324 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[August i, 1901. 



the inquest failed to discover. There was close questioning by 

 the coroner as to the notices against smoking, and on this 

 point the firm were able to give satisfactory answers. Nowa- 

 days, what with employers' liability and other ropes round his 

 neck, the manufacturer cannot take too much care to see that 

 he safeguards his interests sufficiently, and it cannot be con- 

 sidered as a waste of time or labor to go beyond experience 

 and to investigate possibilities. 



In a recent important trial for damage done to surrounding 

 property by an explosion, the jury held that the nature of the 

 chemical products should have been investigated, and although 

 this may sound like laying down a law difficult to comply with, 

 it is clear that if this view obtains general acceptance those 

 who make and those who use chemicals will not be able to 

 shelter themselves in the future comfortably under the plea of 

 ignorance. It is difficult to see how any manufacturer who 

 causes an explosion by unscientific or careless handling of vola- 

 tile vapors can expect to escape from the consequence there- 

 of. Despite newspaper rnferences to pent up forces suddenly 

 and mysteriously coming 'into action there has been nothing 

 about the recent explosions which have taken place in England 

 which is not immediately explainable by theory and there can 

 be no doubt that in the future the manufacturer will be held 

 more responsible for pleading ignorance of this theory than 

 has been the case in the past. Scientific matters are not, of 

 course, immediately assimilable by those who have had no 

 scientific training, and the fact that expert advice has been 

 sought cannot fail to have weight in any case of disaster aris- 

 ing. 



Lack of attention to matters of ordinary precaution, such as 

 the posting of notices relating to lights, to smoking, etc., can 

 easily be remedied, and the more general labelling of casks 

 containing volatile liquids with warning notices as to lights 

 suggests itself as desirable. A point which has sometimes given 

 rise to trouble in rubber works is the disposal of waste bisul- 

 phide of carbon liquor. I have known of cases where this has 

 got into drains and been fired by steam pipes, and where it has 

 been fired on accumulating in places where the damage done 

 was really serious. Every precaution should, therefore, be 

 taken to see that its ultimate disposal is carried out with due 

 prudence and foresight. A word may fitly be said with regard 

 to the volatility of naphtha used in spreading. There is a ten- 

 dency at the present day to use more volatile naphtha than 

 was the case ten or twenty years ago, and it may be that the 

 risk of fire or explosion in the work rooms is increased. I do 

 not myself know that the risk is really greater than formerly, 

 and incline to the opinion that with proper ventilation there 

 need be no danger of explosion at all whatever may be the case 

 with inflammability by electric spark. Certainly the light 

 naphthas are now being generally used with as much immunity 

 from disaster as before, and the point is only referred to on ac- 

 count of some remarks recently made to me on the subject by 

 a rubber manufacturer. As a rule, spreading is carried on in 

 rooms plentifully supplied with windows, and it would be diffi- 

 cult for the atmosphere to assume explosive proportions; 

 where, however, the ventilation is not of the best the use of a 

 fan or a Roots blower as an auxiliary is often advisable. 



The use of naphtha recovery plant has made but little head- 

 way, though the removal and condensation of the fumes en- 

 tirely prevents the dangerous accumulation of vapors. An 

 addendum should be made to this statement in the form of a 

 warning as to the likelihood of danger arising from a stoppage 

 of the recovery process. A recovery plant which was gener- 

 ally employed in the case of the hat works was at the time of 

 the explosion not at work, and though the process itself could 



not be blamed in any way directly for the catastrophe, the fact 

 must be remembered that where recovery processes are in 

 operation vapors accumulate rapidly. Should then any acci- 

 dent happen to the machinery and means of ventilation not be 

 at hand the situation of course becomes one of peril. An 

 instance of this is to be seen in the explosions which have 

 occurred in uncaloring machines which have been boxed in 

 under the new Factory Act regulations. Under the old open 

 air system explosions never occurred, though fires were not 

 unknown ; now, however, if the strap happens to come off the 

 fan when work is in progress it only takes a few minutes for 

 an explosive atmosphere to collect. It seems to be imperative, 

 therefore, that in all recovery plants effective means of ventila- 

 tion should be at hand to avert danger arising from any stop- 

 page. An apology is due, I feel, for the desultory nature of this 

 article, but it is hoped that the points touched upon will prove 

 of sufficient interest to justify their insertion in The India 

 Rubber World. 



Manchester, England. 



CHICLE AND CHEWING GUM. 



THE New York Sun, in an article on Chicle, says: " The 

 largest chewing gum company in America has recently 

 acquired 2,500,000 acres of land in Yucatan [a district in Mex- 

 ico] and is working it as a source of supply. The company's 

 managers take the workmen in from Vera Cruz." The customs 

 figures supply these details as to imports, in pounds, for the 

 last two fiscal years ; 



The Sun's article would give the impression that the export 

 trade in Chicle chewing gum had attained large proportions, 

 particularly to South Africa, where it is said to have become 

 popular with the British soldier. The official export figures, 

 however, while showing that shipments have been made to 

 many different countries, give small totals. The exports are 

 given as follows : 



1894. 1895. 1896. 1897. 1898. l8gg. igoo. 



$2658. $1700. $289. Nil. $805. $19,991. $8725. 



In the year for which the largest figures are given Great Brit- 

 ain took $10,920 worth; Canada $3207; Mexico $1869; and 

 British Africa $1 178. Last year Canada took $3384 worth, and 

 the other countries named, almost none. The manufacture of 

 chewing gum in Canada last year called for 330,082 pounds of 

 Chicle, which was imported from the United States. 



The June Bulletin of the Bureau of American Republics 

 says: "On May 8, in New York, 2,000,000 pounds of gum 

 Chicle were purchased by the American Chicle Co., the price 

 being about 40 cents a pound, or $800,000 in all." The state- 

 ment would possess more interest if accompanied by details to 

 aid in its verification. 



The annual meeting of stockholders of the American Chicle 

 Co. was held at Jersey City on July 16. The old board of direc- 

 tors was reelected. The directors also reelected the retiring 

 officers. There was no financial statement submitted at the 

 meeting. 



