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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 74, 27 March 1878, Page 4

The Russian Journal of Artillery: states that an Austrian manufacturer has recently arrived at St. Petersburg and has offered to sell to the Bussian Government the secret of the fabrication of a new explosive. This substance, which is called "heraoline," ia, the inventor asserts, far superior to either ordinary gunpowder or dynamite for blasting and mining purposes, and when prepared in a special manner, may also be employed with advantage as a bursting charge of shells. Used as a charge for mines, the new explosive is said to act with a much greater energy, and produce a much greater effect, than the same quantity of powder ; and, as both its density and cost of manufacture are considerably less, a saving of from forty to forty-fiva per cant will be effected by employing it. It is also the least dangerous of any explosive, as it cannot be exploded either by a blow or by friction, but only by bringing a flame into contact with it in a closed vessel. It may, therefore be ignited either by electricity or by Biekford's fuse ; but the detonation fusa required to explode dynamite with effect is not wanted. Compared with this latter substance heracline can be prepared at one third the cost ; and the effect produced by equal quantities of the two compounds is said to bs very uearly the same. The actual cost of prepuriog the heracline in Austria, where the inventor has already manufacture and patented it, is given at thirty florins per lOOlbs., and the patentee now offers to make a sufficient quantity for the Russian Government to carry out a series of experiments, finding; the necessary substance himself, if the Russian authorities will place one of its powder mills at his disposal. For the present the proposal has been declined ; but 250 kilogrammes of the explosive have been ordered, to enable the Russian engineers to make the experiments with it in mining operations, and also as a charge for hollow projectiles. A Contributor to London "Town Talk " to the Melbourne Argus says :— "The famous ' Bob Campbell' of the 32nd has departed this life, which was to him a merry one; for though be kept bis own coffin in bis own room, by way of memento mori, it was not for melancholy, but rather as the -Egyptians had. a skeleton at their feasts. He will be missed by a large military circle, to whom stories of him will long be familiar. He was at one time the most accomplished athlete of the age. It is said that he would wriggle himself up any corner to the ceiling of an ordinary room, by help of the muscles of his back ; but ifc was, of course, as a billiard player that he was most famous. The way 'he cleaned out the Yankees,' not only 'at New York,' but at every important city, was reported to be as follows; and it must be remembered, in justice to his memory, that the men be had to do with were 'professionals,' up to every move in mthe game, and to whom duplicity was not only familiar, but welcome. His reputation had preceded him to the United States, and on his arrival there he receiyed many challenges at billiards, all of which he accepted— and lost. He travelled right through the country to the far West, playing games for small sums and losing them ; and then he came down again, playing for larger sums, and, much better, he never lost, I believe, in that journey. At New York he gained large sums, until a certain day, when be perceived that the company m the room had become dangerous. It bad been arranged, indeed, that be should not leave the place alive, and, quite understanding this, the agile Bob, on pretence of washing his hands, escaped in his shirtsleeves out of the lavatory window, and went straight on board the English Bteamer."