EXPLOSIVE PROPERTIES OFFLOUR.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3505, 30 September 1882, Page 4

EXPLOSIVE PROPERTIES OFFLOUR.

Professor Tobin, of Louisville, Kentucky, has for some time been engaged in studying the explosive qualities possessed by dust of Tarious kinds, particularly wood, coal and flour. Eecently be delivered a lecture on tha subject which considerably astonished tho worthy millers who had sssembWl to hear him. The audience manifested some incredulity, and the lecturer was requested to try several samples of flour selected by them, the result being always in bis favour. Finally be asked if anyone present had in his possession some flour, and the President, Mr Pofcts, of Richmond, handed a sample box lot of his best production. Professor Tobin, placing this into his apparatus, produced a greater flash from it than in previous cases, amidst a round of applause. The millers were convinced by the brilliant experiments that their mills are a near relative to powder magazines, nitro-glycenne

storehouses, Nihilist bombs, &c. Professor Tobin dwelt at. length upon tho subject of explosions in flourmills, particularly on the terrible catastrophe at Minneapolis, by which three huge mills were levelled to the ground in a few seconds, and concluded as follows :—' I cinnot refrain from asking your attention to a fact that has appeared to my mind again and again. Perchance it may throw light on the prime causes of these disasters, and suggest means for their prevention. It is known that fine flour will absorb moisture and deprive the atmosphere of its natural humidity. The air of a flour mill is usually very dry. Could wo have had a register of the state of the atmosphere in the unfortunate Washburn mill immediately preceeding the explosion, I doubt not that it would have shown a marked absence of humidity. I bring now before you a little instrument that can be purchased at any optican's store for a few dollars. Its modest title is the " wet-bulb thermometer," and it shows at a glance how much moisture the atmosphere of any place contains at any given time. I recommend the placing of these in mills, and a constant watch kept upon their indications. Should the air become dry abnormally from either natural or artificial causes, inject live steam from your boilers into the open mill, into the shafts and elsewhere, and in a few minutes the thermometer will tell the story of safety. I am told by competent millers that, a moist atmosphere is conducive to making a whiter nnd better grade of flour. If so, it is desirable to acquire such on this account only, but in addition to this yon evade one cause, if not the prime cause, of explosion and destruction.'