glycerin and sugar, as being “similarly explosive preparations,” to
gun-cotton and nitro-mannite, which latter is described as a cheap
substitute for fulminating mercury in the manufacture of percussion
caps, and certain comparative experiments with the former (gun-cotton),
as to the relative value of the same, compared with gunpowder, are
mentioned as having been made by the celebrated powder manufacturers,
“Messrs. Hall & Son, of Dartford, in the county of Kent, England.”
After such publication, the claim made by the said Nobel, or his
assignees, in the re-issues before-mentioned, that Nobel discovered
that Nitro-Glycerin could be exploded under confinement is invalid,
for the fact that Nitro-Glycerin had been described as a similarly
explosive preparation to nitro-mannite and nitro-cotton, or gun-cotton,
by its discoverer, Sobrero, necessarily involved, and indeed published
the circumstance of its only being necessary to subject it to the like
conditions of other explosives to effect its explosion. I further state
that in four affidavits filed in this Court, on the 25th of February,
by Taliaferro P. Shaffner, and T. P. Shaffner and E. A. L. Roberts,
jointly, and E. A. L. Roberts singly, and W. M. Shaffner, these
parties have sworn that the mode of exploding at the Oil City Tunnel,
December 8th, 1869, was identical and precisely similar to the mode
described in a patent granted to said T. P. Shaffner, December 18th,
1868, and re-issued April 13th, 1869, No. 3,375, whilst the very same
parties describing the same blasting at said Oil City Tunnel, at the
same time, in the same words, and almost word for word throughout, as
positively have sworn that it was identical, precisely similar to the
mode of blasting described in the re-issues Nos. 3,377, 3,378, 3,379
and 3,380. Neither of these parties were at any time on the ground
during the operations therein and thereat (to wit, Oil City Tunnel)
performed, except W. M. Shaffner, who was at no time within twenty feet
of the parties operating, and who has erroneously stated that water was
poured on to the Nitro-Glycerin at the bottom of the hole, which to my
certain knowledge was not done. And I ask the attention of this Court,
to the affidavits filed in this cause for the plaintiff, and also in
a cause of Taliaferro P. Shaffner against the same defendants, filed
February 25th, 1870, as completely disproving each other.
February 26, 1870. GEO. M. MOWBRAY.
Evidence of Phillip Mackey and Timothy Lynch, foremen of miners at the
Hoosac Tunnel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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