The morning call., 1893-01-26
MINING DISASTERS.


MINING DISASTERS.
The appalling explosion in a coal mine in
Bohemia, attended by dreadful loss OF
life, is a significant reminder that in spite
of II that science can do for the toilers in
dark depths, catastrophes occur frequently.
Yet it is not too much to say that at least
explosions are preveutabe, no matter how
ferv The mine NAV be- The caying in of
shaft. the Swapping of cage-rope. the over
winding Of n cage round the pit headgear,
the fall Of rock from the roof, aud the
flooding of a mine by sudden OutbuTsts
of water which the pumps are helpless to
conquer, are all forms of accident really
less preyentable than explosions. In care
fully managed cOlliery they may be kept
down 70 minimum, but no human fore
sight can get rid OF a certain percentage of
disaster from some of these causes. There
are devices to prevent overWindng, and to
a certain extent they succeed. 1t is also
POSSIBLE 10 stop cage from falling should
the cable break, but the clutches or springs
sometimes fail to grin the guides. In Bel
gium. where the coal seams are shallow,
they have automatic hydraulic power in the
shafts, which is called into action when the
hosting engine slackens speed or stops
altogether, and actually brings loaded
cage 10 bank quite safely. But this auto
matte apparatus is unfortunately not in
general use. 1t appears 20 be effective in
obviating a most horrible form Of accident.
The carelessness of workmen and the
parsimony and negligence of owners. the
greedy desire to mine coal as cheaply as
possible, is at the bottom OF all mining eX-
plosiOnS to-day. There is cHlpable negli-
genCe somewhere. In all deep pits. some of
which go down more than 1000 feet, with
workings extending over a square mile,
explosive gas is present in the shape Of light
carburetted hydrogen. Quantities of car
bOnic acid gas. or afteT-damD, so fatal to
breathing, are also found, but this is not
explosive. This is the deadly gas which
stiles those who escape the immediate
effects of an explosion. The firedamp, as
the carburetted hydrogen is termed. gen.
orally is found near the face workings in
pockets or thin layers near the roof, but
may exist in such quantities as TO fill the
roadways. 1t also is apt to rush out in
blowers at tremendous pressure, perhaps
300 or 500 pounds on the square inch. aud
then If is liable 10 overpOwer the ventilation
and form an explosive mixture.
To deal with this gas. whether in Excess
sve or in small quantity, there are now
efficient means. With engine-p power and
fan machinery all the air required for good
ventilation can be driven along the air
courses and returned to the upcast shaft
laden with the impurities collected by the
way. 1t is only a mechanical requirement
that the bratticing and doors OF the air
courses should be maintained in proper
order. But the very rapidly with which
pure air can be forced through a niue be-
comes source Of danger. When the cur
rent is too strong it is apt to force the fame
of a safety lamp outside the meshes, and
should there be a certain proportion of
coal dust, fine IS -four, afloat in the
workings. this may jump into fame
and spread fire to pockets OF gas
IN the neighborhOod. Accidents from
this cause are probably rare. But the cleo
/ trio lamp such as the portable one invented
! by Nj Swan, is a complete remedy even
( for these accidents. This lamp has sec
! ondary batteries. It gives a good light, far
superior TO the talloW-and- wick open light
/ or the safety lamp, and 1t viii burn TWEEN
| ty-four hours. It's defect in the eyes OF the
miner is its weight-fvs or six pounds. But
/ what is that TO a rational mind compared
with its guarantee Of safety? The ordinary
safety lamp when handled diScreetly is
toleraby reliable. But among three or
four hundred men in a pit there are always
numbers Of the Ignorant and a sprinkling
Of reckless fellows. They will if they can
smuggle matches down eshaft and smoke
their pipes against rules. When they are
without matches they will pick the lock Of
| the safety lamp. The remedy in the latter
case is to put Yale or Chubb locks on the
/ lamps.
There is, however, another cause of ex-
! plosOns in deep mines. The road-mender
and constructor has to blast the rock over
head. often to a height CT eight or ten feet,
so as to allow the cOrves and wagons TO be
drawn along BY horses. Sometimes he uses
coarse grained gunpowder, but more FREE
/ quentlY dynamite, nitrogeatine or some
other Of the score Of high explosives. II
used in the shape of the naked cartridge a
certain sheet Of fame will pass when the
shot is fired, and this may be sufficiently
long to reach place where gas has lodged.
/ Then comes an explosion. Even this danger
can be obviated by using for the best high
explosives-that is these in which the COM
| bustion is exhausted within minute frac-
! tion Of a second-the now well-bnown water
/ envelope. The exploding cartridge having
! two electric wires attached is developed in
/ a bag ike thick sausage filed with water
battery explodes the cartridge and all
/ fame and sparks are absolutely Quenched
! in passing through the water. Hence a
cartridge so protected could be and has
been exploded in the midst of gas. Such
cartridges have frequently been exploded
! buried under heaps OF gunpowder. and
! always with the result of scattering the
/ powder about ike so much inert dust.
! There is, however, loss Of force in the use
Of the water cartridge. and the mine-owner
would sometimes rather have the force than
! the safety. With the exercise of proper pre-
| cantinns there Is no raasnn WHY there