The workingman's advocate., 1869-12-04
W ElAeN ~ 4
THE MINER.
The Living Tomb Of Avondale.
IC0NCLUDED.

was more than once discussed by some 0
the workmen but under such companies
is well understood that ideas and opinion
which are likely to become expensive if car
ried out, are better held back than ex
pressed It is a bad thing for a mer
workman to interfere with the ventiatin,
arrangements, or anything else in which hi
own safety and that of bis fellows is con
cerned for after such interference, hi
bread and butter costs him more sweat
Mining bosses do not like fault finders, anC
they find means of ridding themselves o
them at the earliest opportunity. lgnO
rance Of the daily Perilous position Of The
Avondale miners can not be taken up as +;
plea by the great coal corporation owning
the mne. The managers were well aware
that two shafts were necessary but thi
company is not alone in this matter, for th,
same sort Of an accident may take place a
any moment at many of the mines in tn
Wilkesbarre and Scranton regions, owing t
the same criminal cause.-The neglect t
provide two district outlets to each cOlliery
There are many mines whose only shat
and outlet is covered over by a superstruc
ture Of timber-work, which would burn lik,
matchwood, were it to take fire by any ac
cident. The gases form a burning
breaker built over a shafts mouth would
enter a mine and suffOcate the inmates il
precisely the same way that those were suf
focatcd at Avondale.
AZ -
AUoRdaIe and endeavor to picture the pos.
ton Of the unfortunate sufferers.
First let me explain that the case
coming off a ventlating furnace will no
often support combustion, owing to tbl
oxygen having changed its form in promo
ting combustion at the furnace. The hea
at the same time may be ample to igniti
any combustble material away off at a dig
tance, provided fresh air is fed to it. a,
Avondale the heated gases entered thI
shaft in an impure state, which may bavi
been the reason why the catastrophe wal
postponed until the time it took place. Tb.
heat in the meantime would be increasing
in the shaft day after day, and shoul
there hy any means have been a pOiul
where fresh air was admitted-which might
have been at the tunnel situated a certaiiI
distance up the shaft-there, with ths
temperature sufficiently high, the confagr;I
ton would begin, resulting as we all know
how.
Imagine yourself at the bottom Of shai
partially built Of timber, and this shaft
break out suddenly in flame. The cry 4
fire then would ring 4 death knell in you;
ear
As the hot flames spread in the shat
above you, AMI as the sitting gases camS
down and warned you to retreat to a morf
remote part Of your tomb, picture whds
would be the state of your feelings in THU
situation You would retreat; the deadlS
gases like the dread simeon Of the Africal:
desert would follow. Go where you wouldt
they would in time reach you and seal yor9
fate, as soon as they would become suffS
cientlv difused throughout the atmosphere
of the mine. You might use all the meana
il your power to promote your own safetys
it would be useless You would meet wits
your comrades and unite with them to r&
sst as much as possible your impending
fate. Death would still crawl in and taHss
first one and then the others Of you in tHE
order that your constitutional vigdt
admitted Of; but die you must, consoi
yourself as you best may. If you have sax
walton Of your eternal part insured juA
then, happily for you. If not it should II
sought on the spot This should always III
the miners chief hope. As you felt death
approach-as would be the case with ydt
if at Avondale-frst silencing one and thd4
another Of your companions you might Ei,
looking for your own turn but with Whit
feelings? 4 good Christian, you wouE
think Of your future state; Of the compa3
ions dying around you; of those you weA
leaving at home helpless behind you Of tae
bright sky hidden from you by prison waE.,
50 thick and 50 cruel Of your past y(:l
would think, and Of the opportunities to y
good you have neglected. 4 H. what wou,t
you not think Of dying thus, -ay be,
your vigor, with all your faculties stro1y
within YOU. Oh but for the pure air p
breathe just then, and for TO lire for tHs
sake Of the dear ones at home. This wis
not to be so with those at Avondaf.
Death chuckled while be gathered in y
harvest without interruption.
To conclude my subject, it will not H
out of place to remark, that the gases ~
sulting from combustion Of coal at brisll
furnace are mainly carbonic acid or carbont;
oxide with vapor, water and sulphuross
acid and some other volatile substance4
None of these gases will support combut
ton, but carbonc oxide is eminently cor3-
bustible when heated highly, and miA@sl
with the requisite amount Of fresh air. TRis
gas is formed abundantly when fresh fuel 4.
laid on the top Of a brisk fire, and if this !s
carried along fue or up shaft, and 5
bea. maintained, it will consume instang-
neousIy when brought into contact wifi
pure air, producing at the same time an et-
plosion. From the evidence given y
Avondale, it seems clear 70 me that cat-
bonic oxide gas generated at the turna$
and carried up the hhaft a certain dlstanc9,
where it came in contact with stream y
air, must have been at the bottom of thts
disaster for a slight explosion was exPs
perienced in the engine room, near tFA
mouth Of the shaft when the conhagratidn
began. 7. ii. w. Z
AsHLAsD, Penus,l,anl,, NOv,m er, 1863.
GUTTA PERCHA CEMENT.-Dissolve u
quantity Of gutta percha in chloroform, I,
quantity TO make fluid of the consistendL
Of honey When spread it will dry in n
few moments Heat the surfaces at 6A,
OF gas flame until soitened, and apply thessn
together. Small patches Of leather can he
thus cemented on boots, &C., 50 as almdst
to defy detection, and some shOemakdts
employ It with great success for this purpoA.
1t is water proof, and will answer almtst
anywhere unless exposed to heat which WI
soften it