The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-11-26


gushes and, in the end, dies. The air that
is inspired is different from that which j.
expired, a chemical change having been ef-
tccJed during It's short stay in the lungs,
which renders it unfit for the purposes of
respiration until purified. Air Is indebted
for It NJ supporting qualities 70 the pres
ence vygen, which is absorbed by the
blood though the walls forming the finely
divided and extended passages. The
oxygen, meeting with the, 50 to speak, su-
pertluous carbon of the blood, combines with
It, and carbonic acid is produced, which is
thrown off by the succeeding contraction of
the chest. Carbou;c acid is not merely a
non-Supporter Of animal life, but i actually
poisonous. Respiration, therefore, vitiatcs
the atmosphere in two ways by exhaust
ing its life sup ortjng element, aud by gen
Grating a compound which is both non-sup-
porting and positively deadly to animal ex-
Istence. Hence arises, under all cIcum
stances, tie necessity at removing the ctiete
and corrupted air aui OF introducing fresh
and pure supply. This il the office Of ven
tilation. Thanks 70 the rapid advance Of
popular, scientific education, there are few
nowadays who do I'D, possess some insight
into the advantage aUl necessity of 40 IN
dehed atmosphere III which To I've ana move
and have their benz. Tile i8ot is recognized
III a THOUSAND different ways. Dwelling
houses, sIeepiu- apartments, halls for public
assembla-e, H.. &c., and, above all, work
shops and factories aIr Low seldom consd-
cred completely VI satisfactorily constructed
unless provided With means, more or less
ample, fur ventilation. AS tie sequel viii
show, there exists a 40 lass advantage Or a
greater necessity for the adequate yentila-
ton Of mines than in workshops, &C., above
ground lin fact, the benefit aud need there
in are, if anything, more self evident and
import nt-yet, nowhere Is there a greater
contradiction between theory and practice !;
mines being, as q rule HI ibis country, the
most imperfectly ventilated places Of in
dustry.
ln common with all other places in which
human beings OF animals partially or wholly
LIVE, q Minis is subject, as has been Just
stated, to the necessity for ventilation. In
addition, however, to the ordinary products
of respiration, which render the atmosphere
of a coal mine unfit for the support of life,
there are other dangerous, noxious and dead
ly gases imperatiyely requiring to be swept
away, which are generated in the process Of
working the coal or are ezuded from It. OF
Jhu former are the resuitants Of combustion
IN lamps and Of The use Of guDpowder OF
other Y plosive agents, both Of which are
mainly e-rbonir acl-anl of the latter are
clrburetcl hydrogen. I. fra-damp" and
carLonic acid choke-damp." 1t is thus
% be seen that the fatal carbonic acid is
present in the air Of q mine in unusually
dlsProportIonatcly large quantities. Now
anu again It suddenly ovcrpowers hfe, but,
1t all times, 1t ~ relcntlessIy, insidiousy
nd surely swapping Ode health OF the oper-
alive, # suitable and adequate means for its
constant removal and substitution by fresh
ar are not adopted. Fortunately the seams
Of coal being brought IN Illinois are exempt
from that terrible, fatal scourge, FIRE damp,
whose victims are legion. In one English
district alone, during the last eighteen
months, nearly two hundred coalminers
have persisted from this cause, and tbe mem
Org Of the Oaks disaster, in the same coun
try, wherein close upon four hundred we're
ushered into eternity at one fell swoop, Is
still fresh. The effects of choke damp may
be less evident and startling than those Of
tirc-damp, not being generally either 50
awtully sudden or, apparently, 50 extensive,
but hey are, in the end, equally as certain
aud, perhaps, cause an equal number Of
deaths. No man can constantly work ID an
atmosphere impregnated with carbonic acid
with impunity. Death must ensue sooner
or later though the time Of its arrival NAV
be postponed. Meanwhile the enervation it
produces lncapacitates a man for putting
forth bis full powers, his wonted cxertions
are paralyzed to obtain a sufiiciency for the
maintenance Of himself and those dependent
upon him be must prolong Bis hours ofdaily
labor, thus increasing the evil-his health
fails, and poverty and death stare his flmi-
ly in the face. This is no fancied picture
Any one acquainted with the condition of
miners whose employment leads them into
Ill ventilated mines can vouch for lis strict
accuracy. An inundation esgulphs many
a precious life, but the numbers lost a. not
exceed the total Of those drowned through
out the year by ones or twos. The hidden
and deceitful harbiDger Of death is to be As
surely and guardedly prevented as the buL
let or knife Of tie assassin.
There are many crafts which, like mining.
give off noxious vapors whilst being carried
on. Such are many Of the various manu-.
features which depend upon chemical opera
tiOns,-as soapmaking, and others that
readily suggest themselves The buildings
wherein these are prosecuted admit Of easy
ventilation. Frequently all that is necessa-
" is u allow them full exposure to the>un-
restrained action of tile winds, which speed
lily and thoroughly effect the desired result
without expense or assistance. Even ia those
instances which, either from the nature Of
the pursuit OF fer the protection of the work
men, require the edifoes to be more or less
excluded from the direct influences of the
weather, few simple, inexpensive, easily
available and common sense appliances Ire
all that are needed to secure proper ventla-
ton. 1t is not so with the mine. The most
boisterous hurricane or the gentlest zephyr
is equally incficacious to ventilatc it. Air
will not spontaneously, a. it we're, descend
mine, circulate through ~ innermost re-
eesses, and, sweeping before It the ef4ete at-
mosphere pervading below, carry it forth in
its ascent. Moreover, choke damn i. sneci.
tically, one Of the heaviest gases known,
thus causing it to grayitate to the lowest
depths and to resist all efforts for its remoy.
al uprards except those that are most siren
uous. Under certain favoring circumstances
and seasons, it is true that currents Of air viii
Be created ia a mine by what is termed
" natural ventilation" but, even when most
vigorous. they are 50 extremely feeble. 20
very variable IN tine llFectsonv- "a ,.eli