The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1877-02-03

courses are driven, stopPings built, brat
tice Ia applied, and q never ceasing vigi-
lance exercised through all the many rami-
icatIons Of the mine, and the gas itself, by
reason Of its levity. assists in providing q
sweeping current Of air. Where, however,
no ire-damp is given cd from the strata,
the furnace or fan is too ',ften neglected to
the last hour-that is, till the WOrkmens
lamps will no longer burn-and when
provided Is too small to give motion to the
necessary quantity Of air Air. courses are
also neglected, or when driven are kept
too far behind the workings, and stoppings
are not promptly erected; a. a consequence,
miners are plunged in an ever thickening
atmosphere. II gunpowder is freely used
in breaking out the coal from The wall
faces, binding and suffocating volumes Of
smoke in additi n lead the air Of mines
the whole working day.
A general but q very erroneous opinion
prevails, not only on the part Of the pub
lie, but even among mlne-owners, that
mines IN which no ire-damp is gwen off
are not dangerous to life, as compared
with explosive mines. This would be true
if non-explosive mines we're a. well venti-
lated as those which make tre-d2mp. But
adequate ventilation is not applied in such
mines, because they can be wrought with
out going to the expense of providing cost
ly and elaborate furnaces OF tans, air
courses, stoppings, and brattice. From
four to SIX cents a ton are thus saved in
mining the &C al that should be applied IN
ventilating, but saved at the expense Of
the workmen's health, and are Lost one
hundred fold in the strikes and the result
ing destruction Of mining property. When
the ventilation is neglected in fiery mines,
explosion follows, as already stated and
all the world knows the result but when
the ventilation Is neglected in MONTEREY
mines, and men are dying by inches, the
world knows il not. The complaints of
the miners and they are ever grumbling
and fault-hnding when working IN bed air
are too often set down as whims worthy
Of no regard.
1t appears from the reports and testi-
mony Of experts that the non-explosive
mines Of Great Britain were formerly in
the same condition as to defective ventila-
ton as were and are those Of too many in
America. Before the passage Of the first
British coal mines inspection act, j. X.
Blackwell, Esq, practical miner of great
ability and scientific attainments, was ap-
pointed Commissioner Of Mines by the
Secretary of State in lS49, with instruc
lions to make an inspection of the sanitary
condition of mines. Mr.. Blackwell, in his
report, referring to mines in which little
or no tire-dAmp ia made, says
There is another class Of injuries. re
snlting from defective ventilation, to which
miners are exposed The circumstance,
producing these injuries are slow in opera
ton, and as their effects bring disease, and
not immediate and sudden death, theil
existence has been little considered. A
careful examination az the state Of mines
leads to the conclusion that the ultimate
loss Of life is greater from this cause thar
even from explosions.
These effects are the result Of an made.
quate supply Of air, which has become
vItiated and unit for breathing. on account
OF its having lost its due proportion Of o1y.
sen, which is replaced by the formation o.
carbonic acid. This gas has its source,
from respiration, the lights Of the mine
the decomI ositiJn Of small coal in the
goaves, and Of timber in the workings
Air in this state is also usually found to be
loaded with carbureted hydrogen, yielded
from the whole coal, OF in the goaves
Sulphureted hydrogen, arising from the
decomposition Of pyrites, is sometime,
present, especially IN coal seams liable to
spontaneous ignition. The gases formed
by blasting are also allowed to load the all
Of mines to very injurious degree.
This state Of the atmosphere Of mines
arises from the want Of the necessary air
ways and other arrangements to discharg,
such portions Of the air in circulation Al
may have acquired this condition, and I,
afford fresh and pure supply at any par
of the workings.
Those districts and seams u coal leas
affected BY ufiammable gas are generally
those i'll which the ventilation il alloweC
to be in this imperfect and injurious state
on account of attention not having beer
called 80 lmperiously to the subject as i
IS BY the violent catastrophes resultin;
from explosions.
90 be continued