The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-03-23
Loaf Of Bread
Won't Explode

or Or0au yOu CuI 1dot hASA1 ASi 1oOA
dinner at one time in it's career pos
sessed all the dangerous characterls-
tics of INT. The spices in the ap-
pie dumping you ate for dessert
once boasted an equally strong claim
to dangerous propensities. The sugar
you put on it to add to its tastiness
had, and still has, the potentialltles
of dynamite.
Experts of the bureau of chemistry
of the United States department of
agriculture are authorities for these
strong statements. But they say they
might go further and add that the
rice in your pudding was just as
.sfighty;" that the napkin you use'
if of cotton, the shirt on your back, ii
also made of cotton, the shoes on
your feet and the rubbers over them,
and finally, the coal which cooked
your meal, were all at one time in
their processes Of manufacture OF.
preparation for your use. equally
death dealing.
However, there's no need now to
back away from any of them, they're
tanned, the agricultural department
chemists assert. The secret of their
destructiveness is dust-the dust
which is produced in their manufac-
ture. ,..
For a number of years department
experts have been studying the explo-
sfbility of carbonaceous dusts, mostly
for the education Of manufacturers
and workers in materials which pro-
duca such conditions, and surprising
disclosures of general interest have
been made.
Explosion i'm Elevator.
Tt is lust about year since the
largest grain elevator in the world
the Northwestern at South Chicago
Ill. was destroyed by the explosion
OF grain dust in work rooms and stor-
age bins. Six workmen lost theH
lives in the disaster which wrought
property damage estimated at S3'-
900, 900. While there have been many
other similar explosions I'm elevators
-four mills and plants producing va
riety of articles, that one was the
factor that brought the subject most
strongly to public attention, the de-
partment says.
When wheat grains or other cereals
are handled in bulk, friction produces
quantities of fine dust, and when train
and car loads are handled daily, the
amount of this dust that accumulates
about the plant on floors and projec-
lions is enormous. Dust clouds long
hang in the air. 1t has been deter
mined by the experts that this dust
produces with the air mixture as
hckle and explosive as that formed IN
the carburetor of an automobile. 1t
can generate gas explosions as pow
erful as those in rife and gun bar
rels. All that is needed to start the
destructive work is spark, The
spark or flames may start slow hre'
the fash travelling from dust grain
to dust grain. It may travel through
dust conveyors, corridors or blowers
to distant parts of the plant, where,
II sufficient pressure is built up the
explosion occurs.
Dust explosions, government rec
ords show, have wrecked well built
plants, thrown bodily loaded freight
cars. turned into twisted skeins OF
scrap strongly built bins from their
foundations, and in the case OF the
Northwestern, blown out concrete
bin walls seven inches thick,
List of Disasters.
A long list of similar disasters is in
the hands Of the government 1nVestl-
gators and not all are from cereal
dust explosions.
An explosion of ordinary powdered
table spices in spice factory wreck
ed the factory, recently, exacted toll
of six lives, injury to twice as many
Others and high property loss.
An explosion of powdered r con-
fectioners' sugar, in an eastern REIN
cry wrought damage estimated at ST.
600, 900 and cost four lives.
Breakfast cocoa precipitated in
thick cloud from burning bins in
factory fire exploded, adding to the
wreckage OF the plant and to the loss
Of lives and money.
Six girls working in factory pro-
dueing aluminium articles were burn
ed to death when fire aluminium dust
from their bufhng machines exploded
IN &bo;r fa coc with concusSiOn heard