Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 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 Is
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 a
deal more dangerous than dynamite.
This Is the chemical from which &C
cetylene gas is made. AND the gas ia
constantly given off If the carbide Is
exposed to air. Some little time ago
the Hamburg barque Hebe was towed
Into Plymouth sound in q disabled con-
u'tion. Aboard her were zoo tons OF
carbide.
The commander in chief at Devon
port at once ordered all the war YES
sells In the sound to take refuge In the
HamoaZe, and forbade the Hebe to
come in for repairs until the whole Of
her perilous cargo had been removed
by q 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
lca!s. Small wonder that water had
little effect in %subduing the flames.
Chemicals form a very dangerous
cargo, especially acids such as nitric or
sulphuric, which are both carried in
tens of thousands Of tons in the course
of a year.
Two years g the Phoenix liner
Michigan was caught in a gale while
on a voyage westward across the At
lantic. She a 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 the
deck. The captain called for volun-
teers to throw the loose drums over
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. 1t
swept the deok from end to end. and
when it passed the whole cargo of acid
had gone, taking with it the lee rail.
All shipmasters dislike carrying
drums of acid where they cannot be got
at. A Gillian ship put In at the ak
land islands, leaking badly. Her cargo
been packed in chalk. The acid had
eaten through the drums n mixed
with the chalk. so forming carbonic
acid gas. which Is the same as choke
damp"
Consequently the crew could not go
below at all. Meantime the leaking
acid had collected at the bottom Of the
mold and eaten away the iron frames
OF the ship, damaging her SO badly that
she was practically a wreck.
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 sue an oil az
boiled linseed, and lying at the bottom
OF a hold, Is every bit as dangerous as
a slow match attached to a bomb.
Other forms Of cargo are dangerous
to sailors rather than ships. Coffee, for
Instance. While the odor of green cof-
fee is at first not unpleasant, 1t rap
idly pals upon the nerves Of smelling.
In damp weather 1t becomes dreadful.
1t seems to ~imnregnate everything In
the ship. and eventually the crew lose
all appetite and often become seriously
Ill.
Sugar is as bad. Put some hundreds
OF tons Of cane sugar In casks in h
hold I'M 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-anythin1
sour. Deliver us from sugar is the saiY-
or's praye
Onions give off fumes which are 40
tually deadly. The Yarra, a French
steamer bringing a cargo Of onions
from Alexandria, lost one man, and
had three others rendered insensible by
fumes rising from the tons Of onions in
her hold.