Mr. Gale's invention for making powder incombustible was tried on
Wednesday on a somewhat grand scale. A condemned marten° tower between Hastings and Rye was selected for the experiment, five tons of gunpowder mixed with 20 tons of Mr. Gale's composition, and 338 barrels of the mixture placed in the magazine. The modern floors were then fired with a pile of fire- wood, and the gunpowder slowly burnt without anything ap- proaching to an explosion. Two barrels of the mixture were then placed on a pile of blazing faggots, and as they burst the powder rather deadened the flames, and in the tower, which during the -experiment was still burning, the powder gradually put out the fire. The success may be considered perfect, and one-half the great expense of transporting and storing powder will be saved, the manufacturers will want no wide circuit around the factories, and magazines may stand anywhere. The weight to transport is not very greatly increased, barrels of gunpowder being only three- fourths filled.
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