The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-10-29
MANY COMMODITIES
MORE DANGEROUS THAN
DYNAMITE To CARRY
chemicals Peril Of Sailors
Some Give Off Gas When
Exposed to Air.
From Titbits.

Ask the average landsmen what ts
the worst cargo for a ship to carry and
he would probably say dynamite.
The sailor would differ. He would
tell you that there are worse things
with which to fill a ships hold than
even such a terrible explosive as dynA-
mite.
Carbide OF calcium, for instance, is q
deal more dangerous than dynamite.
This is the chemical from which ac-
cetylene gas Is made, and the gas In
constantly given off If the carbide In
exposed to air. Some little time ago
The Hamburg barque Hebe was towed
into Plymouth sound in a disabled con-
Jtion. Aboard her were 200 ton Of
1arbide.
The commander in chief at Devon
port at nee ordered all the war ves-
sells In the sound to take refuge in the
Hamoaze. and forbade the Hebe to
come in for repairs until the who'll Of
her perilous cargo had been removed
by a war department barge.
The cargo carried by the burnt Vol
turno was OF a sort calculated to make
a pretty bonfire. 1t included rags, peat
moss, barrels Of spirits, tar and oils,
together with drums Of various chem
lcals. Small wonder hat water had
little effect In subduing the flames.
~ Chemicals form a very dangerous
NaA 81 SoRCCA0lly dSlNo buIl ID hiNAAC w
sulphuric, which are both carried In
ten of thousands Of IONS in the course
OF a year.
Two years ago the Phoenix liner
Michigan was caught in a gale while
on a voyage westward across the At
lantic. She had a deckload OF sui
phuric and muriatic acid in metal
drums.
A huge sea struck her bows and COW
cred the forward deck, breaking q
number of drums from their lashings
and sending them crashing around h
deck. The captain called for volun-
teers to throw the loose drums over-
board. The men responded bravely,
but some OF the drums were cracked
and leaking, and the deadly acid burnt
the flesh like fire.
For an hour or more the battle went
on. Man after man was forced to fall
out and go below to get his wounds
dressed. At last came another huge
wave which ended the mems toll. II
swept the deck from end to end, and
when 1t passed the whole cargo Of acid
had gone, taking with 1t the lee rail.
All shipmasters dislike carrying
at. A Chilian ship put in at the Falk-
land islands, leaking badly. Her cargo
was mainly drums OF acid which had
packed In chalk. The acid had
eaten through the drums and mixed
with the chalk, so forming carbonic
acid gas, which Is the same as choke
damp"
Consequently the crew could not 60
below at all. Meantime the leaking
acid had collected at the bottom OF the
hold eaten away the iron frames
of the ship, damaging her 30 badly that
she was practically q wreck. h.
Cotton is another deadly cargo. II q
little oil happens to touch raw cotton
the result is what Is called spontaneous
combustion. A single bale OF cotton
partially saturated with such an oil az
boiled linseed, and lying at the bottom
OF q hold. Is every bit as dangerous a.
Other forms OF cargo are dangerous
to sailors rather than ships. Coffee, for
instance. While the odor of. greer cof-
fee is at first not unpleasant 1t rap
pals upon the nerves Of smelling.
In damp weather II becomes dreadful.
Il seems to impregnate everything l n
the ship, and eventually the crew lose
all appetite and often become seriously
III. 1874.
Sugar Is as bad. Put some hundreds
Of tons of cane sugar in casks In tho
hold and let the ship steam through q
belt of hot weather. The odor Is sick
ening; you cannot get the sweet taste
out OF your mouth. The men simply
crave vinegar or lemon juice-anythin6
sour. Deliver US from sugar is b sally
or's prayer. h r
onions give off fumes which are 40
tually deadly. The Yarra, a French
steamer bringing q cargo Of onions
from Alexandria, lost one man, and
fumes rising from h tons OF onions I
har h0ld ." "