The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-04-19
Ole g%lstalIasmer
Once, Nos, 70 and ~ Fourteenth Street.
N MINRs,

EXPLOSIONS IN MINIS.
How They are CAUSED, and how to Prevent
Great Disasters.
Dor, london Tina,
Baron g. Won F|Eiedenhoi, an authority
on meteorolOgy, has just published q
pamphlet which conveys suggestions fol
preventing coliery explosions, After the
trlghtful explosions which occurred in
Austria during the spring Of 1856, the su,
thoris attention was directed to the taci
that the days on which those catastrophel
happened coinGided with those on which
the meteorological phenomena knewn q
"cyclonic formations" had been observed,
he found that several OF the explosions in
England had happened within reach OF q
cyClOnic centre, while almost all the Others
had occurred in places where the c%onigur.
alton OF the isobaric lines revealed the
presence Of local so-Calied secondary de-
presslons," Further investigations con,
hrmed his beliefin q casual connection be-
tween the centres Of the depression and
explosions In mines,
Baron Friedenhort says 1t is q we'll
known fact that the greater the pressure
Of air above the main shaft OF q mine the
more brisk ia the circulation OF air, and
consequently the more dense are the
atonls Of gas in the galleries; whereas the
lower the pressure the slower the CirCuls-
ton and the more raretled are the gas
atoms. The rarefaGtion OF gas is, however,
the ordinary cause Of explosions; and the
author argues that to prevent this rareiaC-
ton one must establish q correlation be-
tween the aspiring power OF the Ventilator
and the pressure on the air in the shalt,
He cites four instances Of possible at
mospheric disturbance; First, when the
air above the shaft increases in weight
without being sgltated by wind; secondly,
when 1t diminlshes in weight without be-
ing sgitatedi thirdly, when the air above
the shalt Is horizontally propelled by high
Winds and, fourthly, when the air above
the shalt asCends In a vertical direction.
In the first instance, the increased pres
sure OF air from above will prevent the
easy escape Of gas from the galleries, and
gas will accumulate in considerable GUAM
titles. Nevertheless, this will involve no
great danger, for the atoms being denEiled
will not be liable 10 explode, except by
contact with anaked aame. In the second
and third instances, again, the author sees
no great danger, In the fourth, on the
contrary, when the ascending current OF
air causes q double draught through the
main shaft and air shaft, the gas becomes
raretied to such q degree aa to render II
liable to explode, even through the gauzs
OF the safety lamp. In such cases the &C.
ton OF the ventllator only increases the
danger, 80 that when this condition exists,
namely, the vertical ascent OF air above
the shaft, the pitmen ought to be imme.
diately called up from the mine.
The approach OF a cyolonic formation,
adds the author, may be ioreseen by
means OF synoptiCal charts. These show
the distribution Of air pressure, the posi-.
ton OF the centres Of depression, and the
formation Of the surrounding isobaro
lines between which the centres Of de.
preston arise. In order that the charts
may become as etficRCious as possible they
must be drawn up for small distriCts or
regions Of country. In each OF those dis
tricts q meteorological central station for
the publication Of charts would have to be
established in connection with a system
Of barometrical observatories in tele-
graphic communication with the central
station. In each Of the district sta
tons there would also have to
be q capable me%teorologist, sup.
piled daily from the central station with
the data necessary for constructing the
usual isobarlc charts. From several dis
trict stations the barometric height should
be telegraphed regularly every morning.
The charts in blank ought to be large
enough to show the coasts Of the Baltic,
the German Ocean, the Gulf OF Genoa, and
the Black Sea. When q mine Is regularly
supplied with the synoptiCle chart Of the
main central station and district stations,
those directing it will be enabled, by
means OF a very simple and inexpensive
system Of barometers, to ascertain in time
every formidable barometric formation in
It's neighborhood.