jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed because someone in charge wanted to save money. I watched a video last night about the "New London School Gas Explosion."

Oil was discovered in 1930 near New London, TX. That breathed much-need life into the area. One of the first things the town did was build a new school. No expense was spared on this steel and brick structure, costing $19 million in today's dollars. Unfortunately, the school board decided to save money on the heating system. The school was designed for oil heat, but the board switched to gas. That led to complications. They brought in someone to make the changes and adapt the system for gas. He was just "someone." They canceled their contract with the local gas company and went with a cheaper company. This company got its gas for free from the oil refineries. It was the unrefined waste oil that the refineries generally burnt off.

The fittings leaked gas right from the beginning. No one gave much thought to why people were getting headaches and getting sick. The gas had no odor. Over time, a large amount of gas built up in the basement. When a shop teacher turned on an electric motor in 1933, the whole building blew up. Over three hundred people were killed, most being unrecognizable. Condolences poured in from around the world. Even Adolph Hitler sent them a note.

An investigation revealed the many actions that led to this disaster, and the parents filed a lawsuit. Naturally, no one was found liable.

Finding no one liable is typical of disasters. No matter what people did to directly cause the destruction and death, it is rare that anyone is punished. If someone is brought to trial, he is acquitted. If he is found guilty, the sentence is suspended. If he is sentenced to prison, the sentence is commuted, or the verdict is overturned. It is slightly different in other countries, with those who cause disasters being held somewhat responsible - sometimes.

That's the end of my rant.

Ollieboy

The gas used in the 1930's was "manufactured gas" made from coal. It was literally poison to breath. Today's natural gas is non toxic. In NYC the regulations for natural gas in Public schools is one of the strictest in the country, maybe from the previously discussed tragedy. The safety controls and procedures used are redundant, redundant and redundant for good reason. Till this day no work can be done on gas lines or equipment with students in the building.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Up till that time, there was no unpleasant smell added to natural gas.

Ollieboy

That was definitely manufactured gas in that accident. Natural gas does not give headaches. Mercaptin is the odorant added at the gate stations to supply the mains. Just think that there is NO odorant in the transmission lines running as 300 psi throughout the country.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Whatever exploded, it came from the oil company as waste gas.

bikinkawboy Loc: north central Missouri

The “waste gas” from the refineries may have been more or less LPG, or liquified propane gas. Propane is one of many naturally occurring components of crude oil, some of the other light fractions being butane, heptane, octane and pentane. Refining processes are used to increase the volume of those constituents.

Natural gas is not save to breath. It displaces oxygen and you suffocate just like LPG will do. Lethargy and headaches are the initial symptoms due to reduced oxygen. The biggest difference is that NG is lighter than air and in an open environment, it goes up, meaning folks on the ground don’t suffocate. LPG is heavier than air and accumulates in low areas, valleys or basements. There it will suffocate people and a spark will ignite it, something as simple as the static electricity shock you get when you exit your car in the winter will set it off.

Natural gas would not have accumulated in the basement of the school but LPG would have. Were the explosion caused by NG, the top of the building would have been blown off. If it blew from the bottom up, it’s unlikely it was NG.

Manufactured gas from coal is acetylene, just like used in a cutting torch. And it stinks. It was common in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for lighting in towns. Most sites of the old gas plants are now on EPAs 319 list, sites that are too polluted to be used for most purposes. Creosote and dioxin are the two biggies at gas plant sites.

And main line natural gas pipelines run more like 1,450 psi. I have one gas and two crude oil pipelines running across my farm and right now I’m dealing with all three on a construction job elsewhere. Pipeline safety is something I preach to trainees all of the time. If you make one mistake, you usually aren’t around to make a second one.

bikinkawboy Loc: north central Missouri

Oh, natural gas is methane, same as swamp gas, coal mine gas and farts. In confined areas, all of those will kill you because natural gas IS deadly.

The sulfur stink in an egg fart is sulfur dioxide. Both crude oil and natural gas contain it in various concentrations. Generally NG doesn’t stink but some crude oils have large amounts and can be smelled miles away. Unfortunately a person’s nose loses its ability to detect sulfur dioxide after a few minutes exposure. Far too many farmers have died after pumping out a manure pit and going down into it. They think the methane has risen and floated away and they no longer smell the egg stink, but their nose has went numb and like LPG, the sulfur dioxide sinks to the bottom. It too displaces oxygen.

I don’t mean to belabor the point, but natural gas WILL kill you, so DON’T take the chance. I’m sure I’ll get criticized for my long spiel, but if it saves one person’s life, then bring it on.

sourdough58 Loc: Maine

Very interesting thank you.

edwdickinson Loc: Ardmore PA

"Today's natural gas is non-toxic" Ollie? I don't think that's right, I'm pretty sure in a closed environment filled with nat gas you will die.

badapple Loc: Twin Lake, Michigan

I’m sure we will find and punish those responsible for Covid 😎.

edwdickinson Loc: Ardmore PA

They've already been executed to prevent any chance of their talking.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Organ doners.

stanlittle Loc: Oakland, Arkansas

My Grandfather and a couple of my uncle's helped in the recovery.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

Should be a warning somewhere: Don't fart while smoking!