minister of Mines to take power in the propose.1 bill to 
 frame rules to regulate the storage and use of explosives in such works, t.> require 
 the reporting of accidents, and to have invi-stigutions made when «uch a course 
 appears neoessar.v. 
 
 Tt may b<> of interest to summarize the cauns „f the nion> frequently occurrini; 
 accidents which arise from the use of explosives in mines, (junrries. and construction 
 works in Great Britain. 
 
 1. Prematurfs.—Oitm due to the :is<. of short or bad fuse, or the use of 
 straws and squil>s to ignite the charge. May aris<. from a man attempting to 
 light too many shots and thus be:: g unable to take cover. 
 
 2. Hang-fires — Often due to irregular fuse, or the iKiiition of explosive, 
 which burns until sufficient pressure is set up to cause it to explode; this may l>e 
 due to inferior quality of explosive or u weak detonator. Sometimes due to mis- 
 counting shots and returning too soon. 
 
 3. Electrical Prematures.— GencraWy due to the shot firer allowir.g another 
 man to connect the detonator IcmU to tlie firiiijr c,ii)le. which lias been previously 
 attached to the battery. 
 
 4. Ramming — Due to frozen iiitro-({lyceriiie iixidosive. broken cartridge leav- 
 ing a thin film of explosive in tiie bore hole. Tartriilge stickintr in tlu- bore hole 
 and being violently forc-ed home. It is of the utmost importance that no explo- 
 sive which is unduly sensitive to friction or |)eicussion should be authorized for 
 use. 
 
 ."). ,SliiL-iiifi L'i>e.ii>lodril Cliarg,- when Hemoiing iJehris. — (Jcuerally due to 
 frozen nitro-glycerine explosive, or to weak detonator which fails to cause propa- 
 gation of detonation through all tile cartridge^ or to tlic cartridges bcconiiiis 
 separated by a lii.vcr of dirt in the shot hole. 
 
 0. Boiiiig into a Missed Shot. 
 
 7. Tampering villi a Missed tSiiot. 
 
 8. Xol Taking Prui>er Corer.—Jn the case of electrical tiring Kcnerally due 
 to use of too short a cable. 
 
 «. Fmn^s — Kither due to defective ventilation, men returning too soon, or 
 ignition ••.-••■tid of (letonution of high explosive. The cases evolved by burniua 
 
IS 
 
 ..itro-ulv.vri, x„lo«ivo« Hn- n-ry ,.oNoMn„s. Tl.e burning „„,v U- ori„i„Hfo,I 
 
 1..V wrnk .lotoimtor „r inferior .lufllity „f pxpl„*ivp. -•x^Kumoil 
 
 ""i.liily «..,s,t.vo ...xploHivr. r.vkl..«.n,.sH, „r l,„-k of .kill. "'''""'" '^Xo^iv... 
 
 t:, /,/-mV/o„ „/ Er„loslrr h„ >>iW..-lVi„,.i,,„lly ,.„.,ti„„l to «un,.ow.I,.r 
 wIkw oih.ii l.Klit>. .irp uso,| Mow Krouinl. tfunponcur. 
 
 ^^J^. So.L:;r„,„ or y/„.;„,,;„,,._„,„. ,,. ,.,...,„,^i„^ ,,^f„^,. ^__^„,^.^^^ ^.^^^^ ,_^_^ 
 13. luullln, of Fi„-,la,„„ „,■ ro„l /^„W -A„aP, fro,,, tl uulity of the ex- 
 
 !::rthr,zt:i:i'::;:r"" "^^ "■" ''"" "'"- -^ -"-«•■" ^•'- '^ «- 
 
 expos.ve* were „«e<l ,nm,»es, quarries, and eonstruetio,, works in Great Britain and 
 
 w tS.":'" "' '"""'*'" '""" *'""*"''''"* "^ «-"'"">' ••- ™«' .'"'t) 5.r ntr^rJ 
 
 i>'K sm-h qual,h«.at,o,.s are ran-. I wcl.l venture to suRRest that it wouHh!T 
 ;".w,.se to „tte,npt to ^-onomize l.y offering a,. inadcquatTsSrv V rZJf ^ T"' 
 
 ulalLT WK r '••"■"•'""''"''"H"" for the u.-eptanee or rejeetion of ex- 
 
 o It 1. .; , • ■'""""■ "■"""■■' '" *'"■ ">'T"'"-"»-'- ">"l wl.o woul.l assist in ..arrvW 
 
 pos.t „::!•;';;. .•.x,..r„„o„ts. ne sh.,nl,l .1.., ,,. rosponsihle for the Z"oZ 
 
 rSiCstatlon ' """""" ""' '"- ""'""•"^"^ """' ^'"■•- "-• "' ™""-i- with 
 I have the authority of Major Cooper Key Ilis Mniostv'- 1., .., . t v •, ■ 
 
 ,"""/" '■ ' "" "'^'«'it into th.' n.Iinmistrntioii „f the Kxi,|„siv.^ \ot ,..„I .1, 
 
 
 
 # 
 
la 
 
 o 
 
 If lii.v pmixiral U" to tin- ruKuliitimi of flu- iim- of explocivcs Ik- inlo|ite<l, I would 
 »U|rKi'''t tliHt two or tlin'i- p-utleiueii In- uppointod ii» uxsi^tatit in»|><><?torti, whom" duty 
 woultl Ix' fontiiui! to tlif mlniiiii-iteriiiw; of tlK'<i«' rcKulatioii". Their priucipul fuiic- 
 tioris would Ix- to I'lidcavour to tilucato tin- u-rrs of t'xplo-ivos by uifuii-' of lecture* 
 and practicnl ilfniori»triition* to nvoid the inixuw of cxplo-ivcj', lUid Hl«ri to iuvi'<i|i|{iit<- 
 iiiiy iu'fid»Mit« wliicli uiiKlit occur. 
 
 I hiivc the honour to be. 
 
 Sir. 
 
 jour oltoiliciit !-crviiiit, 
 
 A. Detborough, (upt. 
 
 U. M. limiirclor of A'.r/i/o»ii'C». 
 
 iL 
 
18 
 
 IkfEMORANDUV. 
 
 lUcuiae Cr ..tnietioB Coamittce. 
 
 The Committee thould coiitist of ■ member of the Minca Di-partment, « repre«ent- 
 ative of the Militia Department, a repre*cntative of the Public Work* Department 
 and two members of the explooiven tradp. ' 
 
 The object of the Committe.! would be to teat different natures of construction by 
 ixplodinff from a half to one ton of explosive inside each buildinjr, and notinc the dis- 
 tunr-e to which the debris ;* prt>jp<ted. 
 
 The <'omniitteo should «ati<v thcniM-lvcM that each building u reanonably secure 
 against unlawful entr}-. 
 
 I would t-uggest that the explosive U' invariably stacked at one end of the build- 
 iiig. so OS to leave as great an air spaw as possible from the other end. This point 
 IS especially important where the ooiistru<'tion is of concrete. 
 
 The types of oonstriietioii wliich might l>e experimented with are as follow*:— 
 1. Kxpaiide<l metal and cvment piaster. 
 -'. Ctemiaii »iXH>ial re-enforced concrete. 
 •1. I/)g magazine. 
 4. Any ty|X' which the Coinniittco suggest. 
 
 I think the attention of the Committee might be directed to the possibility of the 
 expanded netal being carried above the roof, and also being grounded to form an 
 economical system of protecting from lightning. 
 
 Tniuportation of Liquid Nitro-glyoerine by Hotd. 
 
 Mr. ]^)wry. at the re.-.iit ••.iiiferciice. rHJ-ci this point with n-Rard to the use of 
 li<im«l nitro-glyceriiie in <ii)eiiing oil wclN. 
 
 When iiitro-gly.iTiiie was iirst iis«-d ..u a coimnercial scale, it was invariably 
 transported in the liquid state. Li .•onsc(iuciiee of the large number of accidents 
 which otMurrcl. the |.rn(ti<c wa- piohibitcd in nil Kuropeaii .Miiiiitiies. Alfred Nobel 
 then absorbed the liqinM in an inluM.rial earth, solely with the view of rendering its 
 rransiwrtation reasounbly satV. mid with tlie inUntioii of extracting the nitro-glycerinc 
 liy a proi-ess of displacoincnt by wau-r when it had Wii transported to the place at 
 which it was re<piire.l to 1h> use.l. Ifc found, however, that for ordinary blasting 
 purposes it was not ntc,...«ary to use the nitro-(fly<'eriiie us a lifpiid, and he caiied the 
 phistic explosive (iynainitc. I hav.. Us-ii Mid that it is e-s<-ntial to use liquid nitro- 
 glyi-eriiie in oiM>i;iiiM: oil wells, hut I do not know if this practice is universal. If it 
 is absolutely iipc-ssury to do so. I think that at any rate the nitro-iflycerine should not 
 le trunsporteil as a liiinid but as .lynainite. In (Jreut Britain dynamite No. 1 is de- 
 fined as a nii.vture of not more than 75 i)arts of nitro-Kl.vcerine absorbed in kieselgur. 
 
 A fnctoiy li<vnse could then l.e Rranted to allow of the nitro-glycerine being dis- 
 phicetl ill the ininiediatc iieiKhlxiiirliood of where it was intended to be used- the 
 operation to lie effected in a definite building and to bo under proper control' and 
 supervision. 
 
 Teitint; Station and Chemical laboratory. 
 
 I attBch to this j)aper a rough specification of the testing gallery which is being 
 erected in England. The sketch drawiiijjrs mentioned in the specification have been 
 omitted, as there was not time to iuive copies made before 1 left England. 
 
1)1 
 
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 (Si(rii.'<l) 
 
 A. Detboroofh, Cni.t