The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1905-12-07
A TEST BY FIREMEN.
EXPLOSIVES BURNED TO AS
CERTAIN THE DANGER.
Cartridges Explode with insufficient
Force to Do Much Damage
Interesting Expert
ment

An interesting experiment was made
few days since at the convention OF
frcmen at Duluth. says the Boston
Herald, for the purpose of having dc
termined the extent Of danger there
was TO firemen in entering a burning
building known W contain ammuni-
ton. In great many hardware stores
II Ii known that ammunition is carried
In stock, and In gun stores aminuni-
ton, OF course, Is regular part Of the
stock In trade. II has been thought
that this class of material was of a
character that would prove seriously
dangerous In case of fire., because lire
men would naturally be afraid to en-
ter buildings where, In consequences of
explosions, their lives would be endan-
gered. II has been customary In most
cities to have ordinances passed reg
ulating the amount OF gunpowder that
can be carried in a mercantile stock,
and also designating the manner In
which the powder shall be kept and
the place In the store in which the re.
ceptable shall be placed. Thus. In
Boston. the ordinance provides that
gunpowder shall be kept in a metal
receptacle that the amount carried
AT any one time shall be strictly linn.
tied, and that the metal box in which
1t is kept shall be placed near the
door of the store at a place known To
the fremen, so that in the event OF
fire IL can be easily removed But
with fixed ammunition regulations of
this kind are not In force, and a great
deal has been left to the discretion of
the dealers In these supplies.
current belief has existed that II
a gun store were to take fire Il would
be dangerous to enter IT, and. indeed,
II might be dangerous for anyone TO
pass In the near vicinity at the time
of the fire. The experiments made at
Duluth were for the purpose OF deter
mining the conditions under which
explosions OF ammunition took place.
and how these compared with condi-
tions that determined the explosion Of
glnpowder Gunpowder In bulk will
explode with great force, and the ex.
ploding Of one keg may tear open ad-
jacent kegs, and the flash of fire from
the first may be communicated to the
second with such rapidity that the OK
plosion Is practically simultaneous
The experiment made at Duluth was
In a building put up for the purpose,
In which we're placed thousands OF
rounds Of ammunition OF all kiuds.
both in paper shells and also metallic
rifle and pistol cartridges. Altogeth.
er, In the two tests, In one OF which
the cartridges we're left free, and the
other In which they were put In con-
fined space. az In boxes, $4,000 or more
cartridges must have been made the
subject OF the experiment.
II was found, as the result OF put.
ting these In buildings specially built
to be burned down. that an exploding
cartridge has not sufficient force to
tear open the adjacent cartridge, and.
therefore. cannot communicate frs to
the powder charge OF its neighbor In
q fire each cartridge explodes individ-
ually, and explodes when its partic-
ular primer is heated to the flashing
point. but the fash from one cartridge
cannot set off the adjacent cartridge.
consequently. instead of having stimuli
taneous explosions, there Is series
OF explosions. though when there are
large quantities OF ammunition burn
Ing these follow in quick succession,
like musketry fire.
The danger from flying fragments OF
exploding cartridges is found not to
be serious matter, as the cartridge
shell. when unsupported by the gun
chamber, bursts at the first indication
OF pressure and thus allows the gases
10 escape at a relatively low pressure.
The escaping gas expends It's energy
In tearing open the shell rather than
In throwing the bullet forward. and
as there Is nothing to confne the es-
Gaping gas II has little propulslve
force. Often the heads OF the cart
ridges are torn off and thrown some
little distance. but the bullets hardly
ever fly; that is. the heavier parts of
the cartridge remain behind and only
the lighter parts are thrown off and
this with no great force OF velocity.
In fire firemen can keep well beyond
the range Of the thrown fragments and
still be within easy working distance
and as close to the fire as the heat will
permit.
In the Duluth tests 1t was found that
fragments OF cartridges were thrown
from 20 to so feet, but with so low a
velocity that those who were hit suf-
fered no discontinue The cartridges
burned contained more than 400
pounds OF black and smokeless pow
der, a sufficient quantity, II kept in
bulk, 10 have made very serious ex-
plosion; but when thus divided Il was
found that little II any. damage would
be caused by IT,