The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-05-29

tee on mill ma chinery and methods. read
lengthy and interesting report upon that
subject. which was attentively listened to
by the members
This report was followed by some inter-
esung remarks on roller mills Some sam
pies or Hour made by the roller mills were
displayed.
Called Tor. No particular report on this sub
ject was submitted, the chairman of the
committee not being present
Mr.. RTston desired that this subject be
discussed.
Mr. Ruston's suggestion LED To an animated
talk, which brought out the merits and de-
merits OF the cereal known as fulse wheat
the cultivation of which was considered
detrimental TO the milling interest The
farmers maintain that they cultivate fulse
wheat because il enriches the soil and Yields
large crops The miliers say that loaf OF
bread made from the -four Of this wheat
would make a respec table sledge hammer TO
demollsh stone walls. Mr.. Ellis ssys that
the mlllers must, in order 10 stop the cult
walton OF fnlse wheat, refuse to pay market
prices Mr.. ellison thought that the rnillers
could not afford to fight the farmers. but
must educate them up to the necessity of
raising only the best varieties of wheat. The
meeting then adjourned until $50 p. m.
EVENING SESSION.
The meeting being called to order. res
olutlon was introduced allowing millers of
other states the privilege of ioinino ne
association. This resolution was Carried and
several millers from Kentucky were admit.
ted as members. The association then
elected the following officers for the ensuing
year:
observation-disclosures Ellis, of Evansville.
Vice Pres1dent-JoSephF Il. Gent
SecretarIes-H. II. Emery. of INDIANAPOLIS.
u. A. Richardson, of indianapolis.
The association appointed the following
delegates to attend the national convention.
which meets at the board of trade rooms
this morning at II O'clock
c,' Wm Trow, sr:, y. Ellis, L. G. Smith. D.
kins, VIM. Iglehart, j. Crawford, c. r. Cooley
ID. A. Richardson, Geo. Hawks, ID. H. Dunn, ].
PolIoe k. j; Crawford, ]. Goblin, L. A. Niblack
Committee on Grain for MiIling-Mr.
Do9meyer, J, w: Hull, HI. Nohlberg, ]. Craw-
Committee on Patents-Mr Smith J. ZONES
Il. Iglehart, Mr.. Dunn and A. s. Browning.
The president appointed the following
standing committees:
Executive Committee-David Gibson. VIM.
Iglehart, VIM. Trow, ST., r. l.. Thompson,
Vim. Paddock.
Committee on Insurance-Geo. Brose. John
Milton, - Wilson, John Corbin, c. F. Pfeif-
fer.
1IdUSIOTldllOn-b.
c. NJ. Harris r. s. Ruston.
Committee on Inspection and Grading-L. G.
Smith, 1. II. Calender. John ORR
Committee on Mill Hachinery-J. D. Thayer.
After the appointment of the standing
committees, the following report was read
by President Gibson
FLOUR MILL EXPLOSIONS
The cause generally assigned for the explo-
sion of the Minneapolis mills seems to me
unsatisfactory and unreasonable, viz: The
fine middlings or fine dust, and that there il a
mysterious something in the so called new
process OF milling that produces an explosive
matter; that flour, fine middlings and fine
offal will burn rapidly any one prove by
slflng them over or blowing them through
lighted lamp or blazing fire, but am e0sally
confident that under no conditions can they
be made to explode with any considerable
force. know there is talk of cases of this
kino, but think close examination will
show them to be about as well authenticated a.
the one under consideration and no better
That is some one starts marvellous theory
and everybody assents and invents facts and
eyries to prove its ruth. If IL was middlings
or other product OF wheat, how could all the
necessary conditions exist in three mills at
the same time, as the evidence shows there
Were three distinct explosions quickly follow
ing each other; that three mills should get
such cause seems to be impossible. / wish
to suggest that it may have been caused by
lnilammable gas, produced constantly by the
water used as a motive power in
operating the mills. IL is well known
10 everyone that Illuminating gas is pro-
duced by the decomposition of water by pas
sing ii over heated iron plates In this manner
II is readily produced in large quantities. Now
there are no heated plates TO receive the water
at the Minneapolis mills, but the fall of the
water Is about % feet to point directly under
the mills through Turbine wheels, thence II
flows through tannels into the river. There is
enormous friction in large body of water
falling 80 feet. Friction produces heat. which
may constantly produce a small quantity of
cOmbuStible gas which would rise into the
mills, and when everything was favorable,
produce sucn an explosion as destroyed the
mills. IL this was the cause in one mill II
would likely be in all three. I offer this
suggestion as worthy of attention. III IL is true
the air under the mills will at all times con-
tain n portion of this graS, which can be de-
termined by any analytical chemist. III there
is none of this gras in the air of the tunnels
or mills, then there is nothing in this theory.
The idea that there is something in new pro-
cess milling that turns any part of the product
into explosive matter similar to gunpowder
dynamite can not be true, because the fOunda-
ton principal of new process is to reduce the
wheat with as little friction as possible, there
fore generating less heat than in the usual
way. AS to middlings purifyers, there
mysterious things in them that can produce ex-
Dlosive matter. They are simply selves and air
currents com blned in such way as 10 separ-
ate the offal from the middlings. This matter
is of great importance to miIIers and insur-
ance companies, and ought 10 be thoroughly
Investigated, but taking up with an unreason-
able theory and trying TO prove IL true Is not
investigation. The real cause of the explosion
has, think not yet, been found or proven.
Yours respectfully,
DAVID GIBSON.
After this report of the president, some
further talk on the subject of the best wheat
for milling purposes was INDUCED in. The
convention then adjourned. to meet the
second Thursday in December next.