Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-05-21
NUMBER l27..
SCIENCE AT WORK.

eoAone1s jury assembled at Agricultural
hall last evening for the purpose of hearing
the testimony of the scientific experts and
witness the results of the experiments made
by Professors Peck and Peckham. At tn.
hour for the meeting to come to order eyerv
CHAIR In the hall was filed, and quite a number
Oh people were compelled to stand up. The
testimony and experiments were quite inter
estlng and instructive, and held the attention
OF the audience to the close
PROF. L. s. PECK
stated that he would make exprimeuts with
the following substances:
Flour, coarse BRAN some material fror,
stones, purified middings, dust from the
wheat dust house-the first cleaning. flour dpst
room material, the general dust of the mill
such as comes from beams ETC., dust from
middlings machines. He then read his expert
ments with the above named substances.
With the first experiment he placed small
quantity of dust board, gas let
CURED, the surface simply charred. All in bulk
form such compact mass that if thrown on the
flames, will put it out. Then if thrown on
the blaze all burn with different degrees of
rapldlty. The general dust of the mill was
blown into flame, and produced an explosion
chimes produced similar result; the
purlhed middlings produced more
of blaze, but not SO rapid. The coarse bran
would not burn more than few sparks. The
dust from the mill stones, regular graham
produced slow fire, with fair explosion.
making high blaze. Dust from the wheat dust
house e1plodes quite readily, producing large
blaze. Material from the -four dust house pro
duces an explosion much like the rest.
Wood dust from furniture produced quite an
explosion. Anything that is fine enough to eli
VT hVIrv1 vnof fhA
When these substances join with ali, it will
when burning produce q gas that explodes.
These materials must be famed into a blaze to
produce an explosion. Dust surrounding a.
Lighted lanternwill not explode until blown
into the lantern.
The next experiment was in placing in a
strong box handful of material and an open
light. Placing the cover down and allowing
two men to stand thereon, then blowing the
dust into the air by means of small bellows
the effect was in raising the cover sufficient 10
allow the fire to out of the top In the
various experiments tried it was only necessary
to place very small quantity of the various
the result. The finer the ma
terial the more effective the result.
A handful of .'Pillsbury's best was placed in
the box and produced the loudest report, and
raised the cover higher than any other sub
stance. The various substances have about the
same result with exception of dust from dust
house, and the fire wood dust from the furni-
ture factory. The latter, the professor ex-
planned, has as usual more force.
large box, with safety valve, was then
produced. An ounce of dust produced a pres
sure of 80 pounds to the foot. A piece Of
paper was fastened over the vent hole, and
upon the explosion of q small amount of dust,
the explosion produced loud report. The ex-
ploslon, from one ounce of dust. confined in
the box produced such an explosion that the
the professor concluded not to continue
With that arrangement, portion
of the apparatus was broken. BY placing some
of the dust from the -four dust house. and Gov
ering the vent hole with box, the box was
blown into the air striking the ceiling with
great force, and rebounding, struck the table,
smashing some of the apparatus. The box
would have been blown twenty feet into the
air had it been out doors. The result was
so much more terrific than expected,
that it created most decided SEN
sation among the spectators. Wheat dust
was tried in the same manner, but with Less
power. The fine wood dust from the furniture
factory produced an explosion about the equal
of the dust room material. An explosion of
the general dust of the mill without the vent
hole being covered, was next tried, producing
flash that rose to the ceiling. Where vent
holes are left in the box so that air can rush in
more of the dust burns.
1t is draft of air carrying dust that ex-
plodes. The explosive power is increased
where there is draft of air, and when the dust
is dry and warm the power is still greater.
Here followed some suggestions in relation to
the construction of the -four mills. Dust
houses should be 80 constructed that three
sides OF them are made of sheet iron and the
| other side OF thin material, and on the out
side. His theory of explosion next given ::
he reviewed the testimony and or DO
| opinion that fire must have existed in the mill
| before the explosion. That is, flaming fire
must touch particles of the dust in the air that
are sufficiently near each other to ignite, land at
| the same time far enough apart to be sure und-
ed by oxygen. The fire in the mill. he thought
| must have been from the stones. The draft of
air he thought as essential the dust itself.
| Proc. PECKHAM
| was called and testified as to the causes of
various explosions. and the results thereof
explained the conditions necessary to produce
the results such as that of the I'd, but his tes-
timony was too voluminous for reproduction
| here.
The meeting was then adjourned till 7:31
this evening, at the council chamber.
Supreme Court Observation-Disclosures
Convention.
Especial Telegram to the Globe.
MADISON, Wis, May 2O.-Bids for. printin,
the supreme court reports were opened at TIL
secretary of states office to-day. Callahan !
Co.. Of Chicago, were the successful bidders
The bids follows: Banks Bros, of Ney
York, $1.35 per volume: Callahan & Co., o
Chicago, first bid, S1.24 per volume, secon
bid. $500 per volume for future publications
and lawyers to be supplied with the volume
heretofore printed at $3.50 each. The CON
missioners have not yet decided as betwee
Callahan Il Co.. two bids.
A call is issued tonight for greenback mas
convention in this (second) district of Wiscor
sin, June 9th, for the purpose of nominating
candidate for Congress and the organizing of
greenback party.
San Francisco Endorses Commerce.
Treaty with France.
San FRANCISCO, May 2O.-A special meetin
of the chamber of commerce was held to-da
to hear the argument of Leon Chotteau, of IL
!: cham Der of commerce of Paris, on the subjet
of a commercial treaty between France and tt
United States. President Patrick read Il
| appeal of the French commissioner to the pe
= pie of the United States in favor of such a tire
tv, after which NJ. Chotteau read a speech to ii
same purport. Resolutions were passed e
pressing adhesion of the chamber to the probe
). of forming a treaty of commerce betwe,
France and the United States. and the desi
to join other cities in seconding the movemer
,, A committee was also appointed to represe
l. San Francisco in meeting of delegates
Washington.
Succ0mbs to Pirate Sherman.
t. New YORK, May 20.-Emil schalk, of the fir
It of Emil Schalk l. Co., petroleum brokers, til
city, has been adjudicated voluntary bankrul
il Schalk was one Of the owners of the Pittsburl
IN tar and charcoal works. IF Allegheny Git