Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1852-1853, 1853-06-23
VOL. X---NO. Al.
WIRE GAUzE AND rrRR DAME yxpIoa,ow

j MEssRs EDIroRs-My attention Was dr.,,,,
: TO an article in the Scientific American Of IL
, ZIsi ut, in regard TO the probable cause Of 6r.
uamP explosions, as established bv the invcssi-
: gallons which have been made IN ENGLAND ~
iele' IN winch investigations il was stated 70 ori
ginale ottentimes through the carelessne,s Of sh,
miners, In lighting their pipes, by sucking the
i'lne tnlougrlhe WIRE gauze which surrounds
.ne lamp now used by them. The statement,
thus set forth is scientific oversioht -
quite confident, not only from the fnoyeIedvs
with which my own chemical and phiIosonh;csl
atlanments have mado me acquainted, but also
me experiments which have had occasion n.
make whilst investigating the properties of the
so,called hre-dalnp, or more properly carbure.
lea hydrogen. Some time since, while exrari
inenting with this compound gas, I was led 10
inquire, amongst other things, to what extent ~.
lniamed current of this gas could be made To-
traverse piece Of gauze without re-ignitine
upon The opposite end Of the scme. The en-.
Periments 10 the attainment Of the desired end
were numerous, and some were quite complies.
teu' put the most simple was TO me the most
conclusive of them all, and that was merely th;..
"A jet proceeding from reservoir containing
the gaseous compound under examination WAS
ihlamed; upon this burning jet depressed a
tuoe oil some IL inches ia diameter the Iow-
er end OF which was covered with fine Ere
gauze The same kind of that employed by Davv
IN 'he construction Of his safety-lamp), and cf
some considerable length; the tube acting "A = :
chimney TO furnace, created great draft Of
tne burning gas through the gauze, but for all
.hls draft, there was no ignition within the tube.
DO you say that there was no supporter Of corr Il
bustion within? | answer, that the atraos osDheyia
ali accompanied the gas in its entrance into thu
.uoe' as II that was all it required, it was theres
Out no, the settled fact, since the immortal dis
coVerer' that 1t was the conductabiIity Of tho
wire gauze that relieved the flame uf is ineau-
1escence, notwithstanding the great impetus Oh u
ven by the draft created. Now let us substi-
lutte Tor the reservoir the lamp and the gauge AZ
-he tube-the gauze which surrounds The lh.,v
of the mlner-his pipe answers admirably for
our tube in creating artificial draft, according
10 The specifications Of the proposition, and
here we have the whole matter lust as Il IL
right at our fingers end. / think, were the
knowing ones across the big waters, who per-
petrated this scientific wonder, to make this
simple experiment, they would not hesitate for
moment to acknowledge it as such.
The article to which our correspondent re-
ers, was, as stated, an extract from the opinion
expressed by Commission of Mine Inspectors.
The cause OF explosions in mines where the
wire gauze lamp is used, is owing more, we be-
ieve, to miners taking off their covers to light
heir pipes, than to sucking the fame through
he gauze. But at the same time, we believe that
langer is to be apprehended from flame drawn
n the form Of cone, thrtu ugh sheet Of wire
yauze into an atmosphere Of carburetted hydro
irogen, saturated with air.--ScIentyfc dmeTieGR.