This Destructive, Gnawing Fire, in a Mammoth Cirain Elevator 



When the big grain elevator at St. Bernard, Ohio, caught fire, it was a year later before the fianies 

 were finally quenched. The fire worked its way to the very bottom of the grain bins. Water seemed 



Preventing Dust Explosions and Fires 

 in Grain-Separators 



UNUSUAL interest has been awakened 

 in the Pacific Northwest during tlie 

 last two seasons by tlie large number of 

 fires and explosions in grain-separators. 

 These fires and explosions were most 

 frequent in the wheat-growing territory in 

 eastern Wasliington and northern Idaho. 

 Similar explosions have occurred in scat- 

 tered localities throughout the territory 

 lying west of the Mississippi River. 



A SmUttlusI rxliloM..!: in 1 in ■ ..ihlTW I'lu phcilii 



graph was taken ul the inslunl ol llie explusion and lire 



For some time the Dtpartmeiit of 

 Agriculture has been studying dust explo- 

 sions in grain mills, elevators, and similar 

 plants. The close relation of thre>her 

 expl()si(jns to the general stutly of grain- 

 dust explosions led to the inauguration of 

 a special in\'estigation of this allied problem 

 in the northwestern tiekl during the 11)15 

 season. As a result of this study one hun- 

 dred and sixty-six tires were in\esligaled 

 and reported. 



The investigation indicated that the 

 wheat crop c o n t a i 11 e d a 

 large ])ercentage of smut (a 

 torm of \er\- line, dry dust) 

 and that tlie explosions and 

 lires in man\- cases were due 

 to the formation of an explo- 

 si\e n)ixluri' oi snmt-dust and 

 fc^ J air and ihe igniliiin of this 



niixlure by sialic electricil>' 

 (hiring the lhre>hing opera- 

 lions. In almost all cases the 

 llame from the explosion and 

 tire was blown into the straw 

 |)ile, and in m;in\- instances 

 >pread to llu- slacki'd grain 

 .m<l also In llie nnlhri'sluti 

 grain in ihe field. .'\s a resllll 

 several hundred .uri's nf 



884 



