Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-02-13
PEOPLES PULPIT.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Dust Explosions in the Mines of Iowa

Dust Explosions in the Mines of Iowa.
We. often hear about mine explo.
sions in this state and what causes
them is a great problem to solve In
all cases the miner or miners get the
blame. |, will try and explain the
cause of such explosions and remedy
to reduce the number of them. In
dry and dusty mines blown-out shot
will cause an explosion. If shot
blows out the tamping and does not
bring down the coal it creates heat
equal to the gases contained in the
coal dust, and the result may be dis
astrous explosion, limited only to the
dryness and the quantity of dust pre-
sent. In the best ventilated mines
these explosions generally occur.
When the velocity is low only the
small particles of dust float in the at
mosphere, but when the velocity is
high the larger particles also float
Consequently, the dust in the atmos-
phere of mine contains more gas. If
coal dust could be kept wet these ex-
plosions could not occur, but when the
seam is naturally dry and dusty it
cannot be successfully damped so as
to render gunpowder safe.
When we consider the amount of
powder that goes off inside of five min
utes (when the miners fire their own
shots )it is wonder that we do not
have more dust explosions in the
mines. of Iowa, There has been a
great advancement. since the first his.
tory of coal mining. This is due to
the errors of our forefathers. They
had no system of any kind nor any
idea that they would need one, until
some men met with accidents and lives
We're lost. Then men began to profit
by; their failures, and soon improved
methods and improved machinery had
taken, the place of : the ancient and
crude methods, building up the great
est and most remunerative industries
of the world, employing millions, of
the men of the world. The only rem.
edy is to fire the shots when all the
men are out of the mine. Only those
that. are employed as shot-ir,
ers should be int4 the mines and
they should be around through the
day examining the direction of the
shots that are to be fired, and if in
their Judgment a shot is too danger.
Gus they should not fire the same. The
shot-firers should be competent men
that would understand their duties.
They should have knowledge of the
gases that exist in the mine. where
they are employed. This is the, only
remedy to prevent the terrible calam.
tiles in the coal mines of Iowa. 1t
seems to me that the men that toll in
the mine should have the best COM
pensation and protection. They pro
duce a great wealth in this country
and only receive bare living for
their labor. Dan Thomas.
Marainsville, la.
A woman may vote as stakeholder
in a corporation, or bank or railroad
from one end of the country to the
other. But if she sees fit to sell her
stock and Invest in a home, she can
have no voice as to whether or not ex.
pense shall put upon the street, before
her door for which the said home is
taxed to keep up and, Iay fees.
Why ask in the name of all that is
sensible or just may she not vote on
one as well as the. other? One is spe-
cific industrial projects and the other
industrial regulation of the state.
Why, oh, why?
TAI