Bisbee daily review., 1905-05-21

ware of the Metal Tampin9 Bar. Robert N. Bell. inspector of mines for Idaho in his annual report for 1904, has written a few don'ts for miners of that state that can very well be applied elsewhere. They are as follows:
 The following don'ts may be profit ably needed by powder users, some of them will appear superflnous to the lay reader, but from personal expert ence know them to be justified: Don't start to drill in a new face until you have thoroughly satisfied yourself that there are no missed holes, or uneXplOded pieces of pow der left in the old butts, or that could angle into the line you are going to point a hole on.
 Don't depend entirely on reports. It often happens that the upper part of a charge of old powder will ex- plode and the lower part remain alive and UneXploded without putting off.
 Don't be in too big a hurry to go back on a stinker. or burnt hole. or to reprime a missed hole; but it is safer to reprime it in an hour. say. than to work over it for a whole half shift.
 During the past summer missed holes at the Snowstorm mine in Shos-. hone county and at the Cracker Jacl. mine in Idaho county, with fuse ap, parently burnt out, and giving no sign of life, exploded after standing quiescent for four and one-half hours badly maiming two men in one in- stance and one in the other. who were working over them.
 "A round of 1G machine holes in a three-compartment vertical shaft 200 feet deep at the Thorn mine near Idaho City, last summer was fired: only one report short was noticed: when the round was finally cleared UT it was found that the butts of ten Of the holes contained from one to eight inches of unexpioded powder. The powder used looked all right, but sub seGuently proved to have been in stock for a long time Moral: De- mand fresh powder; use strong caps and good fuse
 Don't use any kind of a metal tamping bar, or tap a wooden one with hole when loading.
 Don't jab too hard with a wooden ramping bar in case a. piece of pow der fitcheIs or sticks half way in a hole when loading, and you cannot push it home gently Never mind your reputation as a loader. Let her spoil if it should result in your los ing your job. you wilt have yourself left, anyway.
 Don't be a hayseed and carry your powder about your person to soften B, or attempt to thaw stick in the flame of candle, or crlmp a cap with your teeth, or break stick in two; cut it no matter how dull your knife is.
 Don't keep powder and caps in the same box.
 Don't jab pick into muck pile as if you were driving spike on the railway. Yos are liable to hit a stray piece of powder that wifi explode and blow your eyCe out. Such an acci- dent has happened within year. Use your pick to work the stuff down with more of raking motion. It Is safer and just as effective.
 Don't take a naked light into any storage place for powder or subsnag- azipes: leave it at the entrance as far back as will serve the purpose.
 Don't take these admonitions too much to heart, but bear them con stantly in mind. With all the risks of a mining occupation, including the handling of powder, they are no great CT than those of trainmen. require no more mechanical skiif. and with req Sonably careful handling and inteili- gent precautions the present source. of accidents in Idaho mines ought to- be reduced very materially"