, 1882-05-27
l. Flour Explosive :

The terrible mill explosions in different
parts of the world, particularly in Mime
apohs, have appeared mysterious In their
origin. Perhaps the theory of Prof T.
W. Tobin, advanced at the reception of
the Millers' Association by the Polytech-
mic Society Of Louisville, may be sufficient
to explain the cause Of some Of these ex-
plosions Certainly nothn g SO plausible
has been advanced to account for the sud
den destruction TO the mills in Glasgow,
Scotland, and in Minneapolis. and millsrs
may we'll heed the warning that there is
gisnt force locked up in the familiar
wheat berry, which, when the right time
arrives, can, without moments warning,
convert scene vf thrift and industry into
one Of desolation.
There are certain conditions in which
the simplest substances become the most
dangerous Hydrogen heated with air
evolves a violent explosive force. Chlor-
ate Of potash will not ignite, and starch
e1tinguishes taper that is plunged into
it but mixture of the two substances is
nu.,Only highly combustible, but explo-
sive. The fine dust from the wood OF
furniture factory in mass will not take
fire readily. but if a heap Of it is charged
with air from a bellows a flame will leap
out of it when a lighted taper is applied
and The same is true OF fine patent flour.
The minute spores of the club moss
form an almost impalpable powder, yet it
is highly inasmmable, and is often used
in the manufacture Of fireworks and the
artificial representation of lightning. 1t
is maintained by Prof Tobin that the
dust on the outside of the wheat grain
contains similar organic spores, which
render the dust shaft and dust rooms the
most dangerous places i'll mills To Illus
trate the explosveness Of -four, the Pro
fessor has devised hour gun, composed
of pyrsmidal shaft and barrel, with
gas burner at its base, air holes in its
sides, and hopper at the top At the
bottom Of the hopper Is movable shooft
operated by an outside trigger. The hop
per is loaded with flour or mill dust, and
the mouth of the gun is covered with
stout newspaper. The lighted gas creates
an upward draught and heats the air.
When the trigger is pulled and the dust
or flour Is charged with the heated air,
tremendous explosion follows, the build
ing trembles with the shock, the paper Is
blown to shreds. and takes fire by the
great heat generated in this way.
Upon the day of the destruction of the
three Minneapolis mills, they had been
running all day to the fullest capacity
the machinery was heated and the air
was charged with dust, for the wheat OF
that year was exceptionally hard and
dense. A workman carried an open Ian
tern 20 the dust shoot to examine some
machinery that had become detective. A
drsnght of air rushing in carried before 1t
the fame and the dust, and in few Sec
onds, after three tremendous detona.ions,
flames leapsd up from the mass Of ruins
of three great structures
1t is well known that the air of -four
mill is very dry, as is demonstrated by
the electricity generated by the belts, and
that fine -four will rapidly deprive the at
mosphere Of It's natural humidity. This
fact, taken with the others adduced,
renders valuable the advice that the shafts
of mills should be provided with vet
bulb thermometers, and that when the
air becomes abnormaIly dry, hive steam
should be injected from the boilers into
the mill and, as moist atmosphere is
held by competent millers to be conduc-
i've to making a whittier and better kind of
-four, there seems to be no objection 10
this remedy.