Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1915-08-13
PRECAUTIONS SAVE
MANY SEPARATORS
O,.,s College Experts Give Interest
inc Report on Smut Explosions
of This Year

precautionary measures are say
no many threshing machines in
\ whitman county from destruction
Inv fire following smut explosions,
n ,,Oording to the specialists from the
Stste Experiment Station, four of
vhom are making field investiga-
inns of the explosion trouble. The
rllege Investigators who are Civ
mo their time to the problem are
nAorge A. Olson, station chemist;
Hal. Waller, head of the department
H civil engineering; H. l.. Melvin,
instructor in electrical engineering,
and Z. G. Schafer, agronomist.
\ These experts report that while the
\ Oer cent of smut this year is not SO
great as last year, there have already
bsan a considerable number of smut
n nUlOSons, and that fire following
n ths explosion has In some instances
II completely destroyed the separator,
N although in some cases the fire has
been atinguished by various means,
haldng shoyeling dirt into the
n CYLINDER and the use of the sprink-
ling system distributed among the
straw racks in the machine. In
some cases the sprinkling system
vas connected below the water line
i Of the steam boiler and in others
with pressure tank containing from
Lao to 50 gallons of water.
II J. N. Andrews, near Lacrosse, has
4 bis machine equipped with a sprink-
Ier system of "a Inch pipe distribut-
He'd above the straw racks and con-
Inected with the blow-off of the en-
Egne. Mr.. Andrews extinguished an
Fexplosion fire in wooden separator,
Iand was threshing again within 20
Iminutes, the machine suffering prac-
EueaIy Ao uauIaBe.
l Henry Hickman, who last year
Isuffered two disastrous explosion
Hires, equipped his third machine
tWlth sprinkler system, connected
10 4O-gallon pressure tank, with a
I'V-pound pressure. He had six ex-
plOslon fires after the system was in
Salled, and extinguished them all
WIN no damage to the machine.
II Inc experts visited a machine on
We farm of E. D. Paul, near Pene-
SaSa, in which the moving parts had
all Deem coupled with electric wires,
hue current from which was carried
MOugh condenser and thence into
luz elound. This machine last year,
'Nl the same equipment, threshed
Il" uays In all kinds of grain and
'es'ner without any explosion. Ed
'o~aAer, who has charge of the
'une' demonstrated the equip
-ea' Tor the benefit of the inyesti-
1'O'S' showing the current that was
~Aen OH from the machine and call
Suention to electric sparks near
4ai an inch in length. The cur
~ eenerated by this separator and
aired into the ground, was, in the
4'On Oh the experts, sufficient to
s'e nred a mixture of smut and
Ill.,, summarizing the findings OF
A.. ~ Investigators during the past few
regard to precautionary
EwaM now in use, Professor o. l..
IT seems fair to say that a
h, system, properly installed,
attached to the engine or to
N. assure tank, will put out separ-
wi ures if the water is turned on
- enough. The sprinkler pipes
bolo. 10 drilled with many small
II directed so that the water will
NJ. 'ufoWn upon the straw and
bor racks. If it comes from the
M ~ t OF the engine, the spray will
Ina teiVered as water and steam,
b.t" Aereiore, very effectually pene-
N, eVery part of the separator.
n. fews' near Lacrosse, couples
In hhler system with the blow
the engine by means of a
AM pipe, each point of which is
''eu with union. In that way
sb., p.pe is disconnected readily
4a,S, me machine is moved. 1t is
sa,sr sale to connect high pressure
H. systems by means of a hose.
ssc,, 1Ose is apt to blow off at con-
Ill., GUS, rendering the entire sys-