The Oskaloosa herald., 1893-02-23
Coal Dust Explosions.

pIode?" OF itself, no!
This question was asked in the Farm
er & Miner few weeks ago by Mr.
Sullivan. 1t is an important question
and every miner should take an inter.
est in such questions. Although nc
satisfactory answer may be given at
present; many can give their views
or ideas on the subject through the
press, which may prove great benefit
to all miners as well as the public at
large.
1t seems that many miners entertain
the idea, or believe, that coal dust will
explode of itself; but, as an old miner,
cannot see it in that light. First we
will ask the question, what is Coal
Dust? Is it an organized body of ele-
ments or an unorganiZed body of
particles? In general sense of speak
ing amOngus as miners we call the dust
that is on the roads in all entries and
roads in rooms and in the gobs, coal
dust; although we are aware that there
are slate, black jack and sulphur mixed
with it on the roads as we'll as in the
gobs. would call such a conglomer-
alton of unOrganiZed particles COM
pounded in one mass of particles. But
in true sense, what we call coal dust
would be the pure dust that comes from
hole bored in a clear seam of coal.
The average bituminous coal contains
about so per cent of carbon, per cent
of hydrogen and 10 per cent of other
impurities, and to convert or turn this
into gas it would require a temperature
of 1900 degrees. So when the coal is
heated up to 1900 degrees the per cent
of hydrogen unites with three times its
weight of carbon and thus 20 per cent of
the coal is converted into gas. Neither
gas or air will burn until they are light
ed. AS air or gas mixed in the same
vessel will not burn until light is ap-
piled, or in other words, the atoms of
the two gases must be excited into
activity by the application of heat, or
what is called the igniting temperature.
don't think there is any fire damp in
Iowa mines, if there is l am ignorant
of the fact. These so called coal dust
explosions that have occurred in sever
al of the mines in Iowa, especially at
Pekay, recently, are not coal dust ex-
plosions.
Well what are they?
They are nothing more than powder
explosions, caused by heavy powdered
shots in entries and in turning new
turned rooms. When some miner reads
this he will say, my friend your talk is
all bOsh or nonsense. What has pow
der to do with explosions? But give
me your attention few minutes and |
will endeavOr to give you an explana-
tion. We are aware that gunpowder is
harmless thing of itself, we can handle
it, we can carry it in our pocket, we
can spread it on the floor and sleep on
it and it wont hurt us; but if light
should be applied to it we would not be
there to tell the tale. But when fire is
applied to powder it becomes a danger
Gus creature. Why? Because the
powder is changed into gas as soon as
fire is applied to it. When long hole
is drilled into the coal in an entry or
new room and the hole is filled with
powder and ignited, the powder is
turned into gas, and if this gas cannot
find place to expand it will blow the
tamping out of the hole and the gas
will rush out like acanon ball, and Will
increase in its velocity like destruct-
i've tornado, sweeping down the entry,
sucking in all the air and dust which
helps to increase its force, carrying dis
truction before it until it finely finds an
outlet to expand its force. These wild
heavy shots work on the same principle
as large cannon when fired off, The
only difference is the wild shot throws
the ignited gas out into the entry and
it flies like a cannon ball, gathering IN
all the explosive elements it comes in
contact on its way, and will continue
until its force is expended by finding
an outlet somewhere. These powder
explosions can be termed underground
powder gas tornadees. This is only my
theory as miner. / have been miner
for 20 years and have been a close OBJ
server of various gases found in our
mines in Iowa and Illinois. If this
article should appearin the press / hope
any miner or person who undertakes
to criticise twill do it in manly spirit
and not with spirit of malice, as what
we want is light, light.
Yours, j. w. JONES.