The New Explosive.

Manawatu Herald, 30 March 1899, Page 2

The New Explosive.

It is unhesitatingly stated, on g-ood authority, that one of the most interesting features of the Oradurman campaign, from a military standpoint, was the great success achieved by the lyddite shells, used for the first time i£ actual warfare by the British Army, and proving that lyddite is the best explosive yet discovered for use in shells. Lyddite is only a variety of picric acid, which has been melted aad allowed to solidify, thereby becoming denser. Melinite, recently introduced into the French army, is also another form of picric acid, which has been melted and allowed to solidify, thereby becoming denser. Melinite, recently introduced into the French army, is also another form of picric acid; indeed, most of the so-called " new " explosives consist of this substance in one or other of its forms, disguised by different names. The shock necessary to explode picric acid in all its forms is furnished by a class of bodies known as "detonators." These are sensitive bodies which explode with great violence; and if placed in contact with a large mass of picric acid, the shock to which their explosion gives" rise causes the whole charge to detonate, an extremely small quantity of the detonator sufficing to set into action an indefinitely large quantity of the acid. The substance is, without doubt, destined to play an important part in tiie wars of the future.