Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-06-29
PROBE INTO NINE DISASTERS
Scientific Investigation to Be Con.
Quoted by Uncle Sam.
PLANS TO CHECK MORTALITY
Methods of Reducing Heavy Death
Loss TO he Devised Through
Experiments at Pitts
burg,
CFrom a staff Correspondent

CFrom a staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON, June 2s,-(special)-Th
United States government within the next
few weeks, will begin a series Of scientific |
investigations into the causes of disasters
in American coal mines in the hope that
the present frightful mortality may be re-
duced to a minimum BY August l. in /
accordance with plans approved by Secre- |
tary of the Interior Garfield, the Interior |
department will have a complete expert |
mental station in operation on the grounds
of the arsenal in Pittsburg, Pa.
For some time before the Hemenway
amendment to the legislative appropriation
bill making an Appropriation Of $4,000 for
this work, became law and the money
available, government officials were busy
making tentative plans for the station in
order that there might be no delay. This
advanced the project to such an extent that
the material for the station will be on the
ground by July l. and 1t is expected the
station will be in operation month later.
This prompt action was considered neces-
sary because Of the fact that the terrible
mortality record of last year is being con-
tinued into this year, although 1907 was con-
sdered an unusual one, $500 being killed
in the coal mines as against 2,O61 the year
before. From unofficial estimates it ap-
pears that sixteen men have been killed
/ or injured each work day of the year Just
the other week, twenty-three miners were
killed and thirty injured in ard about
Wilkesbarre, Pa
Tests of Dynamites and Powders.
! At the Pttsburg experimental station,
tests of the various dynamites and powders
used in blasting coal will be made, with
view to accurately determining their safety
! in the presence OF the deadly firedamp and
! equally deadly coal dust. Explosives of all
sorts will be hurled by means of a mortar
into d mammoth boiler-plate cylinder which
has previously been filled with gas, and
! the effects will be carefully roted If igni-
ton fails after severe tests, the use of
these explosives will be urged upon the
mine owners of the country.
! That part of the experimental station in
which the explosives are to be tested will
| be in the form of a cylinder, 100 feet long
and six feet in diameter, lying the
ground. An explosive mixture of firedamp
and air in ore case or coal dust and air in
another will be pumped into the cylinder
and the explosive to be tested will be shot
into 1t from one end by a big steel mortar
so that the flame and products of combus-
llOu Will 20 IlBnl INTO ln6 explosives
PittsburE Center of Coal Fields.
Pittsburg was selected as the site for the
station because the government is already
In possession of available land and build
iEJgs there, but this site is especially favor
able because It is in the heart of>thzseast-
ern coal fields and IN the state where 1914
men lost their lives in the coal mines in
1907. nearly half the total for the entire
United States. 1t is also an advantage to
have natural gas easily obtainable, as this
gas corresponds nearer to firedamp than
any other.
The cylinder in which the explosions art
to occur are to be made Of heavy boiler
plate Safety valves will be placed al
along the top and will be left unfastenet
in such a manner that when there is ar
explosion the valves will fly open upor
, their hinges. A series of portfolios on th'
sides covered with one-half inch glass. will
enable those conducting the experiments
to witness the explosions from the obser
: walton house, sixty feet away. The stee
mortar which will hur the explosives
into the cylinder will be fired by elec
tricty from the observation house, which
, is to be parallel with the cylinder itself
While these tests are being conducted
' operators and miners will be invited to b.
present. In order that they will be able t
see clearly, the explosions of gas dust
a piece of oil paper will be placed acros
the face of one of the safety valves with
piece o: gun cotton suspended about sil
inches away. When an explosion occurs
the flames win burn the oil paper and ig
{ mite the gun cotton.
VapOrs VIII he Deaed.
. In connection with the experimental sta
IL
. drifts, headings rooms and ladders. Thi
place will be filled with smoke or gas an
experiments will be made with apparatu
capable of sustaining life in these vapors
Miners will be taught how to wear thi
: | apparatus and how to save their comrade
who may be unconscious in the mine fol
lowing an explosion. II is believed tina
v with some such apparatus in use last De
! cember, when 800 men were killed in fou
mine explosions a number Of the victim
n OF these disasters might have been save
had they been reached in time AS it
now following an explosion, with the min
filled with poisonous vapors, no one wi
i venture in the mine for some time afte
l. the accident A sad illustration of this
y seen in the explosion at Hanna wyo., Marc
Is Is, in which seventy miners were kile,
ID No one has yet entered the mine. the boo
ST les being still there. The investigation
in will be conducted by a trained mining eI
is gineer experienced in such work tt
r station itself will be in charge of ClarenC
ar Hall the governments explosive expeT
ny with DR.. Walter o. Smelling. as explosiv,
chemist
The results Of the experiments will
published for the benefit of the mine b
reaus OF the various coal producing state
the mine owners and the miners themselve
- Simple instructions will be issued from tin
d. TO time to the miners in half dozen di
OF ferent languages. There is no intentiC
NJ OF interfering In any way with the inspe
I'M ton work OF the state bureaus The wo
er is wholly investgative in character, al
ia educational in purpose. II is the pupo
ed Of the United States officials to co-opera
he with these bureaus to the extent OF su
re- plying information concerning the myste
10 les of the catastrophes in the mines. II
pm expected the results will be accepted
X the state bureaus a guidance to futu
let state laws governing the safety Of mnel
lSo Up-tO-Date Methods for Land once
es- Important changes in the method
IN keeping records relating TO the pub
ne, lands will take effect July /.
'al These changes are the result Of an
no yestiRation made bv Mr.. Garfield short