The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-07-22
Railroads Are Taking Greatest
Pains to Prevent Any
Accidents.
REGULATIONS ARE STRICT
LEGISLATION REGARDING TRANS.
poRTATioN OF EXPLOSIVES IN.
EFFEcTUAL 60 ROADS MADE
OWN RULES.
palladium SpeciaD

palladium Specially
New York, July 22.-Fiye thousand
cars containing explosives are contin-
ually In transit on the railroads Of the
United States-an average OF one car
OF explosives to ever fifty miles OF
line.
} The strict regulations enforced by
the railroad companies have made the
movement OF this class OF traffic re-
markably free from accident This is
due to the action OF the American
Railway association. which includes
In its membership all the important
roads In the country. In organizing the
Bureau OF Explosives. The bureau,
before prescribing rules. made a thor.
0ngh study OF conditions surrounding
the shipment OF explosives.
J. As five hundred million pounds of
explosives are manufactured In the
United States every year. and most OF
this quantity Is transported on the
railroads. the work OF regulating its
transportation Is vastly important to
both the travelling public and the ship.
pers.
! Legislation designed to govern the
transportation Of explosives proved to
BE- impractical. and II the railroads
had confined themselves to obeying
tho statute the list Of accidents could
hot have been kept down. Congress
passed law requiring that the dang
erous materials should be packed in
metal boxes covered with plaster Of
Paris or "some other substance which
will not explode when saturated with
!aitro-glycerinc."
j Not Vet Discovered.
No other such substance has yet
been discovered. Incidentally. plaster
Of Paris itself makes an excellent ex-
plosive when saturated with nitro-gly-
eerine. Moreover. metal boxes. II
carelessly loaded 80 that they might
knock against each other. invite fatal
explosions.
When tho American Railway asso-
Citations got It's investigations under
way. It was found that the chief
source Of danger was the careless
packing by manufacturers. Cans OF
black powder often burst open and
left powder scattered on the car floor.
Sparks flying In through crack
would make wreck Of the entire
car. and probably OF many more cars.
Dynamite was loaded by manufac-
turers into cars containing heavy iron
castings. The castings and the dyna-
mite, coming into violent contact,
would cause a disastrous explosion.
A corps Of inspectors was sent out
by the Bureau Of Explosives to edu.
cote manufacturers and railway EN-
ployes. Practical lessons were given.
The inspectors would come upon some
railroad yard where there was car
Of explosives and examine II. II there
was anything wrong the railroad men
ct the yard were told about II and In.
structed how to correct the condition.
The various railroads spread print
Cd directions among their employees.
Here are some OF the rules-which
are typical--put into effect by One
large company:
Only cars of $4,000 pounds capacity
IN good order. may be used for carry
,Sng explosives. The cars must be
equipped with air brakes and hand
brakes in good condition. They must
be labelled. on both sides and at both
ends: xplosives-Handle Carefully
keep Fire Away"
There must be no loose boards. and
no cracks In the roof and the doors
must be kept shut SO tightly that no
sparks can enter.
Before n car may be loaded with
explosives. an inspector must exam
inc II and sigh certificate to the eff.
feet that II Is IN good order. The man.
ufacturer also has to furnish certifi.
cate defining the method OF packing
and marking explosives.
Cars containing explosives must not
Be hauled In any train carrying pas
eengcrs. They must not be placed
near to each other than s car
lengths. nor within Is car lengths OF
the engine, nor within 10 car lengths
Of the caboose.
Whenever train stops the train
men must examine all cars containing
explosives.
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