The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-04-10
TOY COAL MINE TO
SHOW EXPLOSIONS.
Experts to Study Best Methods Of
Prevention and Relief Window
In Armo;ed Cylinder.

A miniature coal mine, in which
explosions will take place for the pur.
pose OF observing what causes mine
horrors. and for the further study OF
such calamities and the best method
OF preventing them and of extending
relief when they do occur is to be es-
tablished in Pittsburg by the Tech
nologic Branch of the United States
Geological Survey. A site for the
plant or school is now being selected
by J. A. Holmes, chief of the Techno-
logic Branch, and Pittsburg will be
selected not only because it is close
to West Virginia, the scene of more
mine horrors than any other place in
the world, but because there is an
abundance of natural gas there with
which to conduct the experiments.
Letters have been received there
from Holmes, in which he outlines
his plans.
The most important part of the
miniature mine will be cylinder 100
feet long and six feet in diamter.
made of armor plate, in which will be
conducted the experiments. The cy-
Under will be filled with the various
things which cause mine explosions:
Fire damp and air, coal dust and air,
black damp and air and gases of va
rious kinds. This cylinder will be
filled with these combinations, and
into them will be hurled by a mortar
the various things which causes ex-
plosions, dynamite, powder or naked
lamps. From these experiments it
will be shown what really cause eX-
plosions and what does not.
On the top of the cylinder will be a
large number of safety valves, which
will be left open, so that when the
explosions take place the cylinder
will not be wrecked, the safety valves
carrying away the greater part of the
force of the explosion. On one side
of the cylinder there will be window
made of glass, one inch thick. An
observation house will be placed sixty
feet away, and from that point those
making the explosions can witness
the results.
The miniature mine will be fitted
up exactly as a coal mine, with the
various leads and workings. Expert
ments will be made in the mine with
the various gases with view of as
pertaining how. long the miners can
live in them. and the best means of
sustaining life if they are caught.
Experiments will be made with va
rious kinds of headdress, such as is
worn by miners in many parts of Eu-
rope, which rescue parties shall wear
when they go into mines which are
known to be filled with deadly fumes.
While the Technologic Branch of
the Survey has had this in mind for
some time action was fastened be-
cause of the reference to mine disas-
tiers made by President Roosevelt in
his message, and by the two mine
horrors of the last two weeks, which
blotted out more than 400 lives.
Holmes has made a list of the mine
horrors of West Virginia alone for
the years 1906 and 1907, and finds
that in that time 697 miners lost
their lives, distributed in the follow
ing accidents: Red Ash, March 6,
100; Rush Run, March is, "a; Blue
field, January 4, 90; Paint Creek,
January IS, IS; Fayette Co., Febru-
airy s, %; Phillip, March 25, 26;
Fayette Co., January 20, 1907, 80:
Fayette Co., May /, 81; December 6.
Monogah, 1892