Stopping the Smut Explosions
Innovation in threshing technology saved Washington farmers from fire and financial ruin.
E. J. Doneen of Oakesdale reports five years without a single threshing fire, thanks to the installation of a smut fan, aspirator, and grounded wiring system. Previously, static electricity often ignited grain smut, causing dangerous explosions. The new equipment, developed with the help of extension specialist George L. Zundel, clears dust from the separator and saves farmers from heavy market dockage fees due to smut contamination. Doneen notes the system has saved him up to five cents a bushel by improving crop quality.
“Mr. Doneen is firmly convinced that fires are unnecessary when machines are properly equipped.”
This report captures the intersection of industrial safety and agricultural science, showing how early 20th-century 'tech' solutions directly protected the livelihood of rural workers.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.