The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-23
FIGHT BILL TO END
EXPLOSIVES BOARD
To Give Fire Commissioner Sole
Power Is Dangerous,
Say Chemists.
McKENNA FEARS DISASTER
Mr.. Ada,nson Urges Abolish
ment Of Commission AS
Biological Body"

abolish the Municipal Explosives Commis-
sion. whose scientific safety work during
q dozen years of glgantic subway and
building operations In this city has made
life and property comparatively safe
while guaranteeing freedom from Inter-
ference with necessary Industrial enter
prises.
Not only does the bill propose that all
the powers and functions heretofore
vested In the commission shall he trans
ferred TO the Fire Commissioners. thereby
continuing him as the administrator Of its
safety rules, but 1t gives him also law
making powers ito make additional regr-
latlons for the sale. storage. keeping
Manufacture or transportation OF COM
bustibles infiammable or explosive ma
terials or articles"
Opponents OF the measure say that the
proposal means simply that the functions
OF safeg harding the public shall be taken
from the hands OF a body and turned over
to the busy head of busy department.
who may not always be Il man possessing
special training In the use. care ana
handling OF combustlhles and explosives.
The Municipal Explosives Commission
was created in 1902. following an ex-
plosion of dynamite In the Park avenue
tunnel, which caused great loss or HE
and property. For half n century before
the only city regulations concerning oN-
plosivcs dealt with black gunpowdcr and
merely provided that IL could not be
stored In the city in quantities exceeding
twenty eight pounds.
In the meantime high explosives came
into increased use, an era OF construction
" orl starting IN the rearing OF SKY
scrapers downtown and great apartment
houses uptown and the boring through
the rock bed Of the city for extensive
subvays and aqueiucts
The development OF the automobile and
the establishment OF garages, the Increase
In dry cleaning establishments and the
many uses to which the volatile and In
f,amlrable oils are pu.. nj. added 10 the
work Of the commission IA dev!s.ng regu-
lations.
The fact that each OF the twenty-.our
shafts OF the great aQdeduct through Tie
city was limited to 1000 pounds or dyna-
mite every twen,y-four hours gives one
a good idea of the thought that the CONF
mission was compelled to devote in resu-
lating the handling OF the explosive az
the shafts and It's transportation through
the city streets.
Practically all IN. dynamite that Is
used In the city comes from the plants OF
the Du Pont and the Keystone National
companies IN New Jersey. The commls-
sion starts with tests OF the manufac-
| tureTs product at the plant Then II
decides how K shall bc shipped and In
| what quantities: how II shall be handed
! on boats at what piers Il shall land how
IL shall be transferred 20 wagons. and n,
routes through when the dynamite shall
Nc taken in order 10 avoid elevated rail-
roads ana other centres of public act!N'
/ !tleS.
The commission consists os the Fir.
/ Commissioner anu four members ap-
pointed by the Mayor. The nrst commits
| sion was named by former Mayor Setf
! .l...9 IN r..I ~ ter
measures as conditions required. these be
coming operative by the approval VI tnt
! Mayors. who generally fell In line VIII
the viewpoint OF tAe experts VINO Offered
| the suggestions.
The division Of combust,bles. q branch
OF the fire Department reports TO The
| commission and the commission after In
vestigation reports It's hncings TO the Fi:.
| mu.issio.er, Who Is eX ofi.cio chairman
| The present commission consists Of Gen
| Georg. u. Eaton. = mining engineer. Rus
| sci. w Moore. chemist Bartholomew
Donovan. "A builder. and Sidney Harris, !
lawyer. All were appointed by the late
Mayor Gaynor.
Under the authority creating the com
mission the Mayor is obliged TO appoint "a
a member q chemist recommended in =
| list Of ten suJr!itted by the New Yorl
branch OF the American Chemical Society
DIR. Charles +. Mckenna. consuitint
chemist. at 80 Church street, president OF
the Chemists club. was "A member OF In,
first commission. In talk with SrH
man DIR. McKenna said:
"Such law as Is suggested might
operate satisfactorily under the present
commissioner. but some other commits
sioner might not be so competent ant
grave evils could then arise. Legislation
OF. this subject calls for the exercise OF
sound Judgment and discretion. Tn.
| IL Of fa on ~. i. Ia
conserved. but irst must DE considered
the rights OF those put ut a physical risk
New Yorks need for explosives |,
parallel to that OF no other city In IN,
world. The amount Of dynamite used u
Manhattan Island since the ssta blishmen
OF the commiss .on must have been fabulous
because in that time eNcavating has gon,
on for the subways the aqueduct. tn,
Grand Central Terminal, the PennsylvaU!,
Railroad Terminal and the new apartment
districts
1.-THE necessity for keeping constant
oversight over special conditions wa
shown OH an occasion after the laws wer,
put in force when carelessness was dis
covered at the site OF Il magazine con
ta!ning more than l. 900 pounds OF dyns
Taite within two blocks OF an opera house
The conditions were remedeI when IL,
danger was pointed out.
such IA condition as this may arise a
any time, and instead OF ahol'shinE tn,
Municipal Explosives Commission | woul,
strongly recommend Strengthening 1t an,
placing the bureau OF conibustibles undel
Its administrative functions.
"lnCide ntally believe n remedy will b.
found for the dynarn'tlng Black Handler
az there are certain features OF techuicu
information which think the police hay,
not always used"
Commissioner AdaInson explained a.
ne
for believing the bin good one
THE Municipal Explosives Commission
Il seems to me. Is an illogical organizat OF
within this Fire department. Instead Of
continuing a legislative body n new All
min!strative and executive bureau shoulC
be created. with authority TO sse that tn,
city Is thoroughly safeguarded,
THE commissioners meet AT ;he call o.
the Fire Commissioner ana rec i've 81,
for each day they sit. The yearly cost o.
the commission Is about $4,000. ! thul
We would he able to get head for III,
proposed bureau for $4,000 a year. VIII,
would do the worl, and do Il effectively
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS