The hydraulic press., 1859-01-22
BLASTING ACCIDENTS.

have been devised with view to de-
creasing them. The most valuable pre-
ventive is certainly caution, but this is
the last one, almost, that the gold-seeker
will employ. Familiarity with the risk
Of a mining life renders him careless,
and in some thoughtless moment the
schemes of life time are suddenly
frustrated, and all the hopes that anima-
ted him are either quenched in death or
he is left to the worse fate of crippled
helplessness. There is large class of
casualties which depend upon contin-
gencies that cannot be foreseen; but the
greatest number Of mining accidents are
uniform in their character, resulting
from known causes and ght be gener-
ally avoided. Owing to ignorance, to
carelessness and to rash confidence,
they are, unfortunately not avoided, and
every journal, consequently, is laden with
daily accounts of awful injuries and
sudden deaths. A contemporary thinks
it perfectly safe to put down the number
of the killed among those brave soldier
in the battle of life, the miners, at four
hundred, or more than one day during
the year; and the number of those in
jured at some five or six hundred. But
the number has been estimated higher,
before now, and some three years since
was given at fourteen hundred! A
fearful record, and probably true one.
With the general introduction of tun-
neling, as an indispensable adjunct to
mountain mining, the frequency of ac-
cidents is bound to increase; and unless
something more than empty warnings
and adjurations to carefulness are en-
ployed, they cannot be prevented. The
largest number of accidents in certain
sections already result from blasting OPP
erations. In this vicinity, for instance,
there are at least two of thiskind to one
of every other description. Many eau
ses have been assigned for the premature
explosion of blasts, such as carelessness
in tamping, the use of iron rods instead
of copper ones, &C., &C.; and a late writer
attributes the whole matter to the ig-
norance of inexperienced blasters. The
causes are well enough understood, the
greater number of tunnelers being old
Cornish or Welch miners, yet it is
amongst these that most of the prema-
ture explosions occur. The whole ex-
perience Of the past teaches that men
will not be careful, and that the only
certain way to decrease the number of
these accidents is to make the occupation
itself less dangerous. We have before
now urged the miners to discard safety
fuse altogether, aud discharge blasts by
means of electricity, conveyed by wires
fixed in the drill-hole connected with
battery at safe distance.
This plan is now generally adopted
for extensive blasting operations, and
could doubtless be economically applied
to the smaller operations of our mines.
The manufacture and sale of portable
batteries of sufficient strength might be
made the source Of a large and profitable
business in this State, and by rendering
blasting perfectly safe would much ia
cilitate mining operations in those Sec
tions of the country where tunnels thro'
the rock are indispensable. Full direc-
lions could be furnished with each in
strument, as to its use, so that there
could be no failure for the want of proper
knowledge.
We can form no positive opinion as to
the cost, but are confident that such
batteries as would be needed could be
furnished at such price as would not
in the least impede their use.
Whowill be first to try the experiment,
and prove himself a public benefactor?
| GRAvE-Y.-Iti is the custom with our
County Surveyor, when leaving his Of
fee on business, torecord upon the slate
suspended upon the door, the place where
he NAV be found, or when he expects to