Alfred Nobel

“ A fourth mode of producing the initial explosion is by means of a spark, or by heat developed by a powerful current of elec­tricity within the charge of nitro-glycerine, which is so inclosed as not to afford an escape to the gas developed thereby. ”

“ Nitro-glycerine, for example, if ignited in an open space, is slowly decomposed and takes fire, but the flame is apt to die out when the match is withdrawn; hence it cannot, under ordinary circurmstances, be looked upon as a ready explosive agent; for while gunpowder, and other substances used as explosives prior to Nobel's invention, al­ways explode or deflagrate throughout the whole mass when fire is set to them, nitro­glycerine and the analogous substances before named will not explode from the mere contact of flame. ”

“ There is a class of explosives long known, but not at, the date of Nobel's invention ap­plied to technical purposes, in consequence of practical difficulties in procuring their explo­sion. Such substances are nitro-glycerine, the nitrates of ethyl and of methyl and nitro­manite. These substances are liquids at or­dinary temperatures, and by that characteristic are distinguishable from solid explosives, such as gunpowder, gun-cotton, &c.; and they have also the property that fire may be applied to them without exploding. ”