Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-21

|
nre boss, who states boldly and in full conse-
quence that he can find "no gas" / have
| known this TO happen in actual practice with
ar laden with gas IS per cent toward the igniri-
The question again rlses IF the above is
fact, how is it that fire bosses and other bosses
SUCK to that kind of test?' The answer is be-
cause they have heretofore been taught to rely
| upon this kind of test. and they have Taught
others in the alleged accuracy of the lamp tests
Tor long period of years, that has gwen them
false faith that will take years of time and
great loss OF life and property to eliminate and
also because Of lack of instruments to enable
crucial tests Of their lamp they had no stand
| ara Tor test trial or comparison, and therefore
| no means of discovering their error.
The question arises again, What is the FIRST
| and least expensive thing that can be done BY
the mine owner to post his fre-bosses and pro-
| tect his mines against the dangers Of explosive
/ gasesP The answer Is: Provide every mine
/ with an inspectors Instrument at the moderate
/ cost of $500, such as adopted by the inspectors
OF the state, and see that they use it. Cease to
| rely upon the guess-work tests Of the lamp
| which results In reporting a section of the
| mines In a safe condition, when in point of
\ fact 1t Is in dangerous condition. and use the
| instrument that will give correct and reliable
i reports and the exact condition OF the air and
gas in tho mines.
| Rules for Tests to Be Inaugurated,
lnaugurate rules for tests in the new art of
testing, that will insure frequent tests Of all
air splits and the outgoing current, and in such
| rooms or headings as the judgment of the sup
! erintendent or foreman deem advisable. This
| proceeding will let you know far ahead of any
danger line, and will give the exact fraction OF
| gas carried in each air split so thar for ex-
ample, No. split was carrying "a of l per cent
| of gas in the air and No. carries per cent is
will be evident that No. Is carrying four times
the amount Of gas as No. i, this positive in
formation enables the superintendent OF fore
man TO give positive direction in closing a por-
ton OF the air OF No. and turn the same into
No. 2, but no man In Gods world could come
to that conclusion from a lamp test, not II he
were paid a fortune for one tesr.
The rubber package system. containing the
air or gas OF the mines, can be filled under the
direction of fre-bosses by the miner in many
cases and sent up the shaft on the cars, and
tin tube can be provided to slide the package
into separate room for test purposes and
since the test for ire-damp is analyzed inside of
one minute, enabling at mod9rate speed fully 30
tests per hour, and 300 per day if required, and
have printed forms of record kept for all tests
made. This would enable the superintendent
to have some knowledge of the character Of
the ventilation, and lift the vale of darkness
that now clouds this gas question. and stop this
foolish cry after every explosion, "that gases
were never known to exist In that mine," etc..
and cause the removal of gases when known to
exist in dangerous proportions, and forbid men
working IN any section of the mine where the
proportions are dangerous until the gas Is re-
moved.
Removal of Dangerous Gases.
local points when they accumulate in a danger
Gus proportion, know as a fact from the
records Of the MorrelI mine, which may be
classed as a very dangerous one so far as fire.
damp is concerned, the gas to run as high as IS
DER cent, as the records will show, and ignitible
proportions have been discovered with the
modern test instrument of my make, when the
lamp test reported mo gas" as the records will
show.
The above suggestion carried out will reduce
anff oil NF f,IT,r
per cent, and where the test of gases is further
facilitated by high speed delivery Of gases,
through tubes, ETC.. from air splits and out
gong currents and other principal points,
deemed necessary by the superintendent in
charge; working both systems of tubes and
rubber package test, the accidents from ex-
plosive gases will be fully reduced 80 per cent,
per cent is allowed for possible striking of
cavarn of gases under high pressure. which has
not been met with in the bituminOu5 regions.
All old workings should be looked after and
tested for dangerous proportions of gases and
removed through ordinary ventilation where
possible, otherwise suction tubes should be
applied and worked with steam ejector.
Jumped On by the Opposition.
As was expected, Mr.. Foster, who had
been taking notes, sprang up as soon as Mr..
Shaw concluded and alighted on him like a
hawk on June bug. Mr.. Foster claimed
that his newspaper pretty generally repre-
sented the mining interest. He denied that
y,
than he did, but admitted that Mr.. Shaw
was good engineer, theoretically. He also
referred to some people who, he said thought
there was no such a thing as a mining engi-
neer "uniess he was a bald-neaded little
Dutchman from the Freiburg School of
Mines
Mr. Foster claimed to be better practical
engineer than Mr.. Shaw. He discussed the
editorial utterances of the paper and read
telegram he said he proposed to send to Mr..
Lathrop to settle question of veracitv be-
tween himself and Mr.. Shaw. He said he
had asked for reply and expected to read
it to the meeting before adjournment He
said the columns of the CoIliery Engineer
could not be bought, but that Mr.. Shaw's
exertions had made it necessary for the Col
HerV Engineer people to send out circulars
to the Legislature, and generally because
the subject was one on which the ordinary
man could Eot be expected to be
informed. He said operators of mines
wanted safety as q matter of business lust as
much as fire insurance, to say nothing Of
the finer moral sentiments supposed to have
a residence somewhere. He held that the
franklin Institute, which indorsed Mr..
Shaw, was like himself, more theoretical
than practical. He then attacked the machine
and claimed that the gas could
not be followed into its lurking places. He
charged that the mine water would eat the
pipes. rust will corrupt, etc. denied that IL
would show the condition of the air in the
splits; spoke of outbursts of gas and many
,ther things, and finally said the device had
been rejected in Prussia and France after
7ery careful examination.
A Good Air and Gas Tester.
Shaw's machine, he said, is agood air
md gas tester, but does not inform the SUI
,erintendent where the danger is, and to do
10 would require hundreds of thousands Of
pipes. He next proceeded to discuss the
question Of dust explosions, and said
he liability had been abundantly proven.
In answer to Mr.. Shaw's statement that no
amp would detect per cent of gas, Mr.
Foster said the Prussian Fire Damp Com
mission had said the Peelor lamp will de-
ect one-fourth of 1 per cent, but the
speaker would not vouch for the truth Of the
tatement.
In winding up Mr.. Foster said working
men were more to blame than the operators
or the present insecurity. He also reflected
N the State authorities, saying they had
,iven a commission 80 days to do work
o which European savants had given six
ears and Governor Pattison, though an in
elligent man, thought 1t ought to get
hrough its work in two weeks. SHAW
.nows more theoretically than do, but
,now more practically than he does or aver
vill do"