New-York tribune., 1909-02-07

agent scraped mp most OF the loose powder ano
put it back the defective keg from which u neo
been spilled the rest swept from the car O1s'
the ground Some one. said to have been tho con
ductor OF the train, threw lighted matcn on tn7
| ground. Fire flashed back from the loose grams
Of powder the ground to the sourcs OF suppy
and there was a terrific explosion which kiIIeo
fourteen persons and injured eight others Ias
property loss was comparatively small
A peculiar accident happened at Sykesvflle- MO-
last spring when an Italian boarded trolley car
carrying hve-pound keg Of powder and nonona'-
Rnty placed the keg on the electric controiIer a
the nail in the keg doubtless estaoiisned
electrical connection. the powder exploded ana
three persons were Injured At Hooking. iowa
ton OF dynamite loaded in car with groceries
switched to grocery store track DURING
the night the store buiI4Ing caught fire. which was
communicated to the car. and the dynamite *
pIoded. No lives lost. but the damage y
property amounted 20 s75.000
Last summer. after six persons had been EiileH
and seventeen injured at Philadelphia ana
Charlestown Mass while handling shipments or
imported German fireworks called knaH korSe' Or
| detonating corks. the bureau Of explosives oo-
| tained the assurance Of the German government
! that more OF these extremely dangerous goods
would be sent into this country.
The need Of the bureaus supervision was shows
in its report for stated that at more than
half LIS railroad stations inspected there were
violations OF the prescribed handling OF "Npl 'Sivs
thirty leaking explosives had been ac-
discovered in TIE factories where the explosives
were made. Out OF Ir factories inspected. a ma
tcrity not complying with the regulations and
forty-seven at fault in serious details such as
weak and unned boxes and too much nitro
glycerine in proportion to the absorbent Among
$50 magazines for the storage Of explosives shipped
b. rail- 119 showed dirty floors stained with nitro
giycerine and ffty-nine contained explosives in n
leaking aud dangerous condition. Inspections cE
cars in transit showed ninety-nine out Of 17s with
, shifting Of contents conditions suOh as would
permit accident. One containing two tons
Of dynamite had cracks in roof and sides througH
which locomotive spark might easily enter-this
was the cause Of big explosion at Becks Hoe
Springs. Utah. less than two years ago-while ths
packages insecureIy braced that they could
shift and slide about also prohibited articles suc1
as loose iron pipe and roll Of wire cable in an
upright position. loaded In the car Boxes OF
dynamite amounting to three tons had been knock
ing about in another car absolutely without pro-
lection and In contact with projecting nails ana
belts: the lid of, exposing the cart
ridges. Blasting caps and fuse. articles forbidden
transit IN the same car. were loaded with th5
dynamite. A car loaded with five tons OF black
powder had large holes in the roof and sides. and
some OF the kegs had broken open spilling tbs
powder on the floor A rare combination Of black
powder matches and OIL together with general
merchandise. found shipped in another car noS
impervious sparks
To pack detonators in the car with dyna-
mite IS TO construct ideal travelling bomb which
Jolt Of the switching engine ordinary bump
y
practice until the bureau began TO enforce its
regulations II Is now required that high explos-
ives detonators and certain infamHable liquids
and acids shall not be placed in the same car or
st, red in the same ma gaZne- steel undertran1s
car is required for high explosives so that Tiers
will be less danger of destruction by fire or con-
cUssion in a wreck, and the adjacent cars musG
rot be loaded with such heavy material as might
crash into the car Of explosives in collision or
otherwise Explosives IN transit in summer weather
are not only subject the danger OF leaking nitro
glycerine OF getting Overheated oy the rays or
the sun. AMI railroad employees are therefore, en-
ioined To turn the hose on the roofs OF Dynamite
cars when It Is possible during hot spell Boxes
or kegs for containing explosives must De strong
enough so that they will not rupture when loaded
th sand dropped concrete PLATFORM rom
! a height of four feet A that looks mouldy
o. shows an oily stain which might be caused BY
leaking nitrogycerine, will not be accepted Tor
shipment. There are detailed directions for re-
| lacking a broken box OF dynamite discovered en-
route The weight Of all packages and sultaoLS
/ p1acarding prescribed
Regulations Of the American Railway Association
provide for the safe handling OF certain infamua-
BILE liquids and acids which are almost as danger
Gus as explosives. A red diamond label must o7
put packages OF the most perilous liquids WIS
there are yellow and white labels for less injurious
stuff An indignant dealer in paints thought sons
of the Ia bells little severe. He wrote: What do
you think my material is? Dynamite? The label
on nv package tells my customer to keep the pan<
away from stoves. radiators and direct sunlight
7 recommend him 10 OF these paints on
stoves and radiators and others on houses exposed
n sunlight You trying TO ruin my business
What legal right have sou to do so?' The deaIer
,rae Informed that like other paint men, he could
,rovtda his own label describing his product N a
/ Uav that would scare on customers The gen
araI label was perhaps little too inclusive 70 NJ
his goods However. many fatalities and great
,,r,a-t,- Ioesos have occurred from the handling
~ frIabeIIed or misIabened packages Six barrels
marked Cement" which happened TO BE- rubber
cement containing so per cent gasolene eXpIooed az
! kingston y Y through the lighted lanterns OF
! rai1Toad eu7DIcves and caused fire that did
s129 81 of damage.
Numerous lectures and much distribution OF NJ
.r,.ture among railroad men are part OF the euU-
ca+fonaf vorg. Of the bureau OF explosives
THE FORCE OF HABIT