Mookie I can't believe if it was nat gas, why didn't someone smell it? ... Sounded like both people were "older" - any thoughts you care to share?
Here's a little fact of which I was unaware until my brother's motorhome blew up nine years ago: older folks have diminished ability to smell the mercaptan odorant added to natural gas or propane. Also, the odorants will react with iron and weaken and it is common practice in commissioning new gas lines to introduce a higher concentration of odorant at the beginning to "season" the lines, as it were. Propane that has rested for several years in a steel tank will lose a lot of its odor.
The motorhome was blown apart but the three people inside survived, though there followed some serious hospital time for each of them. I learned a lot of stuff from dealing with the aftermath that frankly I could have just as soon not. At least my sister's motorhome gas detector was repaired as a result of that little event.
I would hazard a guess that older folks should have an explosive gas detector installed, which of course I don't, but should.
A few years back, a utility crew in a small town near us cut an underground pipe between a propane tank and a house. When they saw what they had done, they packed up and left, apparently hoping no one would notice. for some reason, the house's basement then filled up with propane. When the furnace or water heater kicked on the house blew up. Every 4 or 5 years a house blows up in a rural area in these parts due to propane. They are usually leveled.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
tree68The news article I read indicated that there were several dig permits issued in the area recently. I would opine that an underground leak which found its way into the house in question might well have been sufficiently filtered of its odorant to be less detectable.
Reminiscent of an Allentown PA explosion a few years ago that Paul North supplied some insight on, seepage into a residence from (if I recall) a failing line external to the structure.
I remember the Gas Utility commercial that had the jingle, "GAS DOES THE BIG JOB'S BETTER." To which the electric utility workers would always add, "BOOM"
Murphy Sidingfor some reason, the house's basement then filled up with propane.
The leaking gas probably just followed the tubing into the house. Propane is heavier than air and will seek out low areas - something firefighters are aware of and treat accordingly.
Natural gas is lighter than air, thus will fill a structure, or simply dissapate if there is nothing to hold it.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Mookiea very nice, newer home in south Lincoln - blew up - whole house! Badly injured 2 people;
Still very critical.
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
afternoon
Muggy here in Nw Ohio.Ns was clear when I left work.Matt went uptown and mowed.Csx sent an eastbound ethanol train.chores to do here at home.
stay safe
Joe
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
Joe,
Migrate about 100 miles north. The 'Big Ponds' make a lot of difference in mitigating weather changes.
Norm
Was north of the border on Sunday.Pen pal was looking around the area to get pictures.He wanted to get a train running under the catenary on the former DT&I.I haven't heard if he was succesful or not.He said he was going to Chicago today.Going back to the west coast Friday.Off to work we go.
joe
https://youtu.be/iMcu4AefhhY
City of Glenwood Springs and CDOT find new (and dramatic) way to delay Amtrak 5 & 6
Don't blame the Yellow Peril for being pissed about this. Wiped out the main track and the siding after multiple assurances that UP would not be harmed.
mudchickenmultiple assurances that UP would not be harmed.
Now you know why railroaders don't take rubber-tired highway bubbas at their word.
What still strikes me as funny is that this has happened before (114 years ago) at or very close to the same spot.
"OOPS!" ain't gonna cut it here.
got some rain.Very muggy.Ns ran a westbound stack train after work.Mamma says order out for supper.Going to go fetch.
I hope they clean that stuff off the tracks piling-haste! That may have awakened a few people...
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
Nice outside.Ns had some cars uptown.Great Nephew is just leaving for Toledo for his birthday party.Going to get some stuff for weekend project.Mother nature might rain on us tomorrow.Other chores to do.
We moved our youngest son to college this morning at the University of S.D. in Vermillion, South Dakota. The house is going to be a lot quieter now. Driving home from the 135 years old university, my wife asked "Why do you suppose they built that college 5 miles away from the interstate?". What is less than a one hour drive by car today was probably a 3 hour ride by train 100+ years ago. It could have been all Milwaukee Road with one change of trains, or Great Northern then Milwaukee Road. I wonder if there were any kind of college specials run back then for repeat customers.
Murphy - I can identify with Lisa. On a short road trip, I told my driver that my right arm in the window would get sunburned. But, on the way home, I could sit in the same seat and brown up my left arm.
Sounded perfectly logical to me at the time.
Your house will never be quiet and in a matter of a few weeks, he will be home for the holidays. Happy laundry.
After doing a bunch of "unannounced" tests yesterday, today I brought the "Choo Choo Open" train from Utica to Thendara. It's an annual event - a round of golf followed by a banquet, and usually accompanied by adult beverages from departure to arrival back in Utica that night.
The passengers were well behaved, despite a number of them who enjoyed a liquid breakfast...
Another crew took them home tonight.
Hey Mookie- Are you far enough south to go train watching in the dark on Monday?
Hey Murphy - sure! We railfan in the dark as soon as the days get colder. We go about 5-6a. Colder than snot, too!
Tree - that sounds like a fun trip to me and I don't even know how to golf. The rest would require a little thinking back, but who's not up for a train ride.
Murphy Siding We moved our youngest son to college this morning at the University of S.D. in Vermillion, South Dakota. The house is going to be a lot quieter now. Driving home from the 135 years old university, my wife asked "Why do you suppose they built that college 5 miles away from the interstate?". What is less than a one hour drive by car today was probably a 3 hour ride by train 100+ years ago. It could have been all Milwaukee Road with one change of trains, or Great Northern then Milwaukee Road. I wonder if there were any kind of college specials run back then for repeat customers.
morning
Went for a walk this morning.No one caught the big fish.Did see q 166 come by with a CP/Up consist.Going to take cars uptown.Great niece and friends are doing a car wash for girl scouts. Matt will be driving the truck.Have a roast in the crockpot for supper.House is smelling good.Back to work tomorrow.
It got really dark-ish here for a bit. That pobably has more to do with a storm that dumped 4" of rain in about 2-1/2 hours than it does with an eclipse. Next storm through is due in about 10 minutes to add some hail to our rain. I've a feeling we're not in Kansas any more. Heck, the way it's raining, we might be in Houston.
It's noticably darker here at the max coverage we'll see. I've gone out with a "camera obscura" several times to check it out.
Trying to do some amateur radio stuff, part of research on how the eclipse will affect propogation. But the bands are really dead today.
Cloudus Obscurus for the Eclipse
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
tree68Trying to do some amateur radio stuff, part of research on how the eclipse will affect propogation.
The eclipse sure had an effect on my internet service today. Whenever something "big" happens in the US Eastern Time Zone we notice a slowdown in service, and about two to three hours ago was about as bad as I have ever seen it. Everything is so interconnected now, when one part of a page is slowed down, it slows down everyhing else. The Rochelle Web Cam worked OK once it loaded.
They say we experienced 81% coverage here and it was noticably darker for about 45 minutes or so.
Hope everyone is doing well.
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
BaltACD Cloudus Obscurus for the Eclipse
Yeah, it wasn't bad here for most of it, but I went out right after the max coverage here and the camera obscura was useless due to the high cloud cover.
evening
Had clouds obscure the eclipse here as well.Ns had a coal train to go east and the local was uptown.I came home and mowed the swamp.Rain tomorrow and highs in the 70's the rest of the week.I can handle that.
Anybody know if the lights came back on in Lincoln?
Murphy Siding Anybody know if the lights came back on in Lincoln? We use candles here in obscure city. Gets dark - light 'em. Gets light - well, you know. Beatrice NE - just down the road a piece - made national news. They had 100%, it was on our candle-power tv and I didn't even need to look out my window to enjoy it.
We use candles here in obscure city. Gets dark - light 'em. Gets light - well, you know. Beatrice NE - just down the road a piece - made national news. They had 100%, it was on our candle-power tv and I didn't even need to look out my window to enjoy it.
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