Evening star., 1923-03-11
ENGINEERS DEVISE CODE
TO REDUCE EXPLOSIONS
All Varieties of Pressure Tanks to Be
Safeguarded in Same Manner
as Steam Boilers.

INTENDING it's efforts beyond
r. the field of steam generation,
IL in which it has been engaged
since 1911, the boiler code
committee of the American Society
of Mechanical Engineers is framing a
code for unfired pressure vessels,
| planned to rank with the other ma
| tionally recognized safety codes in
wiping out hazards to human life,
cutting down property losses and
standardizing production.
! A multitude of familiar processes.
| industrial and mercantile, represent
ing a huge investment, will come
| within the provisions of the new
code, which deals with air tanks for
! all kinds of purposes. Countless
thousands of these tanks are in daily
use all over the country without the
| safeguard of inspection or other pre-
! caution. When the code goes into
| society's boiler code. which shields
! the public from the risks of the
steam boiler, it will be rapidly en-
| acted into law by states and cities.
Four Years in Preparation.
1
spent by leading engineers in the
preparation of the code. which. it is
expected, will be completed and sub
mitted to the society's council foI
final sanction this spring. The fin
ishing touches, it was announced
yesterday, await the result of tests
on fifty welded tanks now being con-
Quoted in Washington by the United
States bureau of standards under the
auspices of the American Welding
Society. Of which Prof. Comfort A.
Adams of Harvard University. former
chairman of the National Research
Council. is president
The code is being prepared by the
American Society of Mechanical En-
gineers at the request of various
ing part in the deliberations of the
boiler code committee. Great dan
ger TO human life and property ex-
lists as a result of the lack of in
spection. which the new code imposes,
according to the engineers.
States actively cooperating in car
rying on the work are New York.
New jersey. Pennsylvania, Delaware.
Michigan, California. Missouri, Ar
kansas, Oregon. Rhode Island. Wis
consin. Minnesota, Ohio. Indiana,
Oklahoma, Maryland and Utah. These
code of the society. as well as the
following cities: Philadelphia, Seat
tie Detroit, Nashville, St. Louis,
Scranton and Erie. Pa; Kansas City
and st. Joseph. Mo. Allegheny coun
ty, Pa. is also applying the rules
of the boiler code committee.
To Make GnraEes Safe.
Garages in which compressed air
IS used for pumping up tires are
frequent scenes Of violent tank eX-
plosions. which the new code is de-
signed TO eliminate. Several persons
were killed in Chicago recently in
this manner and there are numerous
similar records in other cities.
The tendency in a good many cities,
according to the boiler code commit
tee, of which John \. stevens of Low
ell, Mass, is chairman, is to impose
special rules on garage air tanks.
In Chicago, Detroit and the states
of Ohio and California such rules
exist. In New York and other states
garage air tanks are not inspected
and probably will not be until the
new code comes into force.
The laundy, in which explosions of
mangles are not uncommon, is an
other type Of work shop in which the
rules will apply. The laundry man |
gle the engineers say, may become