The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-09-03
Mechanical Device Will Pre-
vent Explosions, is Belief
OF Officials.
HOW DANGER Turks
IN POWDERED COAL
Dust Will Cause Defamation if
1t Comes In Contact With
Fire.

| "''lu Tit Complete removal OF danger
from cOal-dust explosions at the Cane
Girardeau Portland Cement plant will
be under way within a few days, and if
the mechanism devised proves success
full, it virtually will form an innova-
ton in cement plants in this country.
Everyone in the Cape always has
known the cement plant as an cx-
tremely dusty place. People expect
cement plants and flour mills to be
dusty because of the very nature of
their business.
However, comparatively few per
sons, perhaps only those-of mCchan-
zeal turn of mind or chemical school
ing. have been aware of the fact that
lurking in those intense dust clouds
has been potential danger of a trem-
endOUs explosion.
Coal dust is considered a high OK
plosive. Many other kinds of dust are
explosive
The small particles of coal. for in
stance, when stirred up and allowed to
become thoroughly intcrmixcd with
the air of room, are capable of be
ing set off with slight spark 1t
would have far worse effect than a
room full of gas.
Each coal particle is surrounded by
a film of oxygen. In chemistry an en-
plosion is known simply as an intense
ly rapid Oxydation The burning sub
stance must have large supply Of
oxygen in order for the process of
OXydatiOn to proceed fast enough to
take on the proportions. the violence,
of an explosion.
This large supply of oxygen is pro
vided for the coal dust particles and
they are close enough to transmit the
heat from one to another so that all
become oxydized within the twinkling
of an eye.
At the cement plant in South Cape.
coal is used as fuel in burning the CO
ment preparations. Before the coal is
used. however, it must be ground to
a fine powder like form. so that it may
be fed to the kilns by means of an air
blast.
The mills that are used in grinding
the coal, naturally give off consider
able dust In the room in which these
are operated, the coal dust sometimes
becomes very thick.
In recent years. the engineers at the
plant have brought the amount of dust
in the air about all the grinding mills
at the plant down to a minimum, but
it has been impossible to cut off all
dust escaping from the mills.
As a consequence in the room where
the coal grinding mills are located. the
room is filled with high explosive.
Were a man to walk into that room
at some time with lighted cigar the
chances are that that part Of the CO
ment plant would leap into the sky in
chunks. The force of the explosion
would resemble that of so much gun
cotton.
1t has been impossible to close up
the grinding mills perfectly, so the
next move by the engineers was to col
| lcct the dust as it comes from the ma
chimes by means of a series of suction
ducts worked by pressure fans.
| 1t is the experimental work with
these suction ducts in cleaning the air
around the coal grinding mills that
vii be conducted at the plant probably
| by the first of next week.
( The machinery is being rugged up
and it is probable that the scheme will
be tried Monday Through the ducts.
the coal dust will be carried to a sep
arating machine. In the dust, there
are fine particles that are ready to be
used at the kilns, as well as coarscr
stuff that needs more grinding.
The separation machinery was an
instrument installed at the plant sever
al years ago and then its use aban-
doned. Superintendent c. H. Sonntag
expects to get it into use in sitting the
coal dust collected.
1t is worked by means Of Il large
fan that sends the fine PARTICLES
through funnel-shaped opening and
throws off the larger particles at the
side by means of centrifugal force.
Should Sonntag and his assistants
find that their air cleaning devices are
practicable, it will mean a step in adj
vance for the Cape plant.
A good many industries are begin
ming to realize that dust is as danger
Gus as gunpowder. A great grain eic-
vator at Weehawken, the largest of its
kind esat of Buffalo, recently was