The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-12-26
DUSIIS CAJS MOST
GREAT Mine EXPLOSIONS

high and six feet under; thus In eacf,
room IS feet iwIdelnearly two tons Of
explosive coal dust are manufactured.
or in mine having seam five feet
thick and producing Lobe tons OF ma.
chine mined coal per day. 100 tons Is
dust, that is exclusive OF fine coal pro.
duced by blasting or breaking up the
coal for loading. Because or the ma.
ture OF the unaereatTyery heavy blasts
arc necessary to break down the coal:
the holes for these blasts or shots
are for the most part drilled AMI
charged by ignorant foreigners. and
without removing the dust or treating
! 1t In any way the shots are fred. and
in case a shot blows out the tamping
lblown out shot long tongue OF
flame is projected into the room, on
the floor Of which Is lying. all ex.
posed. two tons of dust, which, when
exploded, equals In destructive forca
eight tons of powder. Think of this
and add to it the $685. r. tons which
ARE distributed Throughout the mine.
and then you will cease to wonder At
/ the tremendous manifestation Of force.
/. the results Of which are seen after
/ one OF these explosions.
Don't Guard Against Dust.
After the coal Is shot down the dust
and eoarser coal are loaded into the
mine cars and the cars are started out.
ward on their Journey. These cars are
not by any means dust proof; they are
built OF oak planks, with spaces be.
tween. both In bottom and sides, con.
seQuently, MS soon as the cars begin
| 10 move the coal dust commences to
! filter through these spaces and keeps
on running through until 1t has all
run out Or until the cars have reached
their destination. Keep in mind, there
are hundred tons OF dust. carried IN
from 500 to $50 cars, depending on
their size: these cars travel on an
average from one TO three miles at a
rapid rate and every car constantly
adding its quota to the explosive.
deatll-dcaling train. This process goes
Ion from day TO day. from month to
month. until the mine is yeritable
magazine Of terrible possibilities,
which, as we know too we'll often re.
suit in the most dreadful eventualities,
The remedy for this is so simple and
so Obvious that 1t seems almost IN.
necessary to mention it. and yet, al.
though 1t mustbe patent to every mine
foreman. superintendent Or Inspector.
IT is never used and probably will not
be until 1t Is made compulsory by
stringent laws carrying n Jail penalty
for their non-observance.
Remedy Is Very SimnIr
The remedy is simply this: After n
n room or entry has been undermined
by machine and before shot has been
fred the dust should be thoroughly
soaked with water and the roof. sides
and floor OF the room should be spray
ed FOR 25 or 80 feet back from the
lace. This should be done In every
room and entry, which would make n
coal.dust explosion in the rooms ana
entries in 'jliXtapositfon to the face
IN absolute impossibility. So far as
the haulage ways are concerned there
would be very little, II any, dust de.
posted il the above method were used
out owing to the method in vogue of
chunking, that Is, of loading the cars
from inches to is inches above tho
sides, great deal OF coal falls from
the cars during transit and, unless It
IS removed, SOON becomes dust. AT
the roads must be kept ,scrupulous,y
clean and free from coal dust. In
plain words, there cannot possibly DO
Il coal.dust explosion unless the coal
dust Is present, and there is abso.
lutely no excuse for its presence,
But" says Mr., Director, "this costs
money! Well. so do explosions: they
cast also untold misery and suffering.
also valuable llves-probahiy more
valuable than yours. Mr.. Director.
Certainly rs dear to them and theirs
as yours to you and yours. The cost
would amount to very little IL In.
stalled at the opening OF mine. I'll
would not cost for material, water and
labor more than ono Qc) cent per ton.
surely small amount to pay for safe
~ OF lille and property. think my
operator would be willing to pay this
rs Insurance against explosions. and
| hope to be able to convince the min.
Ing. men OF this country that explo.
sions can be prevented, and that the
opinion given by several eminent IN.
yestigators, WIS.,, that there is moth.
Ing either In the management Of
mines or in the law that can prevent
explosions" is utterly without founda-
ton.
Another "safe" Mine Explosion.
AS write this the tragic news Is
wired from Alabama Of another dust
explosion, caused by blown out shot;
ihe present information places the
death list at GO. This also was deem
ed safe mine, and | suppose It was
until n long tongue Of flame was pro.
icctod into infianmabie and expio-
sive dust. Was It necessary to fire
this shot with all the men in the mine?
Was it necessary 10 fire this shot be.
fore the dust in the room was render
ed harmless by water, or entirely re-
moved? And yet so.called experts
say it cannot be helped. Suppose u |
lunntic should fire pistol into bar.
rel of gundowder in crowded hall
and kill hundred people these gen.
llemen would say, "The hall was per-
fectly safe" Yea, verify. minus the
nowder and the lunatic. safe enough.
So It is with the mines, minus the
blowout shot and the dust, safe
enough. Both Of them can be eliminat.
cd and the stigma of this continual
removed from our much.de-
faced escutcheou, lt II