A quiet Parisian street named after a chemist. That’s Rue Eugene Turpin in Pontoise. This unassuming street holds a fascinating secret. Eugene Turpin wasn’t just any chemist. He was the inventor of melinite.
Melinite was a powerful explosive. It revolutionized warfare. Before melinite cannons fired black powder. Black powder was weak and unreliable. Melinite was far more potent. It improved the destructive power of artillery shells significantly. Turpin’s invention was adopted by the French government in 1887. It quickly spread internationally under various names. Britain called it lyddite. Japan called it ecrasite or schimose.
Turpin’s life was far from peaceful. He was accused of selling his invention to Germany. He was imprisoned in Etampes for a year. A public outcry secured his release in 1893. He even sued Jules Verne for defamation. Verne’s novel Face au Drapeau featured a scientist who invented an explosive more powerful than dynamite. The character was suspiciously similar to Turpin. Verne was acquitted. Their correspondence however confirms Verne’s inspiration.
Turpin fought the state and companies that profited from his melinite. He eventually won a large sum in damages. Even during World War I a rumour circulated that Turpin had developed an even more destructive weapon Turpinite. This rumour was false.
Eugene Turpin’s legacy lives on. His name graces a street in Colombes. A quai in Pontoise also bears his name. His tomb is in Pontoise’s cemetery. A fitting tribute to the chemist who changed the face of warfare. His story reminds us that even quiet streets can hold explosive tales.