Nitro-glycerine

Fatal Explosion of Nitro-Glycerine at Newcastle on Tyne. - Great consternation was caused throughout this town and district by the intelligence of a terrific explosion on the Town Moor which had caused the loss of several lives. It appeared that on the previous evening Inspector Amos and Sub-Inspector Wallace, of the Newcastle police, received information that a quantity of nitro-glycerine was stored in a cellar in the White Swan-yard, in the Cloth-market, immediately behind the Branch Bank of England, and that it belonged to an auctioneer named Spark. They examined the place, and found that it was contained in nine square canisters, in baskets packed in straw; and they immediately sought the owner of it, in order to have it removed to a place of safety. They found him at his place of business, and represented the matter to him. He said that he would have it sent back to the person who consigned it to him; and, in company with the officers, he tried the railway company, but they refused to carry it. An application was then made to Mr. Nesham, who has a gunpowder store, to have it put into a magazine, but he also refused to take it. The case was then represented to the magistrates, who upon consultation gave instructions to have it destroyed. The Sheriff of Newcastle (Mr. John Mawson) being a well-known practical chemist, the police applied to him, as to the best method of dealing with this deadly liquid; he, after consulting with other chemists, advised that it should be buried in some of the creeps or crevices of some old pit-workings in the neighbourhood; but while these discussions had been going on, the nitro-glycerine had been removed from the White Swan-yard to Spark's office in the Town Hall, just over the Council Chamber. This being discovered, a policeman was immediately sent to watch it; and between two and three in the afternoon a cart was brought, and the canisters were put into it, and taken to the Town Moor.

The Sheriff and Mr. Bryson, the town surveyor, with Sub-Inspector Wallace, and a policeman named Donald Bain, accompanied the cart to the Town Moor. They found a crevice or creep near to the Cholera Hospital, into which the liquid from the nine canisters was poured; but after this was completed it was found that a quantity of crystallized matter was adhering to the bottoms of three of the canisters. The Sheriff then instructed Wallace to put some earth over the liquid that had been poured into the crevice, and ordered the other men to bury the three crystallized canisters in the earth at some distance off. While Wallace was shovelling the earth into the crevice, he was startled by a frightful explosion, in the direction where the men had gone; and running to the scene, he found that a sad catastrophe had occurred. The three canisters had exploded. Donald Bain, the policeman, was nearly blown to pieces; Shotton and Appleby, two carters, were also killed; Mr. Bryson was dreadfully mangled about the face, and apparently dying; and the Sheriff was shockingly hurt. A boy named Samuel Wadley was lying in a hole, dreadfully injured. Mawson, Bryson, and Wadley were taken, with all despatch, to the infirmary; and the bodies of the other three were removed to the Cholera Hospital. On the 17th, both Mawson and Bryson died from the effects of the injuries they had received, making in all seven persons whose lives were sacrificed.

An inquest was held on the body of Mr. Mawson, and the facts which have been stated above having been detailed by the witnesses, and the nature of the injuries described by the surgeon, some interesting evidence as to the nature and properties of the substance which had produced such destructive effects was laid before the jury.

Mr. Isaac Lowthin Bell, of the Hall, Washington, in the county of Durham, and an Alderman of Newcastle, said he was the proprietor of large chemical works and collieries, and had paid some attention to chemistry for many years. He was acquainted with the properties of nitro-glycerine. The existence of nitro glycerine had been known to chemists for twenty years, but it was only in the year 1864 that it was brought into public notice as a substitute for gunpowder; consequently, all our practical acquaintance with its effects had been gathered within the last three years.

The elements of nitro-glycerine separate with immeasurable velocity, and hence the violence of the explosion, which has been calculated to be ten times that of gunpowder. Nitro-glycerine, particularly if impure, is liable to spontaneous decomposition at ordinary temperatures. The gases given off, if confined to the vessel containing the nitro-glycerine, exercise pressure on the remaining liquid; and a vessel containing nitro-glycerine under such pressure was found by Kopp to be liable to explosion under the least shock or slightest movement. Again, if this substance were brought from a cool place, and exposed to a temperature of from 68 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, decomposition took place, pressure ensued, and on removing the vessels containing it, explosion might be the  consequence. A continuous exposure to a temperature of 46 degrees caused nitro-glycerine to crystallize, and the resulting solid matter was liable to explosion on the slightest disturbance. Nitro-glycerine, when exposed to a temperature sufficient to cause ebullition, was very prone to explode.

It was alleged that the presence of wood spirit deprived nitro-glycerine of its explosive qualities. To separate the wood spirit from the nitro-glycerine, water was added, and the nitro-glycerine resumed its explosive character. If, as he was informed, the "blasting oil" manufactured by Nobel, of Hamburg, was diluted with wood spirit, it would appear from the evidence they had heard that cold - congelation - was capable of separating the nitro-glycerine from the accompanying wood spirit.

He had a copy of the instructions with respect to the use of Nobel's nitro-glycerine which were issued by the manufacturer of the nitro-glycerine now under consideration, and were intended for those who had to use the substance. The instructions state that the nitro-glycerine "can be stored for an indefinite time without loss in weight or deterioration in quality." Such an intimation was likely to mislead persons in the habit of using it, because the nitro-glycerine used in commerce was more or less liable to spontaneous decomposition, and to explode.

The instructions stated that "the peculiar property of the blasting oil not to explode by mere contact with fire rendered its carriage, storing, and handling very safe, even when in an explosive state." So far from that statement being true, the compound was liable to explode if brought into contact with heat. And so far from being safe in transit, it was liable, from its specific gravity (which is 1*6), to explode from mere movement, and was consequently a very dangerous compound for a railway company to carry.

The quantity of nitro-glycerine contained in the thirty canisters originally brought to the town would have been equal to four tons and a half of gunpowder; and it was stored where percussion, motion, or a moderate temperature might have caused its explosion. Such a quantity of pure nitro-glycerine would have been sufficient to have blown down 115,000 tons of solid rock. Nitro-glycerine was in fact gun-cotton, glycerine being used as a medium instead of cotton.

In the opinion of the witness, the explosion was caused by the crystallized nitro-glycerine exploding spontaneously, occasioned by some of the pieces moving or slipping. The pieces might slip one on the other, and the pieces exploding in one canister would explode the rest. He believed it was not made in Britain as an article of commerce.

The Coroner having summed up, The jury retired, and, after an absence of fifteen minutes, returned and gave the following verdict:— "The deaths have been caused by the explosion of nitro-glycerine, accidentally; and the jury are unanimously of opinion that the law in reference to the storing of nitro-glycerine in this case has been grossly violated."