Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-08-01
Transportation Of High Explosives.

AS result of the wreck near Har.
risburg, Pa, on the Pennsylvania rail-
road, May IL, by which 20 passengers
lost their lives and more than so 9TH
ers We're more or less seriously in
jured, the question of the transporta-
ton of dynamite and other high ex-
plosives has been forced to the atten-
ton of railway officials. The train
wrecked was the Cleveland and Gin
cinnati express leaving Philadelphia
each night at :O5, and the wreck oc.
Cured at south Harrisburg about 1870
on Thursday morning. The immedi-
ate cause was the "buckling" of a
freight train by the sudden application
Of the air brakes. Two cars were
thrown across the passenger track
just as the express came opposite.
AS far as can be learned there was
not more than one life lost by this
accident, but soon thereafter some
dynamite, which was being transport
ed in one of the freight cars, began
exploding, wrecking and setting fire
to the Pullman sleepers of the express.
1t was to these explosions and the
fire that nearly all the 20 lives lost
are to be traced.
In consequence of this most unfor.
tunate accident, which human fore
sight could hardly have guarded
against, the public press has taken
up discussion as to the safeguards
which should govern the transporta-
ton of high explosives. 1t is needless
to say that the subject is also being
given attention by railway officials,
and additional precautions and regula-
lions are likely to be thrown around
the transportation of this commodity.
AT present the railroads. as COM
mon carriers, are compelled to accept
high explosives for transportation, and
in order to protect their property and
the public the railway companies usu-
ally classify the various kinds of eX-
plosives under five or six different
heads, according to their character
and specific instructions are issued to
all employees interested in regard to
how each kind of explosive must be
packed, labeled and handled, and for
bidding the loading in the same car
of certain explosives which it is dan.
serous to load together. While the
rules permit shipments of high en-
plosives in car load lots to be received
on any day except Saturday at points
where there are. factories for this
kind Of material, less than car load
lots are received only on Mondays
and Thursdays, the idea being to avoid
cars Of explosives standing around in
the yards over Sundays and to avoid
large accumulations of less than car
load shipments at any time. All pack
ages of explosives shipped in less than
car loads are required to bear large
red labels on which the word Danger"
is conspicuously printed, and warning
given as to care in keeping it away
from sources of heat or approaching
it with lighted lanterns, etc. The in
structiOns also include very complete
rules covering the handling of explo-
sives in case of wreck, explaining for
the information of the employees the
special DANCES of each kind of explo-
sivev and the particular precautions
to be observed under all conditions.
1t is recalled not so long ago as
February of last year United States
Senator Elkins. of West Virginia. in
troduced into that body bill prescrib.
ing conditions under which high ex.
plosives should be carried. but oppo-
sition to its passage developed because
of the effect of the measure upon cart.
ridges and ammunition. This bill pro-
vided regulations preventing cars con-
tanning explosives from stopping in
large towns.-Railway World.