Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, vol. LXX, Dec. 1910 | Page 5

have tested; he is to be responsible for the care, handling, and delivery of this material at the testing station on the United States arsenal grounds, Fortieth and Butler streets, Pittsburg, Pa., at the time the explosive is to be tested; and he is to have a representative present during the tests, who will be responsible for the handling of the packages containing the explosives until they are opened for testing.
"(2) No one is to be present at or to participate in these tests except the necessary government officers at the testing station, their assistants, and the representative of the manufacturer of the explosives to be tested.
"(3) The tests will be made in the order of the receipt of the applications for them, provided the necessary quantity of the explosive is delivered at the plant by the time assigned, of which due notice will be given by the Geological Survey.
"(4) Preference will be given to the testing of explosives that are now being manufactured and that are in that sense already on the market. No test will be made of any new explosive which is not now being manufactured and marketed, until all explosives now on the market that may be offered for testing have been tested.
"(5) A list of the explosives which pass certain requirements satisfactorily will be furnished to the state mine inspectors, and will be made public in such further manner as may be considered desirable.
"TEST REQUIREMENTS FOR EXPLOSIVES.
"The tests will be made by the engineers of the United States Explosives Testing Station at Pittsburg, Pa., in gas and dust gallery No. 1. The charge of explosive to be fired in tests 1, 2, and 3 shall be equal in disruptive power to one-half pound (227 grams) of 40 per cent. nitroglycerin dynamite in its original wrapper, of the following formula:
Nitroglycerin 40 Nitrate of sodium 44 Wood pulp 15 Calcium carbonate 1 --- 100
"Each charge shall be fired with an electric fuse of sufficient power to completely detonate or explode the charge, as recommended by the manufacturer. The explosive must be in such condition that the chemical and physical tests do not show any unfavorable results. The explosives in which the charge used is less than 100 grams (0.22 pound) will be weighed in tinfoil without the original wrapper.
"The dust used in tests 2, 3, and 4 will be of the same degree of fineness and taken from one mine.[6]
[Footnote 6: With a view to obtaining a dust of uniform purity and inflammability.]
"TEST 1.--Ten shots with the charge as described above, in its original wrapper, shall be fired, each with 1 pound of clay tamping, at a gallery temperature of 77° F., into a mixture of gas and air containing 8 per cent. of methane and ethane. An explosive will pass this test if all ten shots fail to ignite the mixture.
"TEST 2.--Ten shots with charge as previously noted, in its original wrapper, shall be fired, each with 1 pound of clay tamping at a gallery temperature of 77° F., into a mixture of gas and air containing 4 per cent. of methane and ethane and 20 pounds of bituminous coal dust, 18 pounds of which is to be placed on shelves laterally arranged along the first 20 feet of the gallery, and 2 pounds to be placed near the inlet of the mixing system in such a manner that all or part of it will be suspended in the first division of the gallery. An explosive will pass this test if all ten shots fail to ignite the mixture.
"TEST 3.--Ten shots with charge as previously noted, in its original wrapper, shall be fired, each with 1 pound of clay tamping at a gallery temperature of 77° F., into 40 pounds of bituminous coal dust, 20 pounds of which is to be distributed uniformly on a horse placed in front of the cannon and 20 pounds placed on side shelves in sections 4, 5, and 6. An explosive will pass this test if all ten shots fail to ignite the mixture.
"TEST 4.--A limit charge will be determined within 25 grams by firing charges in their original wrappers, untamped, at a gallery temperature of 77° F., into a mixture of gas and air containing 4 per cent. of methane and ethane and 20 pounds of bituminous coal dust, to be arranged in the same manner as in test 2. This limit charge is to be repeated five times under the same conditions before being established.
"NOTE.--At least 2 pounds of clay tamping will be used with slow-burning explosives.
"Washington, D.C., January 9, 1909.
"In response to the above communication applications were received from 12 manufacturers for the testing of 29 explosives. Of these explosives, the 17 given in the following list have passed all the test requirements set forth, and will