BUREAU OF CHEMISTRY. 281 



to the rolls of the Grain Corporation, only the leaders remaining 

 upon the roster of the Bureau of Chemistry. Active inspection 

 was carried on in mills and elevators in which the Grain Corporation 

 had wheat or stocks of flour in storage to secure the removal of haz- 

 ardous conditions and the installation of devices which have been 

 developed for the prevention of fires and explosions. Special litera- 

 ture," consisting of circulars, posters, and folders, was prepared and 

 circulated among the owners and employees of the mills and elevators 

 throughout the country. 



On September 18 a disastrous explosion occurred in a Kansas City 

 grain elevator, with a loss of 14 lives. The loss to the Grain Corpora- 

 tion was about $25,000, which represented almost the total losses from 

 such causes during the entire period of its existence. It never had 

 stocks of a value less than $100,000,000 on hand, and they often 

 amounted to $500,000,000, With the passing out of existence of the 

 Grain Corporation toward the end of the year, the force was disbanded 

 and the work discontinued. 



Owing to lack of funds, little work could be done to prevent 

 thrasher explosions and fires. Except for field demonstration, this 

 project is closed, but such work is urgently needed. For lack of it 

 a large number of explosions and fires occurred in the Walla Walla 

 territory in southwestern Washington, causing extensive damage to 

 grain and machines. Department Circular 98, The Installation of 

 Dust-Collecting Fans on Thrashing Machines, has been issued. 



For lack of funds the work upon the study of fires in cotton gins 

 was limited to correspondence and conferences with manufacturers of 

 macliinery, fire marshals, underwriters, and other interested parties. 



In cooperation with the National Lamp Works, the Westinghouse 

 and the Edison companies, it was demonstrated that dust explosions 

 can be caused by the breaking of any type of incandescent-lamp bulb. 

 Work was done at Cleveland, at the Edison plant at Harrison, at the 

 • Westinghouse plant at Bloomfield, and at the Pennsjdvania State 

 College. The object of the engineers of the lamp companies is to 

 develop equipment that will remove some of the dangers and make 

 it po.ssible to establish safe practice. 



PAPER, CONTAINERS, AND FABRICS. 



As reported in 1017, the investigations on blue-print paper have 

 been of service in establishing more solidly the manufacture of such 

 paper in this country, and it is now possible for the Government, and 

 engineers generall}', to procure in this country all the blue-print 

 paper needed, of a quality superior to that formerly obtained from 

 abroad. During the year, at the request of the Navy Department, 

 the specifications for blue- and brown-print paper were revised, after 

 which they were adopted liy the Naw Department. In a similar 

 manner the bureau was called upon by tlie AVar Department, Treasury 

 Department, Shipping Board, and the General Supply Committee. 

 An effort has been made toward the adoption throughout the Gov- 

 ernment service of uniform s]:)ecifications for the purchase of blue- 

 and l)rown-print ])aper, of which at least 500,000 i:)ounds are con- 

 sumed annually. Specifications for the production of water-resistant 

 papers for baling have been published. 



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