The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-07
kxPLosIyE phNskR OF DUST.
Instances OF Disastrous Results from Dust
Explosions Precautions Taken.


EHplosions-Precnutio Taken.
An explosion Of flour dust IN the New Eng
land Mills In Chicago on Wednesday. which
killed several men and destroyed the mills. ia
but another instance OF the power for harm
which resides in an atmosphere heavily
charged with fine particles OF starchy or other
com bustible matter. Such accidents are not
uncommon. and the necessity for guarding
against them as one would guard against the
projection OF spark into an atmosphere
charged with gas or the fumos OF gasoline or
alcohol has been demonstrated often.
Such explosions used to be common in the
malt grinding mills Of breweries where sparks
generated by nails or other bits Of iron getting
into the mills would set hre to tho malt dust.
and " was the custom to build the mill rooms
OF light material which could be destroyed with
out very costly damage. Magnets are now sus-
pended in the malt chutes to pick out the dan
Rsrous bits OF metal and explosions In tho
mills are uncommon. It was only a few
weeks ago that an explosion took place In the
malt room OF stevcnson's brewery In this city
from which came fire that did much damage.
The dust-laden air was exploded by spark
from an exposed machinery belt. About year
ago there was an accident some what similar to
that In Chicago in q mill in Long Island City
which was accom- panied by loss OF life. Grain
was being dumped into the bin by a conveyor
and II was supposed that the dust was fred by
the opening OF a furnace door In the nearby
boiler room. The fro travelled With explosive
force along the eonveyor for several hundred
feet and injured some men who were working
at the end OF IL.
Finely commnutsd com bustibles OF any
kind. when mixed with q proper portion OF air.
form explosives akin to gunpowdsr. A spark
NJ tab he. fn- 49, -
the dust TO high temperature. causes these
to combine with the oxygen OF the air In which
they are suspended. and the flame shoots
through tho whole mass with explosive
rapidity. Flame has been known to travel
for twenty feet or more along draft OF
air laden with nasolene fumes. and II will do
the same with n dust-laden draft.
With dust mixtures. az with those OF volatile
hydrocarbons or illuminating gas. the sx-
plosions are most violent when the amount OF
air in the mixture b Just sufficient to supply
tho oxygen necessary for the Perfect COM
buston 81 this suspended matter. When these
conditions exlst these mixtures have the abi.
ity to do more damage to buildings than would
be done by the disinteRrntion OF IN equivalent
amount ofdynamite or illuminate. In the case OF
the moro powerful explosives their particles are
simply shaken apart and resolved into gases
with an action so sudden that tho air itself
offers a. much resistance as moro solid sub
stances The manifest effect 10 to shatter the
harder substances. but only within small!
area. Tho slower explosions produced by tho
rsease OF gases by INFUSION and their eI-
pansion by the resultant heat get time TO
spread their effects over a wide area and hence
their wrecking effect upon building when the
EXPLOSION takes place within.
Only few weeks ago house In East Fifty
sixth street was wrecked by an explosion Of
gas that had leaked into II over night from
broken street main. It's walls. front and rear,
were blown completely out at the lower story
and stripped above. and the workman who I'M
Willingly started the explosion was found
dead within the basement door whore he had
evidently stood while he liz a match. That
accidents OF this kind are not preventabls so
long as men will light matches or take q
lamp to look for a gas leak. Is evident.
but those In flour mills and other
manufactures whore the danger is known
ought to bs made impossible through the pro-
vision OF annie ventilation and tho exclusion
OF oil Ire or spark- producing devices, is olsar
suitable precautions have made the m anufac-
ture OF gunpowdcr almost as safe as stone
crushing. and tho like would be true OF the
manufacture OF smokeless powder and nitro
Riycerine II II were not for the unatabls ch-mi-
cal character OF tho materials during parts Of
the process.