To Insure Explosion.—The dynamite must not be frozen; the fuze must be good and kept in the cap; the cap must be dry and not withdrawn from the explosive.
Frozen Dynamite.—Dynamite freezes more easily than water, becomes hard and cannot be properly loaded into bore-holes, and is more difficult of explosion. Keep it where it will not freeze if possible.
It must not be thawed by a fire, but by hot water in an apparatus like a common glue-pot, the dynamite being in the inner vessel and hot (not boiling) water in the outer. Eissler states that there is but one safe way of thawing it, which is to keep it in a kitchen or other room at summer heat, and away from the fire, until it is soft. It is then ready for use.
Precautions.—Never attempt to thaw frozen dynamite by roasting, toasting, or baking it. Never put it in heated vessels, or in boilers, or before fires or heated metals. It must not be thawed or heated rapidly.
Never put a cap into a charge or primer until you are ready to use it. After it is made never let a primer leave your hands until it is in the hole. Keep the caps away from the dynamite. Never let them come near each other except when used.
Never allow smoking or other fire near the powder or explosive, as it burns rapidly, and especially when loose, and may fire caps incautiously left near by, and thus bring on an explosion.
Never use a metallic rammer.
Do not get nitro-glycerine on your fingers. It will be absorbed by the skin and give you a headache. Invariably prepare your primer at a distance from your explosive.
RACK-A-ROCK.
This powerful explosive, composed of a solid and a liquid ingredient, entirely inexplosive when separate, but easily and quickly combined, seems to present undoubted advantages for use in the military service.