Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-01-23
BATTLEsHIps, o 4

washington, Jan. 23:-Investiga-
ton OF the manner of storing coal on
United States battleships Is expected
IN the near future by officers OF the
Navy.
The immediate cause for such an
inquiry Is found in the fact that
within two weeks explosions recently
occurred In the coal bunkers OF two
battleships, causing the death OF a
mar In each instance. They were on
the North Dakota and on the Mich
lgan. Goa Passer Evans, OF the
North Dakota died after lingering
nearly two weeks from the time Of
his being burned. Benjamin Nc
Cleary, coal passer on the Michigan,
WED within two days after the ac-
'cfdent. Both men were injured
while the fleet was in the English
Channel. Though such explosions
are not unknown in the Navy. ocers
are freshly alarmed at what seems to
De an increase In their frequency.
According to the report of the
Board OF Inquiry, on the North Da-
kota, coal dust vas responsible for
the explosion on that battleship.
Evans declared that he had crawled
into the bunker to take a nap. Need
ing a light, he scratched a match.
and the explosion followed. severely
burning him. The board reported
nat there was no trace OF gas in the
punker- No detailed report on the
Michigan explosion has yet been re-
celved, but the circumstances. so far
as known, were similar.
Lack OF ventilation, naval officers
say, Is the dangerous factor in bat
Iieships coal bunkers. On most Of
ships, II the traps are opened
ana Kept open to admit air, water
also gets In. 1t Is well known that
water In small quantities. with
|akEe amoantasak soft coal. HiIl4an~1
spontaneous combustion. The
difficulty of the problem Is increased
by the fact that there is little choice
IN placing bunkers, all must open
into the fire room.
Many officers are convinced that
these explosions offer a strong
ment for the adoption OF oil burners,
danger from coal, they say. is
too great to be longer tolerated.
THE dope CONGRESS-"
Washington, Jan. 23-One Of the
most interesting conventions to be
held In the coming year is the So
called Dope COngress-tha Con-
dress for the international control
OF h~aDit-forming drugs, the prelimi-
narles for which r now being ar
ranged by the government Of the
Netherlands. Some years ago diplo-
matte negotiations between China
and England resulted In an agree
ment between the two powers by
which England agreed upon a grad
ual reduction of the quantities of
opium exported from its Asiatic DOS
sessions into China In proportion as
the Chinese government restricted
the manufacture OF opium in China.
The great benefits which have re-
suited from this agreement have
caused the enlightened p~rogressives
who now dominate the government
of the celestial empire, to seek "a
more rapid reduction OF opium sale
in China than is provided for In the
Ansio-Chinese treaty. At the time
OF the signing OF this treaty certain
influential citizens of the United
States interested In the state depart.
ment In the plight of China from
this point, the agitation In this coun-
try upon the subject of a general
control OF habit forming drugs has
steadily increased Accordingly the
state department decided to take the
initiative In proposing a world con.
ference. The proposition wac agreed
to by all of the powers but two OF
them disagreed as to the inclusion
of certain drugs in the classification
of shabit forming drugs" This
matter Is being undertaken by the
Netherlands. 1t viii probably con.
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