Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1912-06-13
MUST REMOVE
ALL EXPLO OSIVES
IMPORTANT RULING THAT BE-
CAME EFFECTIVE MARCH
3l-INSPECTOR IN CITY


Coming here under the auspices Of
the American Railway Association, D.
w. McNabb of Winnipeg, Arrived in
the city Saturday morning and was
here until Sunday evening. Mr.. Nc
Nabb is local inspector for the Bureau
of Explosives which is operated in.
this country under the supervision Of
the Interstate Commerce Commission
and in Canada under the Board Of
Railway Commissioners.
The work of the bureau is under q
chief inspector, Colonel B. W. Dunn
with headquarters at 80 Vesey st.,
New York City and twenty two local
inspectors. Williston is in the twenty
first district which extends from Ft..
William, Ontario, to Field, B. c., OF
the C. P. r. from Portal, N. D., to,
Minneapolis, Minn, on the G. N.
Briefly the work of the Bureau is TO-
lessen loss of life and property by the
dangerous handling of explosives.
Dynamite, black powder, gasoline,
matches all come under the caption OF
dangerous explosives and under the
ruling Of the international Commerce
Commission March 81, 1912, consignee
must remove the shipment within
forty eight hours from the cars,
depots or other storage facilities OF
the carrier. All failures to comply
with the ruling is menace to life
and property. In his bulletin to local
inspectors Colonel Dunn says:
1t has come to the attention Of the
Bureau of Explosives, American Rail-
way Association, that many of the
users of explosives, and especially
miners who are foreigners not conver-
SAINT with the English language or the
requirements of the Federal law are
in tn habit of including packages
of explosives in their baggage checked
in the usual way on passenger train
and in packages of household furni-
ture shipped in the usual way by
freight.
The Federal law strictly forbids
a concealed shipment of explosives or
the transportation of explosives on
passenger trains even when declared.
Packages of explosives must be pack
ed in their regular shipping containers,
properly marked and accompanied by
shipping orders of the usual form. The
penalty provided for violation Of the
Federal law are severe and may equal
a fine not to exceed $4,000 with or
without Imprisonment not to exceed
eighteen months.
Many violations of the kind des--
cribed above have been reported and
in all such cases where the evidence
was sufficient to warrant conviction
prosecutions have been started. Guilty
parties even when their action was
due to ignorance have been fined and
imprisoned, ignorance is no excuse for
a violation of this kind.
As examples, it may be stated that
miners and other parties have taken
kegs of blasting powder and even
packages of loose sticks of dynamite,
mixed with blasting caps all wrapped
in loose paper packages into the smok-
ing cars Of passenger trains. In other
cases wash tubs and barrels supposed
to contain only household goods have.
been found to contain loose powder,
and sticks of dynamite.
This is matter that affects public
safety and this information should
be used not only by parties to prevent
their own practice from being in
violation of the law, but each person
should do all in his power to spread
this information in the interests Of
public safety and to prevent violations
by all parties.
Public spirited citizens willing to,
assist in promoting the safety Of the
public in this respect and possessing
information or suggestions that would
be valuable are requested to cores
pond with or call on Col. B. w. Dunn,-,
Chief Inspector, 80 Vessey Street,
New York City.