On November 25, 1867, a Swedish engineer received a U.S. patent for a new explosive invention, dynamite.

Many different materials had been used prior to this date in an attempt to create an effective inexpensive explosive. Gunpowder was not powerful enough; nitroglycerine was too unstable; trinitrotoluene (TNT) was just emerging and was too expensive. By mixing approximately three parts nitroglycerine and one part diatomaceous earth, this problem was solved. The nitroglycerine would react with the silica in the diatomaceous earth to form a malleable paste, which was both efficient and stable for transport.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US:

Dynamite quickly became very popular. Miners used it with great success in excavation. Engineers used it to clear passages through mountains. Militaries used it as a weapon.

MINING:

In the excavation of mines, it was a win-win product. Miners were ecstatic at its effectiveness and it stability. Numerous accidents had happened as a result of miners’ attempts to use an unstable nitroglycerine. Foremen and owners were happy because it not only increased the efficiency of mineral extraction, but it costs remarkably less than the drilling, charging, tamping needed for previous methods. Numbers of deaths dropped significantly and profits skyrocketed.

ENGINEERING:

In 1875, the Hoosac Tunnel in Massachusetts was completed in Florida. During its final stages of construction, engineers used dynamite to successfully speed up the tunnel boring process. This was one of the first  uses of dynamite for engineering purposes. In 1931, Six Companies, Inc. began work on a dam bordering Nevada and Arizona. Over 8.5 million pounds of dynamite were used during its construction, and the Hoover Dam was completed a full year ahead of schedule.

MILITARY:

Soldiers found dynamite as an effective weapon both in infiltration and defense. Many countries adopted it as a standard tactic, much like current soldiers use grenades. One country who refused to use it, however, was France. Prior to the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), Prussia had seen the benefits of this new explosive and invested heavily in its development and production. France initially saw it as an imprudent investment and hesitated to sponsor production. During the war, Prussia and her allies gained a decisive superiority over the French, partly due to their successful employment of dynamite. The conclusion of this war led to the unification of Germany, which in turn eventually set the stage for World War I. Had France invested in dynamite as the Prussians had, there may have been a different outcome.

CONCLUSION:

The inventor of dynamite initially intended his product to benefit humanity. He recognized its destructive capabilities, but also wished to invent a weapon so powerful that it would eliminate all wars. After the success of dynamite, he continued to invent and modify warfare technologies, contributing to the cannon, rocket, and other explosives. Nearer to the end of life, he gained a different perspective. He had seen the devastation his invention had caused and wished to make recompense. In his will he stated, “The whole of my remaining realizable estate shall be dealt with in the following way: The capital shall be… distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind.” Alfred Nobel died in 1896, and the first Nobel Prizes were given in 1901 for achievements in physics, medicine, chemistry, literature, and, of all things, peace.