without the least danger; the cartridges being waterproofed, it can be
employed in wet bore holes, and it can be tamped with water; and finally,
as it contains sufficient oxygen to oxidise the carbon, no carbonic oxide
(CO) gas is formed, i.e., its detonation is perfect. It is a very safe
explosive to use, being little susceptible to either blows or friction.

Not long ago, a committee, composed of Prof. P. Bedson, Drs Drummond and
Hume, Mr T. Bell, one of H.M. Inspectors of Coal Mines, and others, in
considering the problem whether the fumes produced by the combustion of
tonite were injurious to health, carried out a series of experiments in
coal mines for this purpose. The air at the "intake" was analysed, also
the air of the "return," and the smoky air in the vicinity of the shot
holes. The cartridge was surrounded by the flame-extinguishing mixture,
and packed in a brown paper bag. During the first experiment nineteen
shots were fired (= 6.29 lbs. tonite). The "return" air showed only a
trace of carbonic oxide gas (CO). At the second experiment thirteen shots
were fired (= 4.40 lbs. tonite), and analysis of the air of the "return"
showed that CO was present in traces only, whilst the fumes contained only
1.9 to 4.8 parts per 10,000.

~Dangers in connection with the Manufacture of Guncotton, &c.~--Of all the
nitro compounds, the least dangerous to manufacture are gun-cotton and
collodion-cotton. The fact that the Stowmarket Factory is within five
minutes' walk of the town shows how safe the manufacture of this explosive
is regarded. With the exception of the nitration and the compression into
blocks or discs, the whole process is worked with a large excess of water,
and the probability of an explosion is thus reduced to a minimum. Among
the precautions that should, however, be taken, are--first, the careful
extraction of the resinous and soluble substances from the cotton before
nitration, as it was shown many years ago by Sir F.A. Abel that the
instability of the gun-cotton first manufactured in England and Austria
was chiefly due to these compounds. They are generally removed by boiling
the cotton in a soda solution.

The actual nitration of cotton is not a dangerous operation, but the
operations of wringing in the hydro-extractors, and washing the nitro-
cotton after it leaves the first centrifugal machine, are somewhat so.
Great care should be taken that the wrung-out nitro-cotton at once comes
in contact with a