The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1897-02-06
AFTER-DAMP IN MINES.
Results of Experiments That Will
Be Interesting to Miners.

Results of Experiments That Will
BE Interesting to Miners
Two of the most important papers
read at the recent sitting of the Brit
ish association were those by Prof.
Elaldane and Prof. Cloves, in which
they submitted the results of the in
vestigations they have been simulta-
neously pursuing for the purpose of de-
tecting and measuring the presence of
carbon monoXide in the air. The mat
ter is one of no little moment to the
general public, inasmuch as the insidu-
Gus poisonous gas is liable to be gen.
Grated where coal gas flames are used
for heating and cooking. It, however,
more particularly concerns the mining
world, as carbonic oxide is the product
of explosions, when coal dust is min
gled with the air, and plays a part in
the explosion. The gas, however, is
formed in several other ways in coal
mines. 1t is the principal gaseous
product of the firing of cheap gunpow
der, known as blasting powder, and it
seems to be invariably formed during
the burning Of a coal seam. The diff
Guilty with this oxide is that even when
it is present in dangerous proportions,
it is not detachable in the fame of a
candle, or of an alcohol or oil lamp,
and long before it's presence is demon
strated it may have been absorbed in
to the system to a fatal extent. Prof.
Cloves process of detection and
measurement consists of a hydrogen
test flame. An ordinary lamp is pro-
vided with a hydrogen flame, the
cap of which increases in height as
the percentage Of carbonic oxide is
augmented. Unfortunately, however,
as carbonic oxide is rarely unaccom-
panied by infammable gases, an es-
sential effect would appear thereby to
exist in this somewhat rough-and
ready method. In Prof. Haldane's
test, a small quantity of blood is shak-
en- in the air. The presence Of the car
bonic oxide causes the blood to assume
yellow tint, and proportions Of the
oxide down to 1 per cent can thus be
detected. Prof. Haldane describes the
experiments he had undertaken in in
hallng the gas. There is, he says,
AAioIi111S3s pdlulul IL H. Oue eHecL is TO
cause one to stagger like d drunken
man. There is a story Of a miner,
who, recovering consciousness after
an explosion, asked, 'Is it time to get
up?' adding, Il am very happy"
The operation of the gas is slow, but
running produces faintness, and to be
brought into contact with a blast of
cold air is highly dangerous and cal
culated to cause death Except for the
presence Of carbonic oxide, miner
might walk out Of a mine after an ex-
plosion, and it is suggested that an in
vention which would absorb the oxide
would be valuable He himself knows
of no such absorbent, and until it is
discovered the only resource seems to
be a simple test long ago proposed,
and often used with success, namely:
That when man enters an atmo-
sphere which contains poisonous pro-
portion of carbonic oxide, he should
carry with him mouse confined in a
wire cage. open freely to the air. The
mouse will become insensible by
breathing air containing carbonic OK
ide in about One-tWentieth of the time
necessary to produce these effects upon
man.