The sun., 1903-12-27
FIRE PERIL IN COPPER MINES.
DEATH IN A PECULIAR FORM
DEEP down IN THE EARTE.
Many Lives Lost In Lake Superior Mine Fires.
but Not Miner Burned-Queer Effects
or Tremendous DrauEhts-Three Day
Fight for Life Against Deadly Gases.

or tremendous DrauEhts-Three Day
Fight for Life Against Deadly Gases.
HoUaHToN, Mich. Dec. 2e.-The smoke
and foul gases still rising suggshly from
the mouth of No. shaft of the Isle
Royale copper mine, on the high hill a mile
back from the water front of Houghton
call attention anew to form of danger
that seems almost peculiar to the deep
copper mines Of Lake Superior.
Coal mines are often dangerous from
the presence of firedamp, which is highly
explosive, and chokedamp, gas that suf-
locates. Copper ore mines, often rich in
sulphur. sometimes take fire from spon-
taneous generation.
The st. Lawrence mine, at Butte. Mon,
now owned by the Amalgamated Copper
Company, has been on fire for nearly four
teen years. with relays of firemen working
eight-hour shifts. week days, Sundays ard
holidays, trying Intellectually, to head of
the flames. Serious damage has also been
done within the past fifteen months at
Senator Clark's great United Verde mine
in Arizona, and at the mountain mine
operated by an English company in Shasta
county. Cal, both Of these fires starting
from spontaneous generation OF flames in
ores carrying nearly one-half sulphur
The Lake Superior copper mines pro-
duoe no ores, the metal being found in
its native state. As none Of the mines
has either coal or sulphur to burn, and as
the amygdalod mines have but little tim
bering underground. it is at first difficult
to see where danger of fire is found yet
that danger is constant.
ha nop1lonorota fnipaa baya h
erous hanging walls above the copper bear
ing strata, and require heavy timbering
The Calumet and Hecla mine employs
nearly full regiment of timbermen and
buries millions of feet of timber every
month, yet the four fires that have occurred
in that mine have resulted in but small
loss Of life.
The Tamarack mine. which works the
same lode and has to do correspondingly
heavy timbering has also had fire, but
without direct loss of life therefrom. The
amygdaloid mines, like the Osceola and
Isle Royale, which have strong rock walls
and use little timber, have proved more
dangerous in time of fire, the danger
being proportioned. apparently, to the
scarcity of nflammable material.
Though scores of miners have lost their
lives in Houghton county through mine
fires, not one Of the number has been
burned or even had his clothing scorched.
Death has been caused in every case by
suffocation from foul gases engendered
by the flames.
Wood, such as is used for timbering g
mines, would burn freely and give of car
bonic acid gas on the surface. Underground
where tremendous draft is given by the
great depths of the shafts, the air supply
is inadequate for normal combustion Yet
the intense heat forces the carbonizcd
wood to unite with such oxygen as is at
hand, as carbon monoxide.
Carbon dioxide, commonly called carbonic
acid gas, is chemical union of one atom
of carbon with two of oxygen. 1t is a
heavy, inert gas, sometimes causing death
by displacing the oxygen required to sus-
tain life but is not poisonous, efecting
death solely by mechanical means.
Carbon monoxide, on the contrary, is
a peculiarly acrid, irritating gas, causing
smarting of the eyes and violent headaches
when inhaled even in small quantities.
The toxic and antiseptic effects of the gas
are marked, it first poisoning its victim,
then preserving their bodies from decay.
The natural system of ventilating deep
mines in use in the Lake Superior copper
region is responsible for certain features
of mine fires that are unusual and dis
astrous. Just as tall chimney effects
a furious draft, so deep shaft causes a
similar but far greater draft, where air can
enter the bottom.
A single shaft is dead as to ventilation,
recurring fans and the free use of COM
pressed air to permit the men to breathe
When two shafts are connected UNDER
ground natural air current is produced
Immediately. The shorter shaft, that is
the one with it's mouth on lowest ground
Immediately becomes downcast, through
which the air is sucked, coming to the sur
face again through the longer shaft, called
an upcast by the miners. A difference
of but few feet in altitude is required
and the natural air currents produced by
connecting two shafts at great depth are
so powerful that double air doors are re-
uured, or all the miners lamps and candles
would be eXtinguished at once.
In the case of the recent fire at the Isle
Royalc, and also at the Osceola mine fire
of eight years ago. where thirty men and
boys We're killed, the burning shaft was
normally n uOWTCaSt. Inc Heateu air
and gas from the flames naturally arose;
event ually the fires gained such force that
the hot air and smoke overcame the natural
course of the air, and with a sudden roar
the entire ventilation of the mines was
changed in few moments. In this war
of opposing forces the foul gases given off
by the flames We're whirled through the
remotest chambers of the mine, placing
every man underground in jeopardy of his
life.
In the case of the Osceola fire, in Sep
tember, 1895. several hundred men were
working underground when flames were
discovered on the twenty level of
No. 3 shaft, just half mile underground.
Warming was given speedily, but many of
the miners laughed at the idea of danger
in a mine almost en- ircly free from timber
ing, except at the shafts. The miners
and trammers came to the surface leisurely,
and party of perhaps fifty, disregarding
emphatic orders / o leave the mine at once,
stopped on the fourt eenth level and started
to eat their lunches. it then being the noon
hour.
Suddenly as u flash of lightning, without
warning, the flames conquered the natural
draught Of the burning shaft, and deadly
gas was eddied into every corner of the