The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-02-21
TIE MINER.
The Origin Of Coal No. ~.
The Ventilation Of Coal Mines


When two shafts are sunk INTO coal
mine, and communication is established
between them, by means Of an air passage,
the opening which stands highest on the
surface or at the bottom will be the up
cast shaft in summer, and the down-cast
shaft III winter. These results are caused
b. the relative denslties Of the mine at
mosphere and that of the air above ground,
for, as was explained in the preceding
paper, the lighter air expands, and is
forced up BY the pressure Of the heavier
column. In circumstances where the
mine air, and the air at the surface passes
the same density, that IS to say when the
thermometer would indicate temperature
above ground af 90 degrees (Which is the
temperature Of the mine, until the heat ii
the rocks act upon it, which heat increases
heit's thermometer there will be no move
ment Of the air, as the two columns
counterbalance each other Hence the
natural forces are found wholly inadequate
e the purposes II ventilation But when
furnace Is placed in one Of the shafts the
hot ana light expansive air is driven for
ward by the pressure If the down-cast
column, and there is a constant movement,
which is lnproportion to the heat employed,
and to the length and size ~ the air ways
and shaft openings.
In the due ventilation If a mine the
circulating stream Of air Is guided and
directed throughout the many passages
and rami6cations by means of air ways,
trap-doors, stopping brattices, etc. Be
fore Newcomers steam engine was applied
TO pumping water and raising coal the
subturranean excavations were very
generally Of limited extent, and the man
ner az distributing the air was simple and
rude 1t was allowed to ditiuse itself IN
single stream, and when the tire-damp ac-
cumulated IN the veins, 1t was fired in the
morning BY fixing lighted candle on the
end of pole several yards in length-the
miner lying fat on the floor as he raised
the candle into the tre-damp. If the eX
plosive gas vas copious, the miner wrapped
himself in a wet, heavy overcoat, to save
himself from being scorched when the
fre-damp was still more voluminous,a long
cord, known as the firing line, was fixed
on a roller. at the face Of the working place
at the end Of which the lighted candle was
tied, and was then drawn forward into the
gas, while the workmen retired from the
reach Of the explosion.
Mr. James Speeding, Of Cumberland, in
England, first conceived the idea Of carry
ing the Air throughout the whole mine by
the establishment Of trap-doOrs and the
construction Of brattices, stOppages and
air-passsges to guide and direct the circu- !
latng stream. His discovery was after
wards greatly improved upon by Mr.. John |
Buddle, Of Wallsend, who is generally and |
Justly regarded as the ablest coal miner |
which Great Britain has yet produced. Mr.. |
Bubble brought into practical application |
the division Of the air into separate splits |
or streams, for the purpose Of ventilsting |
separate divisions of the same mine He |
also, in the year 1907, invented the dunno |
furnace, BY which the foul return air-cur-
rents are allowed to pass into the upcast |
shaft, without coming into direct contact |
with the furnace. Before his time. the |
return air often reached the furnace 50
charged with the fire-damp as to form an
explosive mixture, and not unfrequently,
explosions occurred from this cause. The |
re-damp catching and extending back
wards through the mine like train Of gun
powder. In many mines torrent of wa
ter, called the waterfall, was kept in readi-
ness to be let down upon the burning air
to extinguish t.
Mr. Buddle's plan OF splitting the air
has been improved upon of late years
Mr.. Bubble, after dividing the air into sep
arate streams, reunited it again after the
coursing Of a single part Of the workings
but since his time, the New Castle engIn-
GERS have adopted the plan of keeping the
splits separated, until they all are brought
forward, each by its own route, to the
bottom of the upcast, to be there first re-
united and sent to the outer world. loaded
with all their impurities.
In mines which abound in hre-damp,
many great disasters have been traced to
trap doors having been left open. In the
English mines, before the Mines Inspec-
ton Act went into operation, these doors,
upon which hundreds Of lives were de-
pendent, were in many cases intrusted to
boys and 9 years of age, who would
sometimes wander off to play OF fall asleep
beside their doors. Double doors are now
hung on all main air passage ways, and are
so djusted that they shut of their own
accord and cannot stand open, and in all
cases where it is practicable, overthrows,
like bridges across a canal or river are
constructed for the purpose Of keeping the
various currents of air from meeting and
mingling together.
There are two principal objects which
require to be constantly borne in mind in
mine ventilation, namely, elaborate ar
rangements for the production of circu-
lating ST. cam of air, and proper and timely
arrangements for the distribution Of the
circulating stream. As the furnace still
retains decided preference among practi-
cal men, the laws which govern in causing
a movement OF air should he carefully
studied by the mine superintendents and
other practical men. A mistake cannot be
made in constructing large furnace, and
small coal is both abundant and cheap in
coal mine The CRATE should be from 4 to
6 feet in length the hight above the bars
should not be less than feet, and there
should be at least feet below. But no mat
ter how well o furnace may be constructed,
Goals will be burned in vain, If proper at
tention has not been previously given to
The .ixa If the AR shaft and the areaa of