The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1908-02-20

ing off one half of one per cent. in
the newly fresh cut face of the
coal; but this per cent. is too small
to be detected on a miners safety
lamp. Even two per cent. cannot
be detected on the finest safety
lamp.
AS soon as an appalling disaster
occurred in a coal mine, the miners,
the mine inspectors and the general
public demand additional legisla-
ton for the better protection of
the lives and safety of the under
ground population. But as mat.
ter of fact it is not so much for
lack of legislation that such ac-
cldents occur; but because the laws
already on the statute books are
not enforced and obeyed. If coal
dust were properly watered every
day, or better still, hauled out of
the mine altogether, and no stand
ing gas PERMITTED to accumulate,
as the mining laws provide, there
could not be an explosion of fire.
damp, or coal dust, or. combi-
nation of both.
Since the application of fan
ventilation there is an all abundant
stream Of fresh air blown into the
mine to thoroughly ventilate every
room and entry and abandoned
part, where the current properly
distributed. The law requires that
all break throughs except the last
one nearest the working place OF
the miners shall be closed up and
made air-tight, SO as tn force the
currant to the enterior where the
not done III too many cases, as the
numerous and heart rending cat
astrophies attest.
The air in it's course along the
air passages of mines spills and
leaks at nearly ever break through,
until it reaches the working places
of the mines in too infeebled
streams, to carry away the gases
formed by blasting, the exhalation
Of the lungs and bodies of work
men, the gases emitted from the
coal and its associate strata. Every
break through should be built Of
alright moteriai, and should be
examined daily to see that no air
is escaping.
Fire damp in its pure and un.
diluted state will neither. support
light nor life; but when mixed
with twice it's volume of atmos-
pheIic air it can be breathcd, al
though with suffering. Itrequires
fivn hn1ly Of ~,
to constitute an explosive COM
pound and then the explosion is
very feeble. When nine or ten
times the volume of air is mixed
with one volume of fre-damp it
constitutes its most powerful mix
ture. In this condition the in
slant it comes in connection with a
naked light it explodes with the
rapiuity and violence Of gun pow
der. When more than fourteen
times the volume of air is mixed
with one volume of gas it again
ceases to be explosive.
When, however, fine dry coal
dust containing 40 per cent. Of
volatile matter is raised in the
air by the flame of a heavy blow
out shot or by an explosion of fire
damp the coal dust takes fire and
intensities the explosion. After
the flame from the explosion of
the gas or the blowout shot has
spent its force the coal dust con-
tinues burning and spreads through
the mine raising and igniting all
the coal dust within us reach,
scorching every living creature to
death in the line Of direction of the
dust, while those beyond the
reach of the lurid flame become
victims of the after damp, the pro-
duct of the explosion, and fall
asleep in a peinless death.
Two per cent. of fire damp can
not be detected on a miners safety
lamp, nor will it explode on a
miners open lamp. The fire boss
of a mine may inspect all the work
ings and wrought-out portions of
mine and find no inffammable air,
yet while he is writing his report
that the mine is safe, the work