The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-06
AFTER DAMP IN MINES.
Investigations Made Into Coiliery Dam
ger OF Great Importance.


ger OF Great Importance.
Two of the most important of the pa
pers read at recent sitting of the British
association were those of Professor Hal
dane and Professor Cloves, In which they
submitted the results Of the Investigations
they have been simultaneously pursuing
for the purpose of detecting and measur-
Ing the presence of carbon monoxide in
the air. The matter IL one of To little mo-
ment to the general public .iasmuoh as
the insidious, poisonous gas * liable to be
generated where coal gas l...nes are used
for heating and cooking. It, however,
more particularly concerns the mining
world, as carbonic oxide Is the product of
explosions Of coal gas, or firedamp, being
found in the largest quantity after col
liery explosions, whom coal dust Is mingled
with the air and plays part In the explo.
sion.
The gas, however, Is formed In several
other ways in coal mines It Is the prin-
oipal gaseous product of the firing of cheap
gunpowder, which Is known as blasting
powder, and IL seems to be invariably
formed during the burning of coal seam.
The difficulty with this oxide Is that even
when it is present In dangerous proper
tions It is not detachable In the flame of
candle or of an alcohol or oil lamp, and
long before It's presence Is demonstrated ID
may have been absorbed into the system
TO fatal extent
Professor Cloves process of detection
and measurement consists of q hydrogen
test flame. An ordinary lamp Is provided
with hydrogen flame, the cap of which
increases in height as the percentage of
carbonic oxide is augmented.
Unfortunately, however, as carbonic OK
ide is rarely unaccompanied by inflamma-
BILE gases, an essential defect would appear
thereby to exist in this somewhat rough
and ready method.
In Professor Haldane's test small
quantity of blood Is shaken in the air.
The presence of the carbonic oxide causes
tho blood to assume yellow tint, and pro-
portions of the oxide down to per cent
can thus be detected.
Professor Haldane described the expert
ments he had undertaken in inhaling the
gas There is, he says, nothing painful
IN it. One effect Is to cause ono to stagger
like drunken man. There Is n story of
a miner who, recovering consciousness aft
or an explosion asked, sis it time to get
up?" adding, ~ am very happy"
The operation of the gas Is slow, but
running produces faintness, and to be
brought into contact with blast of cold
air is highly dangerous and calculated to
cause death. Except for the presence Of
oxide, miner might walk out Of
q mine after an explosion, and 1t is sug
gested that an invention Of respirator
which would absorb the oxide would be
valuable Professor Haldane himself
knows of no such absorbent, and until 1t
Is discovered the only resource seems to be
o simple test long ago proposed and often
used with success-namely, that when a
man enters an atmosphere which contains |
D poisonous proportion of carbonic oxide |
he should carry with him mouse, con- |
fined In a wire cage open freely to the air. |
The mouse will become insensible by
the air containing carbonic or.
de In about ne-twentieth of the time
to produce this effect upon man. |
st. Louis Globe Democrat.