TERRIBLE EXPLOSIVES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 5, 7 January 1915, Page 7

TERRIBLE EXPLOSIVES.

The widespread amage wrought by .ae submarine mine during the present war has (says "Chambers's Journal") become the subject of considerable comment. This missile has always been regarded as deadly, but hitherto it has been considerably overrated. In the Russo-Japaneses war ,lie destruction wrought by the mine vas comparatively negligible, only one .attleship, the Petropavlovsk, sinking ilmost immediately after striking the •irking danger. In this instance, however, it was the circumstance of the mine exploding in proximity to the warship's magazine, and thereby detonating which was responsible for the swift disaster. The reason why he German mines have been so destructive is because a new explosive s used. Hitherto wet guncotton has teen employed for this service; but in he present war the mine is charged ,'ith what is colloquially known as 'T.N.T." The full name of this xplosive—which is far more powea than is the case with gun-cotton. 4 trinitrotoluene, generally abbreiated in Germany to "trotyl." This •xplosive is of comparatively recent >rigin, and is very safe to handle, ince it can only be fired by means of detonator. If ignited in the open ir it will burn away like paper, while rifle bullet fired into a charge will ail to cause an explosion. A fulminte of mercury detonatod is necessary o demonstrate its tremendous destructive effects. One outstanding tuality of this explosive is that its ffects are felt oyer a much greater rea than is th ecase with gun-cotton, lie manner in which vessels have been lown to pieces by coming in contact ith the floating German mines offers uifFicient testimony upon this point. The powe*& of this explosive are well known in Britain, and there is no doubt : t has been adopted by our services. 'T.N.T.," however, is not the most •owerful explosive known, because 'here are several others which are ininitely more destructive, notably pie•ie acid; but it is the danger attendng the handling of these agents which •ules them out of general practice.