Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-10
LONDON GUARDS EXPLOSIVES.
Precautions That Would Have Pre-
vented the Baltimore Affair.

| From the London Evening Standard and 3.
James Gazette &S
| In view of the dynamite disaster in the
Baltimore harbor, it is Of interest. TO. see
what precautions are taken in the port OF
London in the loading End unloading OF
vessels carrying great quantities OF eN-
plosives. It may be said at once that. so
stringent are the regulations and so elah-
crate the safety measures exercised that
| the danger OF terrible explosions in the
Thames is as remote as human ingenu-
lity can make it.
The cause Of the Baltimore disaster Is
I not known. but one account states that
| a stevedore damned his cargo hook into
a box Of dynamite. Had that man been,
| working on ship in taeoI names, ne
would not have been allowed to bring such
a hook aboard. Further. under our reg"--
lattonS, no person on board the vessel OF
any boat or barge conveying explosives TO
1t may carry knife, nor may he wear
boots, or even slippers. in which there IS
an iron nail. or mGtal TIPS or heels OF any
kind.
Another account attributes the accident
to fire in the hold, probably caused DS
the dropping of a match. In the Ihames
no person near the ship is allowed 10
carry any matches. fuses or other COM
bustibes, and the only matches allowed
on the vessel are those OF spec ali safe-
ty kind passed by -the authority, ana
even these matches must be kept in a
safe place apart from the explosive. No
! man is allowed to smoke anywhere In
the neighborhoOd. and no passenger can
set foot on the ship at the time.
The precautions against fire. and. in
deed. against everything that might pos
sibly cause an accident. are most elab-
! crate. No explosives can be loaded until
! the stokehold fires of the vessel. the tug
and all the boats in the vicinity have
been carefully banked up an hour previ-
ously. and all other fires and lights ex-
tinguished. The ships signal lights and
side lights must be of such a type Is to
dispose completely of any risk OF fire or
explosion.
W1ncheS or cranes must not be used
in handling explosives Of whatever char
acter. from the penny fireWork to the
most deadly compounds used in blasting
or warfare. The gangways and decks OF
the vessel must be covered with hides or
other suitable material. a cushion stuffed
with oakum and covered with leather
must be used for resting any case of ex-
ploSives upon. and the steel interior OF
the ship must be covered with sheet lead.
leather cloth or other suitable material
approved by the port authority.
All these ships lighters and tugs have
to be specially registered, and to mark
their dangerous occupation the ship
whether at anchor or underway, must fly
a large red flag at her fore masthead.
that flag which seamen call the powder
burgee.'' River boats have a broad red
stripe painted around their hull.
The loading and unloading of explosives
may. only be done in Firth Reach. where
the ships must lie singly. They must take
aboard or. discharge their dangerous car
goes with all speed. and, in any case,
must not remain in the river longer than
three days, unless special extension Is
granted.