Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-03-17


amounting to $3,0O0O00.
In August, 1919 one of the Canadian govern
ments grain elevators badly damaged Dy
dust explosion in which ten persons lost their
lives and ten were injured
February 26, 1920 aluminium dust exploded In
a Wisconsin factory, causing the deaths OF six
girls and many injuries.
Literally hundreds of threshing 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 are
like much powder-only more powerful in ex-
plosve force Scores of substances quite HARM
less in the mass become highly dangerous when
pulverized and blown into the air, with each par
ticle surrounded by sufficient oxygen to burn it
Combustion, under these circumstances, takes
place with explosive violence and destroys lives
and property as effectively dynamite or INT.
1t takes very little to set off Of these ire
mendous explosions. An electric friction spark,
q lighted match flame Of any kind-and an
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 a sort of printing charge for the detona-
tion 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 of ruins in northern
France and Belgium-crumpled 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 us hope you don't own the
elevator. Let US hope the explosion does not kill
you yours. Let us hope it does not throw you
or yours out of a job. Even If 1t doesn't It
throws just so much more productive property
the junk heap. 1t may burn up enough wheat
to feed 100000 men, women and children a long
time. It adds to the price of flour and of bread
1t increases the H. c. L. So it is your dust any
way you may look at it, for you are the ultimate
consumer md in the end you pay, directly or
indirectly
There not so many dust explosions now
adays there used to be. The bureau of chem
istry Of the Department Of Agriculture in CO.
operation with the United States Grain CORPORA
tion, undertook an 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 nv
these devices there was no loss of life from ex-
| plosons 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 n grain elevator where it's stocks were
! stored and an actual loss limited to $4,000 is
| told in 2S-page booklet issued the grain dust
! explosion prevention campaign which has recently
! been concluded under the direction of the United
States Grain corporation by experts of the bureau
| of chemistry, Department of Agriculture
The campaign instituted in July 1919 of
| the suggestion of Julius II. Barnes, United States
wheat director. Fifty thousand dollars was an
| prOprated for the work by the grain CORPORATION
In the booklet is described fully the educational
work of the campaign, which was carried on nv
| 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
men.
AS result Of campaign of education in grair
| dust explosion prevention the grain corporation
suffered no 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 II
storage grain and flour stocks worth 100000 OO(
and at certain times approximately $5OO,O 600
The success of this fire prevention crusade il
emphasized by comparison with the losses suffered
by other industries during the special campaign
period.
Cooperation the part of the workmen IL
fire prevention work is invaluable according t.
the grain corporation booklet The proof of thi
is the fact that during the 10 months betveeI
October, 1917 and May, 1919, no dust explosion