TOPICS OF THE DAY
ANOTHER illustration of the explosive qualities of flour dust was recently furnished by a Leavenworth miller, who endeavored to make an inspection of the contents of a flour bin by means of a lantern. The dust came in contact with the flame and an explosion followed. Fortunately, for this particular miller, the dust in the bin was of comparatively small volume, and his only injury was the loss of a fine beard, a suit of clothes, and some bad burns about the face and neck. The accident was a fortunate one, too, as its bad results were so slight, in that it gives warning to other millers, some of whom have grown equally careless through long familiarity with flour dust. That this dust will explode when properly mixed with air, is generally known, but it appears is not so generally realized.
THE hand grenade fiend seems to have reached the old continent with his bottle delusion. Following is a glowing account of a “packed” exhibition that we have received : “ It gives us great pleasure to record another panacea against fire. This time the invention is made in Bockenheim, in Germany, and called * death to fire.’ Rank, wealth, nobility and beauty gathered around the frame building to be sacrificed, which had been tarred and soaked with petroleum. It was ignited according to programme, and when the fire was intensest the inventor appeared, and with the contents of only three bottles, which he emptied into the flames, he suddenly squelched the conflagration. And yet millions of dollars are annually wasted on fire brigades!”
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