The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1921-03-17


amounting to 100000.
In August, 1919, of the Canadian govern
ment's grain elevators was badly damaged by
dust explosion in which ten persons lost their
lives and ten injured
February 26, 1920, aluminium dust exploded in
Wisconsin factory, causing the deaths Of six
girls and many injuries.
Literally hundreds of threShng machines have
been wrecked in the wheat fields by explosion and
the resultant fire.
Coal dust has played the major part in unnum-
bered mine explosions
The fiat truth is that many kinds of dust
Ike much pOwder-Only more powerful in ex-
pIOsive force. Scores of substances quite harm
less in the mass become highly dangerous when
puIveriZed and blown into the air, with each par
icle surrounded by sufficient oxygen to burn it.
Combustion, under these circumstances, takes
place with explosive violence and destroys lives
and property effectively dynamite or INT.
It takes very little to set off of these ire
nendOus explosions. An electric friction spark,
lighted match, flame of any knd-and
atmosphere full of powdered dust. Usually
the primary explosion is slight. But this slight
primary explosion shakes loose the accumulated
dust from beam and sill and crevice. Then comes
the big explosion. The little local explosion has
aided as sort of printing charge for the detona-
ton that kills and wrecks.
In the bureau of chemistry of the United States
Department of Agriculture at Washington is a
great album. 1t is filled with photographs of dust
explosion wrecks of many kinds. You'd think you
were looking at photographs or ruins In northern
France and Belgium-cr umpled buildings, broken
masonry, twisted steel. And the more solid the
construction the worse the destruction
So, you see, your dust literally means your dust
If the grain elevator blows up and burns, it's
your elevator. Let hope you don't own the
elevator. Let us hope the explosion does not kill
you or yours. Let US hope it does not throw you
or yours out of job. Even If it doesn't 1t
throws just so much more productive property
on the junk heap. It may burn up enough wheat
O md
time. 1t adds to the price of flour and of bread
It increases the H. G. /. So it is your dust any,
way you may look at it. for you are the ultimate
consumer and in the end you pay, directly or
indirectly.
There not many dust explosions now
adays as there used to be. The bureau of chem
istry CT the Department of Agriculture, in Co
operation with the United States Grain CORPORA
ton undertook extensive campaign for check
ing this serious destruction. The result was the
evolving of inexpensive devices now recommended
by the government; and in the mills protected by
these devices there was loss of life from ex-
pIOSiOns and only very small amount of damage
to property.
How the United States Grain corporation han
died the entire wheat supply of this country dur
ing the past year with only disastrous explo-
sion in a grain elevator where its stocks were
stored and an actual loss limited to S25O0O is
told in Il 2S-page booklet issued on the grain dust
explosion prevention campaign which has recently
been concluded under the direction of the United
of chemistry, Department of Agriculture
The campaign instituted in JULY 1919 at
the suggestion of Julius H. Barnes, United States
wheat director. Fifty thousand dollars was an
prOpriated for the work by the grain corporation.
In the booklet is described fully the educational
work of the campaign, which carried on bv
means of pledge cards, meetings in various grain
centers and through cooperation with the Cana
dian government; improvements brought about in
the condition of plants the literature and posters
distributed in the interests of the work results
of the campaign; disastrous explosions which
occurred during the past year due to grain dust
accumulation, and experimental work and tests
made in the interests of the milling and grain
As a result Of campaign Of education in grain
dust explosion prevention the grain corporation
suffered extensive losses from fires or explo-
sion during its existence of almost three years
The importance of this record is emphasized by
the fact that the corporation had at all times in
storage grain and flour stocks worth S100OOOOOO
and at certain times approximately S5OO,OO0OOO.
The success of this fire prevention crusade is
emphasized by comparison with the losses suffered
by other industries during the special campaign.
period.
Cooperation the part of the workmen in
fire prevention work is invaluable, according to
the grain corporation booklet The proof of this
is the fact that during the 10 months between
October, 1917. and May, 1919, no dust explosions