Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-04-28


 must have seen that for yourself. With the general management have noth- Ing to do. I'm only one of the min CTS. But there is problem of ventila- tion here that ought to be solved, and I have come simply to offer solution in the interest of the company that pays my wages and still more in the interest of the miners. Two of them were killed by choke damp little while ago. four of them are now ill from the same cause. while all of them are earning less than they should be- cause the best and most easily ac- cessible headings are closed" 'Is there any very serious difficulty involved in the problem of ventilating the mineW
 "None whatever-at least no engi- neering difficulty"
 Just what do you meanr .
 T prefer not to say"
 Perhaps can guess" said Duncan. "I have myself discovered very seri- ous difficulty in the personal equation of MT. Davidson. He does not want to ventilate the mine. He has his own reasons, of course. That difficulty shall no longer stand in the way. shall eliminate 1t, at once. Go on, please, and tell me of the engineering prob lem"
 Tt scarcely amounts to problem. The mine lies only about seventy-five feet below the surface. At Its extreme extension the depth is considerably less because of a surface depression there. What suggest Is this: Dig shaft at the extreme end, thus making a second opening and pass air freely through the mine from the one opening, to the other. The cost will be a mere trife."
 But will the air pass through in that wayT'
 Not without help. But we can eas. fly give 1t help"
 Howl Go on. Explain your plan fully"
 Well, we have here three or four of those big fans that the government had made for the purpose of ventilating the engine rooms and stokeholes of its ironclads. They utterly failed and were sold as junk. Captain Hallam bought a lot of them at the price of scrap iron and sent them out here. Davidson tried one of them and report ed utter failure as c result The fail ure was natural enough. both in the case of the ironclads and in that of the mine."
 How soT'
 Why. in both cases an attempt was made to force air down into spaces al- ready filled with an atmosphere denser than that above. That was absurdly impossible. as any engineer not an Idiot should have known"
 And yet you think you can use these fans successfully In ventilating the miner
 q do not think: I know. If Mir. Davidson will permit me to explain"-
 Never mind Davidson. If this ex- pertinent Is to be tried you shall your self be the man to try ft Go on. please"
 But. Duncan. I simply mustn't be known in the matter at all"
 "why not?'
 'T have a wife to care for. 1 can't afford to be discharged. No. Duncan; I must not be known in this matter or have anything to do with the execu- ton of the plans suggest I want you to treat them as your own; sug- ssst them to Davidson and persuade him to carry them out In inst way all of good and nothing of harm will be done"
 ~why. then. haven't you suggested your plans to DavidsonY'
 T have. and be has scornfully re- jected them Coming from you he may trest them win . greater respect"
 GO o1. then. and tell me hov you purpose to ve1tilste the mine I'm nightly Inferested.- ssit Duncan.
 -Thsnk yO1.- said Temple. My plan is perfectly simple Tou can't force air down into . nins vifh sny runp thst rss ever inverted or any pznp that ever vfI be devised by h1nan ingsnufty- But yo1 can easily and certainly draw air 01t of . mine Ard rhen tbsrs gre tvo op<1fnes to the Eine-oue at either ezi-f y0u frzu air ct at os. ed frezh air rin of ftself rzsh Ia ct the e<b<r ed to