CHEAP BLASTING POWDER.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1174, 8 May 1874, Page 3

CHEAP BLASTING POWDER.

It may not be generally known that there is at present being made and extensively used on the Victorian and Auckland e;oldfields, a blasting powder whicb, for safety, strength, and economy, far surpassses the imported article. The component parts of this powder have the advantages of being cheaper, and easily compounded with the most simple appliances, a sieve and an old coifee or pug mill, or even two stones, for pulverizing the ingredients, being all the plant necessary. The powder is used with a fuse, in the ordinary way, but must be very carefully tamped, as the slow generation of gases, which is one of its characteristics, prevents its full force being utilized with inefficient tamping. Wc furnish our readers with the recipe for making this powder, the use of which, by those who have blasting to do, will effect a considerable saving in their accounts, besides freeing them from accidents apt to arise in stirring and handling large quantities of the kind at present in use. The ingredients are all safe separately, and may be kept ready to be mixed ouly as required. The powder must be kept thoroughly dry. £ s. d. Saltpetre, 60lb, say at Gd 1 10 0 Nitrate of soda, Solb, say at 3d ... 1 0 0 Charcoal, 241b, say at Id 0 2 0 Common coal, Sib 0 0 2 Sulphur, 201b. say at 3d 0 5 0 Cream of tartar, Sib, say at Is ...0 S 0 2001b, costing ... £3 5 2 Or say 4d per lb. The above has been contributed to the Southern Mercury. An experiment may be made on a small scale by using ingredients in the following proportions:—Saltpetre, 7-J- ozs; nitrate of soda 10 ozs ; charcoal, 3ozs; coal, 1 oz; sulphur, 2h ozs; and cream of tartar, 1 oz.