Page:Federal Reporter, 1st Series, Volume 1.djvu/343

ATLANTIC GIANT POWDEB CO. V. DITTMAR POWDER 00. 335 �ine vith sawduat first treated with solutions of saltpetre and alkali. He conceived the idea that nitro-glycerine might be changed into a powder, so as to be a safe and efficient ex- plosive. In July, 1866, at Berlin, Theodore Winckler, one of the firm of Alfred Nobel & Co., a firm composed of Nobel, Winckler and Dr. Bandmann, employed him to ascertain the causes of the accidentai explosion of liquid nitro-glycer- ine packed in sawdust. He spoke to Winckler of his idea of changing liquid nitro-glycerine into a powder. He then supervised the erection of a nitro-glycerine factory for Nobel & Co,, at Krummel, in Lauenburg, and remained there as its general superintendent until the fall of 1867. Noble returned to Krummel from the United States, in September, 1866. �In August, 1866, Dittmar experimented successfully in mixing nitro-glycerine with lamp black. He also experimented with ground bricks, charcoal, cernent, and, lastly, infusorial earth, as absorbents for nitro-glycerine, oontinuing his expe- riments with sawdust and nitro-cellulose, and concluded that charcoal and infusorial earth were the best absorbents, the latter being preferable on account of its greater capacity of absorption. His attention was directed to infusorial earth as an absorbent because it was used at Nobel & Co.'s factory, in substitution for sawdust, to pack around the eans of liquid nitro-glycerine in boxes. He noticed that it was very porous, and readily absorbed the nitro-glycerine when the cans leaked. The particular experiments made by him with nitro- glycerine in combination with infusorial earth, as an absorb- ent, were made about the time Nobel returned, but whether before or immediately after he cannot remember. He did, however, make mixtures of nitro-glycerine with incombustible and inexplosive substances, as absorbents, long prier to the retum of Nobel from the United States. Dittmar says: "Alfred Nobel returned in about the beginning of September, 1866. He came to the factory and had many conversations with me in respect of the mixtures of nitro-glycerine with absorbent substances. I had these conversations both with him and Mr. Winckler in his, Nobel's, presence. Nobel de- sired me to manufacture nitro-glycerine, and, for the purpose ��� �