The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-07-22
WHEN DUST GOES BANG.
Some Domestic Commodities As En-
plosiye as Gunpowder.

Many mysterious explosives which
at one time baffled the ingenuity Of
our keenest detectives, have been re-
Gently explained by the cold, method
ical researches of our chemists, who,
it will be remembered, also warned
the government not to let Germany
have cotton to manufacture gun-cot-
ton.
The men of science have not been
able to wipe out the miserles that
have been caused to the thousands OF
persons who have been convicted or
condemned of arson, and other SINH
lar crimes, without cause. but they
have certainly succeeded in teachlng
the police to be very careful before
they blame any householder or manu-
facturer or servant for an explosion
and the key to their researches mas
been always the same-dust.
How many cooks for example, real
ize that the ordinary everyday flour
they use in their kitchens is one of
the most dangerous Of explosives?
Recent calculations show that the
contents of a 25-pound sack of -four
mixed with 1000 cubic feet of air,
will, if ignited, throw mass OF iron
weighing one ton As miles through
the air. Indeed, many disastrous eX-
plosions have occurred in big flour
mills from this cause, wrecking huge
buildings and causing heavy loss Of
life.
Unhappily flour is not the only do
mestic commodity that is as danger
Gus in it's destructive effects as gun
powder, and hourly threatens our
homes with red ruin. Every now and
then a sweet factory gets blown up
in spite of the vigilance of the govern
ment inspectors, the watchfulness Of
the insurance companies, and the zeal
of its foreman. Such an explosion oc-
Cured not long ago in Boston. 1t
originated in a room where marsh
mallows were being made. These
sweets are coated with finely pulver-
lied sugar, and the hot and dry air
on summers day, laden with sugar
dust, with the result that the mix
ture ignited. a lot of workers were
injured, and many of the buildings
were set on fire.
1t is nothing new to hear also of
explosions of starch in starch mills
and of rice in rice mills, and in each
instance the blame is to be attributed
to the innocent-looking commodities,
and not to the malice or carelessness
of the employees. Oatmeal, too, has
been known to go off with dire re-
suits, and great breakfast commod-
ity mill not long ago was sent en- bloc
heavenwards owing to some maize
dust mixed with air.
Spice dust in spice mills has also
wrought similar damage, and all limo
leum is now manufactured under
special precautions against fire be-
ause sad experience has shown how
easily cork dust and the cement used
in linoleum manufacture will ignite.
or even take fire of their own accord.
Soap is another domestic suspect.
1t has set fire to ship in the mouth
of the Thames. Only few years ago
there was a great explosion in a soap
factory engaged in the production of
finely powdered soap. Some enemy
hath done this thing" muttered the
proprietor, but as matter of fact he
and the detectives who hunted for
criminals were for months on the
wrong scent. Soap is fat, and there
fore combustible. the chemists re-
minded him, Your soap powder was
dry, and it got freely distributed
through the air when it exploded
with more violence and greater neat
than -four or starch"
Zinc has been known to cause eX-
plosions. The story is often told now
a workman once handling quantity
of finely powdered metallic zinc when
ne got a spell of laziness, and to save
further trouble, threw shovelful in
to flaming furnace. There was a
terrific explosion. The blade OF MS
shovel was driven into the roof OF
the building, and he got half-killed.
Malt mills are also not immune
from perils of explosion. In fact. de-
tectives nowadays, when they are
faced with explosions. the origin OF
which they cannot fathom. are al
ways instructed by their superiors to
remember human agency may not be
the cause, but-dust.-Pearson S
Weekly.
Clever Alice.
Alice announced to her parents