The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-14
FIRES In THE MINES
An Electric Appliance to Give In
slant Warning to the Engineer.
A TEST OF THE INVENTION
The Apparatus Is Simple. Yet 1t
seems Reliabie-How the Wires
and Lights Are Worked
The Recent Horrors.
A TEST OF THE INVENTION

Inc recent horror at Basin, caused by
nre In the Hope mine, recalls the horror
or November. 1889, when the fire broke
out In the st. Lawrence mine, commu-
nicating with the Anaconda, four men
losing their lives, and numerous other
mine horrors caused by fire breaking
out In the mine or in the hoisting work
while men were at work below. Mr.. w.
q. Tucker, manager of the Butte Gem
eral Electric company, has given a
good deal of study to the problem of
giving instant warning in case of fire
in mines, and with the assistance of
Mr.. Northrop and the other electricians
connected with the company, believes
he has rugged an apparatus that will
prove all that is desired.
The ofices'of the Butte General Elec-
trio company had been arranged in
such way as to give a practical test
or the invention. In the basement were
arranged two levels corresponding with
the levels in mines. Each level was d.
vided into a number of different sec
lions. and in each section was an alarm
which communicated to a room up
stairs, corresponding to the engine
room of hosting works, at which
place an Indicator showed just in what
section of what level the fire is M
The apparatus is very simple, vet
seems reliable and adequate for all pur-
poses. Both mechanical and automatic
alarms are arranged. The mechanical
alarm is for use in parts of the mine
where men were at work. 1t consists of
an ordinary electric alarm and the
alarm can be turned in just as any fire
alarm on the surface. over a hook are
the words:
In case of fire, pull hook"
The miner need only pull the hook,
and the engineer I'm the hosting works
knows instantly that there is a fire in
the mine, and also knows in what part
or what level the fire is.
The automatic alarm is for service in
unused portions of the mine and is a
thermostat. A spring, connecting with
the electric alarm, is placed in a block
OF wood or beam at frequent intervals
through the mine. The spring is held
apart by a piece of paraffine, which will
melt at heat of 100 degrees. When the
melts, the arms Of the spring
come together; that makes the electric
and the alarm is given on
the surface. In this case also the alarm
indicates just what section of what
level the fire is, so that no valuable
time need be lost in hunting for the
fire. The thermostats can be placed at
as frequent intervals in the mine as
may seem desirable. -i alr 2.
At the surface an ordinary hotel an
nunciator and galvanometer are all
that are necessary to indicate from |
what section of the mine the alarm is
turned in-this being done on the same
as a fire alarm from any sec
ton of the city will register at the CEN
trail Office just where the fire Is, or as a
call from any room in a hotel will show
IN the hotel office from what room the
alarm is sent in. 4
1t is also important that men in all |
parts of the mine should know instant |
y that there is a fire in the mine. This |
s arranged very simply. When the /
alarm shows in the hosting works, the |
engineer at once touches a button. In
SANITY all through he mine, on every
evel, red lights are displayed. These
ire signal to all the miners that there
s fire in the mine and they will at
nee seek the shaft or other exits. 1t
vas at first the plan to have gongs
sounded on all the levels, but 1t was
hought that the gongs could not be
heard distinctly in all parts of the lev
lis, while the lights could be placed I'm
very portion of the level, and would
i've a certain alarm.
Many people yesterday visited the
est of the alarm for fire in a mine and
t worked without a hitch all the after
non |