The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-26
rnE lkllkIne or MlNrRs,

TM4 AH4fnAN0 OE MlN
 There h reason cn, general groupdss says The Hartford Times. to believe thst the. coal mine accidents which have cost 10 many lives recently In this country are in the main prevens- able and that neither the mine own CTS nor the workmen in the mines can be depended on to use the pre- caution necessary to assure <. safety. There Is aito particular evidence to the same effect. notably that of Joseph A. Holmes. who is in charge of the technologicaI branch of the United. States geological survey. and has made, a thorough Investigation of the sub ject. Ailusion has already been made to his showing through statistics of the excessive number of these casualt ties in our mines as compared with tho of European countries. Now comes his discussion of tLe way to deaIs with the problem. First he speaks of the need of limiting the charges of high explosives, and says that in all countries but this such limi-' tation is made by law. He says that although the rules were made with direct reference to preventing gas ex- plosions they have been useful in pre- venting accidents from the fall or roofs, as the jarring effect of the dis charge of heavy charges tends to start cracks which weaken the wall or the roof and which may increase for months before the fall occurs. so thai in the meantime they have been for- gotten and the crash comes without warning. f Coming to particular measures for safety Mir. Holmes deals partic- larly with the use of explosives and with strictly enforced rules for safety lamps, so that they must be used and regularly inspected, and can- not be tempered with by the miners contingency always to be feared 1T they are able to open them. As toNthe use of explosives he is sure it should be strictly regulated by law and on
 this point he says:
 Is In all European coal producing countries laws have been made Tor bidding the use of the more danSeI,- ous explosives in all mines In Wnlcn fire damp is liable to be founa, iuas ans
 that have been proved to pc reason reason ably free from the danger of ig1itlns 1 explosive gas mixtures. Reguiationss ! l enforced in Great Britain provide tnas | in aIl mines in which iiiflammable gas I is present or has been found In dan | gerous quantities within the pIevious three months all charges or explosss1s son
 shall be fired by a competent peJtshonaj pthna 1 termed a shot firer. By this methoo | the charges are fired at time Wneh M l but few men are in the mine. ana ac l eordingly, if a fire damp explosion oc- l curs' fewer lives are lost than if the miner fired the shots at time Wnen other miners were in the workings
 Still another factor of gre, great thrnu ,mpolt, nt | constant experience, soon becomes usee | to fine proper use of explosives. ano | also learns tn charge the holes 1n, l fire them in the safest way possiois' | He also notes that there are elec- trical shot-firing devices which permit the firing of charges from a distance and at successive intervals.
 The essential thing seems to be th'
 passage and enforcement of law
 which provide the greatest attainabi'
 safety, since it is known that manI
 of the accidents are preventable, bu
 . 4h. necassarv precautious are
 sure to be neglected unless highe
 outside authority intervenes to compe the necessary attention to the mean of safety.