The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-16
SHOT ElRERs IN MINES.

try, almost On the verge Of dellrium
over the introduction Of what is
known as the "Shot Firers' Bill" in
Illinois, and the inference IS thrown
out that no member OF the senate or
legislature of the state Of Illinois
has the right to introduce mining
legislation without first obtaining
the permission of the operator, and
this erudite editor of the aforesaid
journal assume that no shot frer
bill will furnish any more protection
than under the present system or
firing, or in other words. remedies
for explosions are not found in legis-
lation.
l deny such unwarranted assump-
ton, and resent the Quotations Of
SANDER as found further along in the
editorial referred to. He says that
If the shots prepared by the individ-
uual miner are unsare, that 1t is an
ate Of cowardice to ask some one
else to fire them. Now let US cary
this to a logical conclusion. The in
dividual miner is not afraid to FRO
his own shot, but there are maiy
causes that will produce explosions
in u mines and the only question
at issue is now to minimize the pos
sibility of an explosion, and subject
the lowest number of men possible
to such dangers. Then If it is coz.
ardice to ask expert and experieac,
ed men to act as shot firers, is 'tnot
criminal on the part of the editor If
Fuel to want to jeopardize the lives
Of a hundred or more miners when
two or three would answer the same
purpose?
And Mr.. Fuel editor unconsclJISIy
> states that if the bill becomes a law
, that somebody of right ought to COM
pensate the shot firer, If unfortunatc>
ly, he is crippled for life, and if he
meets with a fatal accident while in
5 the discharge of his duty, that his
| family should receive an annuity for
life, etc" Good, and why not go
further and treat all alike, and pro
: vide for the families of all miners
killed by explosions and other acct
dents?
Jones pays the freight, anyway
| anu I1S COSI SlOulu DS hlllllIi' ~ | 10
. far as possible. The cost Of SHOT
examiners and shot frees would
amount approximately to about two
, cents per ton; then show me a con-
sumner that would object to such a
small increase in the cost of produc-
ton.
Again, in the same journal, under
| thn nontinn pf ESrrhn nvnncsiun TTcn nf
Powder" signed A. Bennett, this
writer states that in Iowa the min
ers fire their own shots. Now this
statement is only partially true,
and grossly misleading. In nine,
= tenths of our Iowa mines compel
: ent and paid shot frers do this
work, and only about three men are
known to have lost tneir lives as a
result of an explosion during the
last two years, and the time is not
\ far distant when the other one-tenth
will demand the innovations of ad-
!, vanced civilization. Iowa mines
:, have competent shot examiners, and
they invariably are the same men
who do the firing, which is right.
What we want mostly Is to create
incentives for Mr.. Mine Owner to
v become pecuniarily interested in his
a miners welfare. Give us England's
4 compensation law, and see how
quick our mine owners will advocate
the very same principles we are now
advocating. The most sensitive part
Of a mans nature is his pocketbook,
The writer once worked in a mine
where nom but Inc most skilled
men were employed, and the mine
u was run or a screened o basis,
: SO that the argument so often advo-
Gated by Mr.. Mine Owner that the
men overcharge their shots when
. working on a mine run basis does
y not hold good in this instance. Now
for the facts. In this particular
mine the men fired their WI shots
Q and n shot properly drilled and
q charged in the same shot over the
e drill hole and wholly invisible to
% the human eye, was a huge rock
. usually found in u Iowa mines
Well, as a result, the shot proved
y what is termed a tight shot" and
the conclusion was so great that II
temporarily drove the air pressure
back, thus forming a vacuum, ant
miner No. 2 also had lit his shot
L. and before the air prsuure could re
t. turn that destructive element of gas
to commonly called carbon, was draw
d with lightning like rapidity into tht
n vacuum already created. and whel
p the air pressure was assuming it
normal course combustion took plac,
burning all the oxygen OF life-givinl
elements. out of the air, and the re
suit was fearful to contemplate.
IN Hence the writer never wants t.
d. work in the mines under like con
ditions again, but with shot firer
he there is no danger Of any number o
ne shots being ignited simultaneously
Sc Yes, smoke and intense heat is CON
bustible and elements of explosions