Author: Albert R. J. Ramsey

Publisher: Forgotten Books

Published: 2016-11-22

Total Pages: 134

ISBN-13: 9781334358661

Excerpt from A Manual on Explosives Explosives may be simply explained as substances, either in'solid or liquid form, which by the action of heat or other cause are capable of very rapid conversion into gases, occupying a much larger Space than the original substance. The fact oi certain substances possessing such properties has been known for many centuries, and there is perhaps no substance which has wrought such important changes in the world's) history as Gunpowder; and yet its origin will always remain one of the mysteries of antiquity, for no one can say with certainty where, or by whom, it was first used. The invention of gunpowder is by various authorities attributed to the Chinese, the Arabs, the Hindus, and with a greater degree of certainty to several mediaeval monkish alchemists, and among the many legends surrounding its origin, the fact has been fairly well established that its properties were known to the great English pioneer of science, 'roger Bacon, who died in 1294, and who is, by'some, claimed to be the inventor. It is certain, however, that gunpowder as it is known to-day was in use soon after the year 1310. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.