1850 American Gold Tycoon.

Chapter 305 The first generation of explosives
After Le Goff agreed to apply for a loan of US$80 from the Bank of France for the California government, Gibson was still unwilling to see the relationship between France and California getting closer and closer, and the relationship with England getting more and more distant.

Judging from the current development situation, California is a market with great potential.

In the end, Gibson also made a concession and said that he could also provide Barings with a loan of US$100 million for the California government, provided that Liang Yao could also sell him 600 barrels of kerosene at half the market price.

The current production cost of kerosene is 4 cents a liter, and the market price in California is 20 cents a liter.

Selling kerosene at a price of 10 cents a liter, Liang Yao still has a lot of profit margins, not to mention that with the maturity of crude oil mining technology, the advancement of kerosene refining technology, and the increase in production.The production cost of kerosene can be further reduced.

Liang Yao reluctantly agreed to Gibson's request, saying that for the sake of the friendship between Britain and the United States, he was willing to suffer some losses and sell 600 barrels of kerosene to Gibson at a low price to thank Barings Bank for the California government. support and help.

Gibson, who is the old London Union Jack, of course knows that this is just a lie to deceive people. If there is friendship between Britain and the United States, sows can climb trees.

The relationship between Britain and the United States in the 19th century was far less harmonious than that in the 20th century. Although the United States has been independent for 70 years, Britain still has a grudge against the independence of its former North American colonies.

Although he thought so in his heart, on the surface Gibson still accepted Liang Yao's remarks with pleasure. After all, no one would have trouble with money.

Right now, the supply of kerosene is in short supply. As long as he gets the 600 barrels of low-priced kerosene, he can make a lot of money no matter what.Friendship is national, money is personal.The shrewd Gibson still figured it out.

Gibson would not mind contributing to the friendship between Britain and the United States, if he could earn some extra money from it.

Although he is a banker, he is nothing more than a senior wage earner at Barings Bank.

Following the completion of the California Railway (San Francisco-Los Angeles), the largest railway project in California: the state capital Sacramento to Reno and Carson in the Nevada region is also about to be completed.

The report submitted by the California Railway Company to Liang Yao was that the railway would be fully open to traffic around February 1853, 2, that is, one month later.

After the railway is fully opened to traffic, it means that California and Western Nevada will be connected as one city. Gold prospectors and immigrants can enter the Nevada area more easily and conveniently, and the daily necessities of San Francisco and Sacramento can also be transported here Noah and Carson.

Prior to this, all kinds of materials could only be transported into Nevada by the most primitive mode of transportation, that is, people carrying horses and camels into Nevada.

Due to inconvenient transportation and high transportation costs, prices in Nevada have always remained high.

The opening of the entire line of the Nevada Railway is great news for people living in the Nevada area, and their cost of living will be greatly reduced.

Of course, products from the Nevada region, such as gold, coal, and iron ore, could also be imported to Sacramento and San Francisco by railroad.

Liang Yao's construction of the main transportation line in California has been preliminarily completed, and the industrialization of California is at least guaranteed in terms of transportation.

The length of the railway from Sacramento to Reno and Carson in the Nevada area is only 260 kilometers, which is only a little more than one-third of the California Railway, but it takes almost the same time as the California Railway. To the east, the terrain gets steeper.

260 kilometers of this 200-kilometer-long railway pass through mountainous areas, and most of the California Railway is built along the Central Valley, with very flat terrain.The engineering difficulty of the two is not the same.

In fact, the railway between Sacramento and Reno and Carson was originally planned to be completed by the end of April 1853. The reason why it could be completed more than two months ahead of schedule was that the California Railway Company boldly used the newly invented liquid high explosives, and the railway workers We prefer to call it explosive oil.

To put it bluntly, it is nitroglycerin explosives.

The village of Auburn, northeast of Sacramento, lies on the border of the Central Valley and the mountains.

It was originally a deserted and barren land. With the construction of the Sacramento to Reno and Carson railway line in the Nevada area, some new small villages appeared along the railway line.

This is the area that Liang Yao specially designated for Nobel's experiments. Nobel's experiments are too dangerous to be placed in densely populated places like San Francisco and Sacramento.Liang Yao could only designate an inaccessible place for Nobel to do experiments on.

Fortunately, those who engage in scientific research are generally able to endure loneliness. This place is far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. After the railway between Auburn Village and Sacramento is connected, the transportation is relatively convenient, and the experimental materials needed by Nobel can also be transported here very conveniently.

Therefore, Nobel is very satisfied with this experimental site. Since coming to this experimental site, Nobel has hardly been out of this place.

Liang Yao even asked the Telegraph Bureau to set up a telegraph room in Nobel's laboratory, and the telegraph route was established. If there is any need, Nobel only needs to go to the telegraph room to send a telegram.Whether it is living or working, it is very convenient.

This place is simply heaven for Nobel.

Accompanied by a deafening bang, Liang Yao's eardrums were almost shattered.

The explosives buried in the middle of the mountain blasted a big hole in the middle of the mountain, and the broken rocks that were shattered by the cracking continued to roll down from the middle of the mountain.

"Using a small amount of general gunpowder can cause a violent explosion of nitroglycerin. No matter how pure the gunpowder is, it can't match the power of nitroglycerin." Nobel introduced this dangerous explosive to Liang Yao.

"With it to mine mines and build roads, it will get twice the result with half the effort." Liang Yao sighed.

Of course, this more powerful high explosive can also be used in war, but now Liang Yao doesn't need to mention war in front of Nobel.

"You only see its good side. This kind of explosive is too dangerous and the risk is difficult to control. From production to transportation, to storage and use, any link, if you are not careful, an uncontrollable explosion will occur. lead to tragedy.

Only two months after the explosive was put into use, 16 railroad workers were killed by accidental explosions.Given the immaturity of this explosive and the risks involved in its use, I would not recommend that it be put into service at this time. "

Nobel's voice was a little choked up, and his face was full of self-blame.

"Maybe, I shouldn't have brought this kind of thing into the world."

After the advent of nitroglycerin explosives in history, the place with the largest sales volume was California, USA.Due to the long-distance transportation and use, there have been many serious liquid nitroglycerin explosion accidents.

In order to solve this problem, Nobel personally rushed to California and tried to manufacture it on the spot to avoid the danger brought by long-distance transportation. Later, he eliminated interference from all sides and concentrated on studying the safe transportation method of nitroglycerin.Finally, two solid explosives made by mixing diatomaceous earth and nitroglycerin, which are relatively safer, were developed, namely No. 1 high explosive and No. 2 high explosive.The emergence of solid explosives makes the large-scale industrial application of explosives possible.

The fly in the ointment is that compared with liquid nitroglycerin explosives, solid diatom explosives are slightly inferior in power, only three quarters of liquid explosives.

But safety is only relative. When the diatom explosive is damp or under pressure, there is still a danger of nitroglycerin oozing out.

Therefore, Nobel continued to devote himself to the experiment to develop a new type of explosive that combines the explosive power of nitroglycerin and the safety performance of high explosive.

Hard work pays off, and after countless failures, in 1875, the solid cavity explosive and the soft and plastic excellent gelatinous explosive came out one after another.

This kind of explosive has high explosive power and is relatively cheap.It has greater explosive power than pure nitroglycerin, but also has greater stability. It will not explode when ignited, and will not get wet when immersed in water.

It can be said that after the advent of nitroglycerin explosives, Nobel has been making tireless efforts to develop safer explosives, indirectly saving countless lives.

If conditions permit, cavity explosives and colloidal explosives are naturally the best choices. However, with the current level of chemical engineering in California, which is almost equal to zero, it is impossible to produce the raw materials required for colloidal explosives.

Even if a few samples can be produced in the laboratory, it is difficult to achieve mass production.

What Liang Yao needs now is explosives that can be mass-produced and put into use immediately. Even if the explosives are not so safe, it is better than nothing.

Of course, Liang Yao didn't intend to sit still. Although liquid nitroglycerin can be used, it is too insecure in terms of safety.

Now that the whole of the United States is building construction projects and laying railways, there is still a market for high-powered explosives. If you want to sell explosives to the eastern and central regions thousands of miles away, the issue of transportation safety is indeed a problem that has to be considered.

Although colloidal explosives can't be produced for a while, diatom explosives can still be tried.

There are almost all kinds of mines in this geomantic treasure land in the United States. California itself has the world's largest marine diatomite deposit, and there is no shortage of materials for making diatom explosives.

Furthermore, once the diatom dynamite was produced, Nobel developed the detonating material of the diatom dynamite: the detonator, but it was just a matter of going with the flow.

The diatom dynamite must be produced no matter what!

When Liang Yao was thinking about it, the image of the explosive oil explosion appeared in Nobel's mind. The flames soaring into the sky, the flying stumps and broken arms, and the scorched body became Nobel's lingering nightmare for the past few months. .

His emotions quickly spiraled out of control, and his faith began to waver.

His original intention of developing explosives was to improve the efficiency of mining and road construction. Now the new explosives have indeed improved the efficiency of mining and road construction, but the accidents that followed also claimed more lives.

Is it all worth it?
Nobel tortured himself over and over again, and his body trembled involuntarily.

Liang Yao noticed Nobel's abnormal demeanor, and asked with concern, "Do you feel unwell?"

"It's because I feel uncomfortable, sir. This kind of explosive is too dangerous. Give up the production of this kind of explosive." After hesitating for a long time, Nobel finally expressed his thoughts.

Although he himself knew that he shouldn't say such depressing words to his sponsors.

Liang Yao was not as compassionate as Nobel. Liang Yao's original intention of funding Nobel's development of nitroglycerin explosives was for military use. To put it bluntly, it was to kill people, more efficiently.

In Liang Yaoyan's eyes, the function of explosives for mining and building roads is not even as important as killing people.

Therefore, when he witnessed the nitroglycerin explosion for the first time, Liang Yao was more happy.

The progress of human civilization is built on piles of corpses, and someone has to pay the price for the progress of civilization.

"Since we have chosen a road full of thorns, we will inevitably be hurt by thorns." Liang Yao put his hands on Nobel's shoulders and said earnestly.

"Even without explosives, there are quite a few railroad workers who accidentally fell to their deaths while building railroads in mountainous areas. I think you know this. The explosives you invented shortened the construction period of the Nevada Railway by two full months, and you also saved many railroad workers. , it’s just that you can’t see them.”

Liang Yao now wants money and money, power and power, fame and fame.

There are many paths he can choose, and he can also choose to live his comfortable life like a slave owner in the south.

It's just that the result is that after the outbreak of the Civil War, California, like the slave owners of the Confederate States, found that its own state could not even manufacture decent guns, and the Yankees had no one to use when they hit their doorstep. We can only pin our hopes on international assistance beyond the blockade.

After hearing Liang Yao's words, Nobel's mood calmed down a little, and his emotions gradually stabilized.

"Sir, after I improve the explosives, can it be mass-produced and put into use after I improve the explosives?" Nobel raised his head and asked.

"Let's wait for the railway in Nevada to be completed first." Liang Yao said, supporting Nobel's shaking body.

"The liquid is unstable. Have you ever thought about making nitroglycerin into a solid form? If this powerful explosive can exist in a solid form, I think it will be more stable and much safer."

"Let nitroglycerin exist in a solid form?" Nobel seriously recalled some past experiments in the laboratory, and then shook helplessly, "I also had this idea before, and I also put it into practice. It's been practiced, but I have tried many methods in the laboratory, but I can't make nitroglycerin into a solid."

"Kony, bring a piece of cloth and a pot of water." Liang Yao commanded Kony.

Soon, Connie brought a piece of cotton cloth and a pot of water to Liang Yao with a puzzled look on his face. Coney didn't know what Liang Yao was going to use the cloth and water for, could it be to wash his face?But after thinking about it, it was wrong, and the boss didn't seem like a person with a cleanliness.

Liang Yao took the cotton cloth from Coney, then poured water on the cotton cloth, grabbed a ball of wet cotton cloth and said to Nobel: "What if the nitroglycerin is adsorbed on a certain solid?"

Noble slapped his forehead, suddenly enlightened, and said excitedly: "This is a very good idea! I will try this aspect and try to find some materials with strong water absorption. Just adsorb nitroglycerin on solids and explode The power will inevitably diminish."

"For the sake of safety and life, it is worth sacrificing some power." Liang Yao said.

"I understand! I understand! You wait for me, I will find materials and experiment as soon as possible, and come up with a finished product that satisfies you!" Nobel's expression was very excited.

"I will also look for some materials for your experiment." Liang Yao nodded with a smile, patted Nobel's shoulder, and said with great concern, "Your experiment is very dangerous, you must pay attention to safety! If there is something missing, just open it." Telegram me!"

(End of this chapter)