Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-02-25
Will Make a Report some-
time During the Next Few
Days.
CALL FOR SHOT FIRERs
Will Doubtless Recommend That All
Passageways and Entries be Kept
Damp-This Would Help to Lessen
the Danger From Explosions.

Des Moines, Feb. 24.-The coal mine
commission provided for by joint reso-
luton Of Ne general assembly and of
which eN-Nayor T. ]. Phillips, of OF
tumwa, is The chairman, will make
recommendation some time this week
in regard TO methods of preventing ex-
plosions in mines Or at least lessening
the danger to human life therefrom.
1t is expected a recommendation will
be made requiring that shot firers and
inspectors be employed in al mines in
Iowa. Another recommendation will
probably be for law that will require
the passageways and entrances to all
mines to be kept damp. This would
help to prevent explosions resulting
from the combustion of particles of
dust and powder floating the air
This report will not only be unani-
nous but it will be one that will COM
mend itself generally to the persons
who are most interested in the sub
ject. AS soon as the report is made
to the governor bills will be prepared
to secure laws to meet the suggestions
of the commission. All who have had
anything to do with the matter agree
that the commission is most excel
lent one and fully able to reach valu-
able conclusion on the subject. The
four men on the commission aside from
the members of the board of mine ex-
afRiners are recognized as leaders in
The coal mining industry in this state.
| Ihey are giving the matter earnest
! and thoughtful consideration.
The Investigation.
| The commission went to Mahaska
| county and inspected the Lost Creek
mine where the recent explosion oc-
i CURED which cost so many lives. They
4 found that while mining had been re-
sumed there the room in which the ex-
! plosicn occurred had been closed and
was left in exactly the condition which
followed the explosion. They looked
4 into The matter carefully The miner
| who had fired the fatal blast had bored
a hole into the coal perhaps fire feet
| deep on the day previous and had fred
/ it, but the blast was Intellectual, as it
| blew out and left the mass of coal
only cracked. Then he had PVT in an
other hole at a different angle and the
two holes came near to each other
| within the mass When this was fred,
with an extra charge OF powder, as the
records of the mine show, a part Of the
n 7,
and the cracks produced by the former
shot, as we'll as blowing out the tamp
i ing in the last hole. The records of
the mire disclose that tho miner TOOK
with him to the room a much larger
quantity of powder than he should
have taken, and the real canse of the
blowing out of the blast vas careless
ness in preparing the same aaG using
too much powder.
The further fact was disclosed ny sn
investigation OF the minc that i. is y
vrey dry lIiGa. that pg"e eek! air is
drawn ilsp IT, that it is zen v2ntiiat-
ed ana well nr@aa ged.
This ra;ac ia "lNet pcw@.
Since tie &c u ii the commission
TO Des Moines Trey have been at work
in one OF the cEfles il tna state honse,
and number OF aNl.erys nave ECen in.
vited to appear AMI a!Gie their views.
Among others whp iaye apoeaied be-
fore the commissloa j., baa 3;iA ton, of
Monroe county. wl,o operates TIE larg-
est coal mine in the state. He is tax
ing out over 1.400 tons Of coal a day
: and working 4 big force Of men, the
| mine being run to its full capacity all
the time But he has never had a life
lost by an explosion. Blasting is Song
2 on all the time in his mae and the
/. blowing out of he blasts, exactly IS at
: the Lost Creek mine, Occurs frequent-
: ly-yet this does not result in the ter
: lilbe explosions which fill the err .he
2 mine His plan is to wet DOWN the
: mine Regularly. The air is kept damp
The entries and avenues are all kept
wet down. His theory is that Il mine
explosion cannot occur where the all
is damp, but that it is only where there
y is dry dust in the air that the explo
sions occur. 1t is slnguia. fact that
}, these explosions have generally occur
8 red in the ocst mincs anG This is be
o cause CT The fact that dry air is drawn
y into the miner. This quickly fills with
= dust and while the air appears 10 he
If pure and wholesome Is may heccme
y dangerous fro,n the very fact of It's
h dyness. But explosions never occ1l
save where the nine is filed with dust
and gas. This is agreed on by all who
have investigated the matter.
What the commission is most likel!
J. to recommend is that the Law reQuir.
wetting down of the passage ways o
l. the mines and inspection OF the blasts
y Special inspectors win be provide: