The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-09-24
Ventilation in Welsh Mines.

Ventilation in Welsh Mines.
Did you notice much difference in the
systems of ventilation there?'
Yes. Il great deal although there was
nothing that was new to me. as my uncle
had shown me the same methods when l
was boy but which were not then
adopted. although they have since been
put into execution. My uncle and others
saw me necessity of d better system or
ventilation. but their plans. were not ac-
cepted until many explosions had oc-
CURED and it became absolutely necessary
TO make d change. This uncle of mine
showed me i'm the mines how this could
be done, and that is how l got my first
lessons In ventilation, and | took an in
terest in the matter, seeing how vital II
was. Ny uncle made a speciality of ven
tiIation and was employed by different
companies 10 take care of the air sys-
TENS of underground workings and ne
took me along with him as a little boy,
Just for the sake Of company. and many
a time we were alone all day in the
mines attending TO these matters, and
he would talk to me of his system and
explain to me what he would do If he
had his way. but the companies were I'M
willing to incur the expense at that time,
bit they had to come to il.
when they did adopt the system, which
they are using TO the present day, the
extra exnense really resulted in a big
saving for them, both from the de-
creased dividends. If it had been done
years before. an untold amount of mon
ev and number of lives would have been
saved"
The Old System,
Mr.. Tibbey, what was this system?''
The old system used 10 be to carry
the air through every place i'm one cur
rent and take the impure air from one
portion OF the mine 10 another. which
resulted in it being loaded down with
gas. In other words. they loaded the
air SO heavily with gases that they could
not work on certain davS I'm some parts
Of the mines When the weather was
stormy or cloudy and the barometer fell
there would be grea ter DISCHARGE or
gas. and consequently they would not he
able TO work more than half time in
such weather"
Does the barometer play or import
ant part in mine ventilation, Mr.. lib
hev?'
''You cannot understand how to ven
tilate a mine unless YOU know how 10
use barometer thermometer. by
What have these Instruments TO do
with ventilation"
They are just as necessary for the
mining man as they are Tor The the ta sea-
change in atmospheric pressure, the
thermometer tells the temperature of the
air, tee hygrOmeter tests the humidity
of the air and the aiTmeteT tells the
stand how to properly Ventilate mine
unless you know these Instruments and
how TO use them. Take the barometer
for instance. If il falls one inch IL marks
difference in atmospheric pressure of
seventv-twO pounds to the square foot
In drift seven feet high and four and
half feet wide. maxine an area Of thirty
square feet, this fall in the barometer
shows that there is 2.160 pounds less air
I'm that drift. and this condition will re-
main rntil the barometer rises again
Approximately the air pressure At the
sea level is fifteen mounds to the square
inch: there are al square inches i'm each
square foot. which gives YOU 2l61 pounds
per square foot. II is figured that the
pressure dimnishes half pound for every
thousand feet you go up. II Is a poor
rule that will not work both ways. If
the pressure Is half a pound less for
every lO00 feet You 90 up. il must be
half a pound more for every l,0N0 feet
YOU go down. Now. the altitude of Butte
is .. 15S feet if my memory serves me
right. but ] ALWAYS figure the altitude
at 6091. as u is easier to calculate from
that basis Thus it will he seen that the
atmospheric pressure at 6 60 feet is three
pounds less than at the sea level. so the
pressure ia Butte Is LIS mounds par
square foot. or One-fitth. which is 49,
pounds per square foot less than at the
sea level If you have less air YOU must
necessarily have less oxygen in the air
which REQUIRES YOU TO breathe faster TO
get the amount of OXvgen required by
piration of persor Is Il to 1e times q
minute. and at each respiration a per
ron is supposed To take in from thirty
10 forty cHbic inches OF air, and 81 ner
cent of this Is resppired as carbon dioXide.
The atmosphere is composed of p per
cent oxygen and - per cent nitrogen. an
proximately. with trace Of carb"nic
acid gas If Won want 10 make a test
for caFhcnic acid gas, take two sRTceTs
filled with lime water, and piece on" On
the door and the ether ne7r the ceiling.
Tho ore near the floor Will turn white,
which indicates the presence Of the gas
while the one uea" the ceiling viii rot
chargc it's color CarhOnic acid gas is
third heavier thar the air and coRsr-
duentlv il always falls and the air viii
mass through it. like il will th"ouoh q
iady's crepe veil, and il is hard to
move.
Carbonic Acid Gas in Mines.
is there much carbOnic acid gas ~
the mines of Butte Mr.. Tibbey?"
'Ype / know there is as / used TO test