Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1908-05-14
EXPERT TALKS ON
SHIPPING EXPLOSIVES
lost, but by the effect caused on the
railroad company.
PENNSY WAS FIRST

railroad company.
PENNsY WAS FIRST.
The regulations adopted by the Penn
sylvania Railroad company two years
ago was almost the first list of regula-
tions regarding the shipping of high
explosives adopted by any railroad in
the United States. The two years of
use has shown slight defects which
have been remedied by the railway
bureau as well as possible and serving
as model, the old regulations are
really the base of the new ones that
will shortly go into effect. The re-
sponsibility of the station agent and
the manufacturer were contrasted and
the suggestion was made that all agents
become versed in the chemistry Of ex-
plosives in order to inteliigently under
stand their handling. The manufac-
turers came in for q scoring for the
loose way some shipments arc made.
This evil is remedied as far as possible
by inspectors, but cannot always be
detected
CARS MUST BE IN GOOD ORDER.
The second principle step in the sta
ton agents. duties lies in the choice Of
car in which to ship explosives. 1t
was especially recommended that the
agent should see that all cars were in
good order with tight roofs and sides
in order to insure the contents from
fire caused by sparks from the engine.
The staying of the product in the car
Is also important. In one instance cit
ed, an inspector found car in which
an immense roll of cable was loaded in
box car and not stayed in any man
ner. When the train started the cable
began to roll and all that stopped it
was box of dynamite with which the
rest of the car was loaded 1t happen
ed, however, that the inspector learn
ed Of the condition of the car before it
went very far and stopped it until the
cable was properly placed. A series of
experiments will be conducted in AL
toona in a short time in which the best
way to stay packages of explosives
with the least amount of lumber will be
tried out
MUST BE IN MIDDLE OF TRAIN.
Under the new regulations a list of
all high explosives will be published
and the shipper be compelled to state
what kind of explosive the shipment
shall be classed as. There has been a
great deal of trouble in the past be.
cause the way bills did not state clearly
what the shipment was. One of the
old regulations that has been discarded
by the new rule is in the placing of
cars of explosives in trains. Hereto
fore not more three cars of high ex-
plosives were supposed to be carried
in one train and these cars had to be
five cars apart. The new rules change
this in that the cars containing the ex.
plosive shall all be placed in the middle
of the train thus reducing the points of
danger to central point. In the old
way there were separate points of
danger and if a carload of explosives
should explode its force would explode
the other cars. AS his conclusion,
Colonel Dunn stated that in the future
the manufacturers would be held more
responsible for accidents as under the
new regulations the company would
not be likely to be responsible for or.
dinary trouble.
A general discussion of questions of
Importance was taken part in by a
number of the men present after the
morning address was concluded.