Further research on Nobel's part led to the development of cordite, a mixture of
gun-cotton and nitroglycerine which, when shaped into stick form, proved to be a perfect propellent.
All I can do is change their hats: which are full of
gun-cotton, and these gentlemen of the Empire are not amused--gun-cotton is flammable.
Sir, - Our anonymous ex-RE is again shooting out charges in all directions, like a Catherine wheel (Post, Jul 30), but he also has a gun-cotton fixation which needs to be expunged.
This eminent journalist found, among other facts, that we had lost a warship early in the Great War when hull damage allowed sea water to reach gun-cotton of a type which it detonates.
I quote, their warning - "that this ship regularly ferrying contraband of war, would be sunk, so in New York we filled it with ammunition, fuel oil in the double-hull and explosives (involving a type of
gun-cotton known to be detonated by sea-water - it had blown up one of our capital ships").
