Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1907-12-17
TO MAKE MINES SAFER.

Government VIII Conduct Expert
ments Concerning Explosives.
Scientific study of the causes OF mine
disasters has been undertaken by the
fuel division Of the geological survey IN
the hope that the great loss of life IN
the mines of this country may be abat-
ed, says the New York Herald Clar-
ence Hall, an explosive expert, has
returned from a trip to England and
Belgium, where mine owners, miners,
the government and the manufacturers
of explosives cooperative in an effort
of explosives cooperate in an EFFORT
to prevent explosions. Experiments
there show that many accidents are
due to coal dust rather than gas. Plans
have been made by the fuel division
to erect, probably near Pittsburg, a
unique experiment station where tests
will be made of various dynamites and
blasting powders for the purpose OF &C
curately determining their safety IN the
presence of deadly tredamp and coal
gas.
Explosives will be hurled from
mortar ipto a large steel boiler plate
100 feet long and q feet in diameter,
charged with firedamp and air or coal
dust and air. Ii ignition fails the ex-
plosives will be known as permissible
explosives" The mine operators OF the
country will be urged to use them.
Another branch of the experimental
work will be conducted in miniature
coal mine. Miners will be there taught
the noble art of saving the lives of
their fellow men. Hundreds of lives
could be saved in gas explosions were
1t possible for the rescue parties to
enter Immediately following the acct
dent. The menacing bank of firedamp,
however, often holds the relief work
back for hours while the entombed min
ers slowly suffocate or heiplessly await
the approach of devouring flames.
The government experts have found
in Europe an apparatus which, when
worn by members of rescue party,
permits them in safety to enter any
place where there is gas. 1t consists OF
canvas jacket equipped with cylinders
of compressed oxygen, connected with
the operators mouth by flexible rub
ber-lined metallic tube. The use OF the
oxygen is regulated by pressure
gauge. The exhalation of the operator
is passed through small Jumps of po-
tassium hydroxide, the carbon dioxide
being absorbed and the remaining prod
ucts, together with more oxygen, is
again available for the operator.
At present no apparatus of such a
nature is known to be in the United
States. If the experiments are salts
factory here, mine owners will be urged
to keep these jackets in the mine and
also above ground. The device will be
given thorough test i'll the minia-
ture mine. in which there will be drifts.
headings, rooms and ladders. After
it is filed with smoke miners will be
instructed to enter and search as they
would for their fellow workmen.
Officials of the geological survey have
been watching with considerable dis
may for some time the frequently re-
curing accidents in different parts of
the country. In eight accidents In
West virgins.ss. since 1900 315 lives have
been lest.
The worst explosion that has 0c-
Cured in Germany in the last few
years was due to coal dust. Nearly
200 lives we've lost in the REDEEM mines.
Perhaps The greatest accident in many
years occurred at the Courrieres mine
at Pas de- Calais, French, on March
10. 1906, when 1900 lives were lost.
This explosion was probably due to
coal dust.