Arizona republican., 1908-07-05

! will be pumped into the cylinder ant
 the explosive to be tester will be shot
 into 1t from one end by big stee
 mortar so that the flame and products
 Of combustion will go right into the i explosives.
 \ Pittsburg was selected as the site fol f the ststion because the government is | already in possession of available land | and buildings there, but this site is
 especially favorable because it is ir | the heart of the eastern coal fields
 and in the state where 1514 men lost their lives in the coal mines in 1907
 tnearly half the total for the entire United States). It is also an advant- i age to have natural gas easily obtain | able as this gas corresponds nearer to
 fire damp than any other
 The cylinder in which the explosions are to occur are to be made of heavy | boiler plate. Safety valves will be
 placed all along the top and will be left unfastened in such a manner that whenever there is an explosion the valves will fly open upon their hinges
 A series of port holes on the sides. covered with one-half inch glass. will enable, those conducting the experi-
 ments to witness the explosions from the observation house, sixty feet away
 The steel mortar which will hurl the l explosives into the cylinder will be
 fired by electricity from the observa- ton house which is to be parallel with the cyclinder itself.
 While these tests are being conduct ed, operators and miners will be invit- ed to be present. In order that they will be able to see clearly the eXplo- sions of gas or dust. a piece of oil paper will be placed across the face of one of the safety valves with a piece of gun cotton suspended about six inches away. When an explosion occurs. the flames will burn the oil oil paper and ignite the gun cotton.
 In connection with the experimental station there will be a miniature mine with drifts, headings, rooms and lad ,ders. This place will be filled with smoke or gas and experiments will be made with apparatus capable of sus- taining life in these vapors. Miners will be taught how to wear this ap- paratus and how to save their com rades who may be unconscious in the mine following an explosion. It is believed that with some such appara- tus in use last December when 500 men were killed in four mine explo- sions, a number of the victims of these disasters might have been saved had they been reached in time. As it is now, following an explosion. with the mine filled with poisonous vapors. no one will venture in the mine for some time after the accident. A sad illus tration of this is seen in the explosion at Hanna. Wyoming. March 2S, in which 70 miners were killed. No one has yet entered the mine. the bodies being still there
 The investigations will be conducted by trained mining engineer expcri- enced in such work Tho station it. self will be in charge of Clarence Hall, the governments explosive expert. with Dr. Walter O. Smelling as explo- sives chemist.
 The result Of the investigations will be published for the benefit of the mine bureaus of the various coal pro ducing' states. the mine owners and the miners themselves. Simple in structiOns will be issued from time to time to the miners in half a dozen diff ferent languages. There is no inten- tion of interfering in any way with the inspection work of the state bureaus. The work is wholly investigative ir character. and educational in purpose. It is the purpose of the United States