Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1873-03-01
Contaminated
The Engine t., the characterization.
PuMPEY SMASH, FEB. 18, 1878

fOMPEY SMASH, FEB. 10, 1873.
Mr.. EDITOR In looking over our
PAPER of the 18th inst, l find that
steam engines are about to be intro
duced into some of our mines for the
purpose of economising labor, time,
expenses, and horse.fesh. So far, so
good. l wonder if the owners of our
coal mines ever ask themselves the
question, will the ventilation of our
mines admit the introduction of steam
power in them without injuring the
miners, health l think not. The
miners, health is the last thing they
think of The main thing with them
is, how cheap can l get ton of coal
put in the hopper? 1t becomes the
miners, then, to look after their own
interest. The experiment Of the steam
engine has been tried, with what result
ask the engineer; or ask the miners
what they think about going in with
the engine in the morning and COM
ing out after it at night? The an
swer is we had not sufficient air before
it came, and we have less now. am
sorry to say, as a practical miner of
thirty-five years standing, that there
is no mine know of in Allegany coun-
ty where the ventilation is what the
laws of nature require for the health
of the miner without an engine, far
less with one. Ninety-fve per cent.
of the miners know this to be fact.
If the English law for ventilating
mines was applied to our mines in this
county, there is not one that miner
would work in. The question is Of
ten asked. whose fault is it? 1t is hard
to answer. l have been in this county
for twenty years and l have never seen
a regular system of ventilation. A
mine is opened and the air can go in or
stay out. The cry is, save every
dollar of expense that you can" 1.-THE
boss miner purposes any plan that in
wolves any expense the agent tells him
that he has just received word from
the President that the expenses must
be cut down. And as the Agent and
President are trying to show the Di-
rectors of the Company how cheaply
the work has been carried on for their
own interest the poor miner is to
breathe air that will before long send
him to a premature grave.
Now, let US see what air is, and
what it is composed of, and how much
passes through the lungs in one hour.
Common air is fluid composed of
two gases in certain proportions, name
ly twenty parts of oxygen and eighty
of nitrogen, with very minute addi-
ton of carbonic acid gas, Such is
air in it's pure and normal state, and
such is the state that we require it for
respiration. When it is loaded with
any admixture of different kind, or
its natural proportions are in any way
deranged, it cannot be breathed with
out producing injurious results. The
lungs of a healthy, full-grown man,
will inhale the bulk of twenty cubic
inches at every inspiration, and he
will use no less than fifty-seven hogs
heads in twenty-four hours. Not on
lv is this large quantity necessary, but
the air that surrounds us must be in
free circulation, in order that what we
expire may be speedily carried away,
and allowed to commingle with the at
mosphere which is subject to never
ceasing causes tending tc its restora-
ton and renewal. Now, when this is
necessary in the open air a further
necessity for the constant renewal of
fresh air arises in the mine, where
lights are burnt; where the products
of the oil burned must mingle with the
air that the miner is compelled to
breathe A pound of oil in burning
consumes the oxygen of thirteen feet
of air, and produces large amount of
water in vapour, and also of carbonic
acid. This gas when taken into the
lungs, tends to arrest the vital process
es. 1t is hurtful to breathe for long
time air containing one measure in one
hundred of carbonic acid, especially
if this acid has been formed at the ex-
pense of the oxygen Of the same air
| want to know the miner in Allega-
county who does not breathe more
than one per cent. from morning until
night of acid gas, in addition to car
bonic acid? Expired air contains an
undue amount Of watery vapour-
Minute quantities of animal matter
are also exhaled with the breath, which,
in close, ill-ventilated mine forms a
clammy deposit which the miner sees
on old props and his "rib-si and
which, by putretiction, becomes organ
ic poison.
Miners of Allegany County. you
know these to be plain facts; you ask
what is the remedy? The answer is,
you must become united and compel
your employers by Legislative enact
ment +; you hold the keys of the wealth
of the County. Your voice must be
heardin the Legislative halls of the
State. Yours,
VENTILATION.