Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-02-13

fire one shot at the time, each
man waiting his turn. commencing In
side and coming outward. | will adj
init sometimes there would be two or
perhaps three shots fired at the one
time but it was risky work, for some
times one would blow the other out.
In my opinion the method of blasting
with squibs should be tried and but
one shot fred in any one place at
time and each man fire his one shot as
his turn came and if there should be
more than one shot in the same place
let the shot firer go back after the gas
and smoke would have sufficient time
to be cleared out and fire whatever
shots would be left.
Each man with shot not fired
could report to the fire boss, or if it
was thought best to have shot-firers do
all the shot firing He should use the
method of letting one shot go off be-
fore he attempted to fire another This
would be my method of preventing
these shot explosions. When | first
saw the fuse used to fire shots in Iowa
in coal l did not know how to use it.
A fellow miner came to my place and
prepared my shot and if he only knew
what was passing through my mind I
think he would have had a good laugh
on me. He being stranger to me, I
thought the fellow playing joke on
me, so kept still as long as could.
At last I said to him: what are you
doing?" why am fixing your shot"
he said. He kept on filling the hole
with dry dust. l thought, well, will
have to wait and see the results. So
next morning / found my shot had
worked all right. I had used the fuse
to fire giant powder but that was the
first time I ever saw fuse used with
dry dust for tamping. I expected to
see it blow the tamping, and during
that time felt some very windy
shots. They used to almost take my
breath away and I have
always had it in my
mind thatrit is unsafe to- blast coal,
tamping holes with dry dust for we
know powder being exploded causes
flames of fire and dry dust is fuel to
add to the flame, especially where two
or more shots are fired in the same
room or entry. 1t is mystery in my
mind that we have escaped so well.
know some men will scott at the idea
of going back to the old method of fir
ling shots but it would not be right if
some one did not kick. Where there
are so many lives at stake some safer
method should be tried different from
that which is being used at present.
| have worked in mines where there
were over 400 miners at work and we
all did our own shot firing and it seem
ed that we all got our shots fired and
would have to wait. some time at the
bottom of the shaft before we could
get up. 1t did not hold us in the
mine any later by doing our own firing
do not think it would be right to hold
the company responsible until it
should be proven that it is caused by
i the neglect of the company. In some
way even shot firer may be mistak-
en-, for the face of coal may seem clear
of any obstruction, yet there may be
change in the coal seam such as a
roll, or horseback as some call them.
or in Iowa large rocks which are very
numerous. In the shooting of coal
experience should be our best method
to work by.
John Murphy, 11s ". Holt Street.
i Before entering upon this subject il
Will NC hOSCoodiy lOl LIZ W .SApldlu
that there are certain gases, though
few in number, in Iowa mines.
j The first and most common of these
gases is carbonic acid gas, but it is
more commonly called "black damp"
i There is also carbonic oxide, or as
it is called by the mine workers,
white damp"
These two are the principal gases
found in the mines in Iowa.
\ Carbonic acid gas is easily detected,
i as its presence is at once known to
the miner by the dimness of the flame
of his lamp and if his light is put out,
warns him to proceed no further into
the mine until sufficient supply of
fresh air is obtained. This gas has
no explosives quality of itself, but in
case of a large amount of dust having
accumulated in the roadways and pas.
sages of the mine, and windy shot
having raised the dust, and the flash
of powder kindled 1t into a fame,
then the incandescent carbon is con.
verted into carbonic oxide gas and the
carbon of the carbonic acid is help to
the explosion instead of a hindrance
Z Carbonic oxide, or white damp" is
the more dangerous on account of its
presence being least suspected
The light of the miners lamp is of a
whitish, long drawn, violet tipped
flame when he goes into the mine, and
he may not pay any heed to his sur.
roundings until he has ventured tc
stay too long. Narcotic poisoning is
!, produced, delirium seizes him and he
|, succumbs to its effects and, if not res
cued Immediately death will result
!, It's relative volumes when most ex
plosive is one of gas to one and one
!, sixteenths of air. It has the proper
ties of transmitting flame from one
part of the mine to another and is
) formed by the large amount of re
fuse thrown away, such as the clear
} ings from the coal and decaying veg
: etable matter in the COB.
: Now, in treating of the causes that
produce mine explosions in Iowa, the
j. presence of carbonic oxide must ex
list to a greater or lesser proportion
> before an explosion can take place.
The causes that may ignite this gas
are many. Some of them are as fol
llows A shot croSS.firine another sbot