The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-28

to be multiplying.
 In the first three months of this year West Virginia alone had record of 103 lives lost in mine explosions Last year the coal mine death roll for Pennsylvania alone was more than five hundred, of whom quite one-half died as a result of gas or dust explosionsl
 DeplorabIe State.
 The authorities are convinced that this deplorable state of things is unnecessary and Dr. Holmes declares thst We are far behind Europe in safeguarding the lives of our coal miners England and Bel gium have for years maintained splendid experimental stations,i and although the Belgian mines are notorious for their fire damp, ye the country has enjoyed a wonderful immunity from disaster.
 AS a result of these experiments abroad certain permissible explosives are named and only these may be used in mines Moreover, England has what Is known as the limit charge" which must not be exceeded. On the other hand, in this country there are few such regula- tions, and none at all in many states, when 1t comes to the kind of powder to be used
 The new station near Pittsburg will in- clude an explosive gallery, rescue room observation house, miners lamp testing rooms and laboratory of explosives. The gallery IS 10 De or DOller plale, cylln- drical in shape, something like 100 feet long and six feet in diameter. A series of safety valves and hinges will be ranged along the top to permit the cape of gas following the explosion. More over, portholes along the sides covered with half-inch plate glass will permit ob- servers to see whether or not an ex- plosion has taken place in the gallery during the tests
 The big cylinder will be filled with fire damp and air, or coal dust and air, and then explosives will be hurled into the gallery by a steel mortar, electrically fired from an observation house sixty feet away. Both fire damp and air will be thoroughly mixed by big electric fan
 Explosive Tests.
 The tests made with various explosives and the maximum quantity of each that can be safely used will be published by the government under the head of per missibe" or safety explosives. Their temperature at the point of detonation will be low and the flame of short dura- tion.
 There will also be important experiments in rescue work. One part of the station is to be fitted up as a miniature coal mine, where miners and operators will be taught the art of saving the lives of their fellow men who are exposed to grave peril such as never falls to the lot of any man above ground. The authorities declare that in serious gas explosions In the mnes hundreds of lives could be saved were 1t possible for a rescue party to enter immediately after the accident. As it Is now the deadly fire damp often holds rescuers back for hours, while their comrades are being suffocated or burned to death.
 The miniature mine will be filled with dense smoke and very practical demon- stratons given in life saving with certain new apparatus for breathing in irrespira- ble gases This consists of canvas jacket equipped with cylinders of com pressed oxygen connected with the oper- ator's mouth by a flexible rubber lined metallic tube. The exhaled breath Is passed through small humps of potassium hydroxide. Then the carbon dioxide Is absorbed and the remainder, with more oxygen, is again available for the worker.
 With such a jacket as this man may enter mine immediately, even when 1t be filled with the most poisonous gases. In the miniature mine there will be drifts, headings, rooms and ladders. Thus when the whole is filled with smoke miners will be instructed to enter as though to search for their fellow workmen.
 The results of all experiments will be spread broadcast in every coal mining state and then it will be the companies own fault if they cannot look after the lives of the hundreds of thousands Of hard working fellows who provide the fuel for the mighty machine of our pros perty.