Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-05-06
A,a0ther Chicago Report.

When it is considered that Minneapolis is the
most extensive -four producing point in this
country, the magnitude of tho loss to the coun-
try is apparent. Until within three years St..
Louis and Buffalo have exceeded Minneapolis
in this product, but now the annual product in
Minneapolis has been several hundred Thousand
barrels more than either of those cities.
All of the proprietors of these mills are
wealthy men, enterprising and energetic, and
will, no doubt, immediately rebuild. But the
least time in which they could be rebuilt, re-
furnished and put in readiness is six or eight
months, and perhaps . longer time will be re-
quired. The total milling capacity Of Chicago
is only 293, 544 bushels annually. The reader
can estimate the loss by making comparison
of these figures
The explosion created profound sensation
in the city, and next to the direct effect of the
news upon the public mind was the unanimity
with which people
BEGAN TO SPECULATE AS TO THE CAUSE.
To arrive at the probable cause the average
reader must first be possessed of some scientific
facts, which are as startling as they are gener-
ally unknown. Is he aware that the peaceable,
faithful, unsuspected Touring mill is an insti-
tuition as dangerous, under the right circum-
stances, as powder mill? The chances are
that he is not yet such is the literal fact, as the
frightful disaster at Minneapolis has just de-
monstrated.
When the wheat comes from between the
mill-stones it is called "ohops." These 20 to
the 'bolting-machine," where the -four is bolt
ed out. Afterward the bran is separated, leav-
ing what is called the ''middlings." The mid
dlings are run through purifiers, a series Of
sleeves, and after they have been cleansed, are
the -four from which Graham bread is made
The refuse which is separated from the mid
dlings by the purifier, " is the dangerous sub
stance which most likely produced the fright
full accident.
IT Is BROWN, FLUFFY DUST,
harmless in appearance, but as explosive, al
most, as gunpowder. As the middlings are
sifted through the purifier gentle blast of
air carries away the dust-''red dog some mill
men call it-through pipe into room for
safe keeping. This room is cleaned sometimes
by machinery. series of hoppers being used,
and sometimes by manual labor. When it is
cleaned by the latter process, the work liz done
during the daytime. No light is ever allowed
in the room, for the instant light touches the
dust, the latter explodes. Neither ia any one
allowed to enter the room except at cleaning
times. The utmost care is required and used
to prevent explosions from taking place.
With the above facts in mind Times re-
porter called, on yesterday afternoon, on sew
cIa1 Oh Lue IuOSI experienced m1ll men In the
city to get their views of the probable cause
of the explosion. With one exception, they
thought it to be the red dog" But they were
very unwilling to talk much.
The Times then gives interviews similar to
those quoted from the Tribune and the fol-
lowing additional.-ED. GLOBE.
Mr.. c. 8. MARBLE,
miller of thirty years experience, and super
intendent of the Oriental mills, at the west
end of the Madison street bridge, could not be-
lieve the terrible explosion was the result of
''red. dog becoming ignited. First, the
Washburn mill exploded" said he, then an
other, and then third. Three mills in sue
cession. It looks more like gunpowder blow
ing up affair r He knew that ''red-dog'' was
explosive, but he did not believe it has suf6-
cient power to blow down strong walls and de-
molish poperty as it was charged with having
done in Minneapolis. According to his theory
''red-dog" would explode only when in motion,
when flying rapidly through the air. He did
not believe it explosive when lying in pile.
of the explosion. It was the most mys,erious
thing he had ever heard of in his life.
A. FISHER,
proprietor of the Fisher mills, on Desplaines
street, believed that the explosion was the re-
suit of the drown DUST He had not been
able to form much of theory, the disaster was
SO mysterious. But he believed fully that if a
light had como in contact with sufficient
quantity of the dust the explosion would be
terrific enough to do all the damage that had
been done. He related an instance that had
come within his own experience. Several yaRrs
ago before he knew the dangerous property of
the dust, he was walking in his mill one night,
when the lamp chimney broke, and the fame
acted SO badly that he was afraid the lamp