The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-09-10

Lighting Coal Mines.

/ One Of the most important interests Of
the country IS the coal interest, founded,
for the present, mainly upon an annual
production Of some sixteen million tuns
from the anthracite basin Of PENNSYLVANIA,
but also measurably upon the bituminous
product Of Western mines prospectivcly
upon the yield Of over two hundred
thousand square miles Of coal region. con
stituting threefourths Of that existing in
the world. That the magnitude of the
interest referred to will continue to increase
from year 70 year is evident upon reflection
that 1t forms the basis of all applications Of
steam power and Of the iron manufacture of
the country, this last estimated at nearly
two million tuns Of iron for the present
year, aud predicted with good show of
reason to reach five million tuns within two
decades from low. In the working of coal
mines from which all this source Of wealth
and industry must be taken, there is no
essential more worthy Of the term than the
lighting of the Goals seams where the miners
labor, and any suggestions concerning the
same may always be considered apropos
| AT the Beginning Of the present century.
golfers in Swedish mines used ptch-pinc 10
light them while at work, and it is said that
not more than fifteen years since the same
rude means were used in the Hlnalayas.
At an early period, however, in English
mines, a candle stuck to the golfers bat by
a dab Of clay was adopted, and to the pre-
sent day there and in our own country the
same obtains as the orthodox means of
subterene illumination, albeit British ex-
peTimcnters have laudsbly led the way in
showing how more scientific methods of
mine lighting may be used, not only with
far superior but with much cheaper results.
An example Of this is had il a trial made
during several months, in 1856, in a mine
near Penzanee, in Cornwall. In this two
inch pipe served as a main to convey coal
gas from the surface to depth Of more
than seven hundred feet From the lower
end of the main branch pipes were extended
along the levels or galleries IN some cases
as far as one thousand feet When four
men worked together, a single jet served
every purpose FOR the gang, but, when
circumstances required, individual laborers
carried burners connected with the pipes by
flexible tubing According to computa-
tons made by those having the system in
charge, the cost of lighting in this way
was thirty-thrce per cent cheaper than by
candles The " captains" Of the mine
rendered reports stating that It answered
exceedingly well for all the purposes re-
quired Of it. Notwithstanding all this, the
method seems 10 have tccn dropped, but
that, sooner, or later, something Of the kind
must be adopted, there can be 10 doubt
#, no matter what the practical drawbacks,
whether from dullness Of werAmen or non /
moving procliYities Of mine-managers, the
use Of simple cOal-gas gave results advan-
tageous as the foregoing, still better ones
may be anticipated from the application of
Bessener's high pressure furnace principle
20 The burners; from the use OF oxygen gas
instead of atmospheric air TO supply the
the flame, which would probably be advo-
Gated by The manufacturers of oxygen IN
New York City; or simply from tho lime \
light which CERTAINLY serves its purpose vol
lnder the somewhat amilar conditions
nvOl lived in excavatiDg under the caisson Of