Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1908-07-25

~ Damp and Dust-WiI Fire Elk
&Iosives Into Great Iron Cylinders.
Rescue Appliances to De Tested IN
Miniature Mine Filled With Fumes.
Spectacular experiments TO determine
tile causes of explosions in coal mines
are to be made by the federal govern
ment at Pittsburg within few weeks.
The buildings of the old arsenal estab-
lished there during the second war
with Great Britain are to be turned
into an experiment station, at which
the mine experts of the technoloSir CT
vision of the geological survey hie -
set their wits to work on the problem
Of how to prevent the further Increase
Of the toll Of human lives given III eX-
change for the fuel supply.
During 1907, all told, 1920 mine
workers were killed as against 2,O01 in
1906. From unofficial estimates based
on incomplete returns received by the
officials of the division which is to con-
duct the experiments sixteen men were
killed or injured each workday Of 1907,
says Washington special dispatch to
the New York World. During last June
twenty three miners were killed and
thirty injured in and about Wilkes
barre.
The government experts suspect that
many of the explosions are caused by
the dynamites and blasting powders
employed by the miners. Therefore
their first tests will be to accurately
determine the relative safety of these
explosives when fired where there Is
deadly fire damp or the dangerous dust
resulting from the breaking up Of the
deposits of coal or both.
For that purpose explosives OF all
sorts will be hurled into huge cylin-
der made of boiler plate filled with
natural gas, which chemically Is very
nearly like fire damp. The explosives
will be hurled from a mortar into the
cylinder, which Will be n hundred feet
long and six feet In diameter. In order
that it may not be blown to pieces
each time charge of explosive is fired
into 1t the cylinder will be provided
with large number of valves so con-
trived that they will open when the
pressure reaches a point considerably
below that at which the destruction of
the cylinder might reasonably be eX-
pected If ignition fails after severe
tests, the use of the explosives that
fail to fire the gas will be recon-
mended.
A supposedly explosive mixture Of
fire damp and coal dust will be fired
into. SO Will supposedly explosive
mixture of coal dust and air. The queS-
ton whether such mixtures are really
OF an explosive character will be thor
Oughly thrashed out. Many mine own
ers insist that mine dust is not explo-
sive; that the worst 1t will do is to
burn after there has been an explosion
of gas or fire damp.
The steel trust officials having charge
Of its mining operations believe dust,
damp and gas are all explosive. So
believing. they have hired gas well
lrillers to bore holes into all their
mines to form vents from which gas
and dust may be blown by the power
fpl fans that supply pure air. The trust
l. spending hundreds of thousands of
dollars In such safety work. The holes
are from twelve to eighteen inches in
diameter.
Miners and operators will be invited
to witness the tests at Pittsburg. In
order that they may see the effect of
the firing into the mixtures of dust and
damp or dust and air one Of the safety
valves will be covered with oil paper.
Six inches from 1t small quantity of
gun cutton will be placed. If the mix
ture inside the cylinder explodes, the
resulting flames viii burn out the oil
paper, and then, to make assurance
doubly sure. the gun cotton will be
there to give evidence of the force of
the explosion. If it is light one, the
gun cotton viii not be set off. If it Is
q heavy one, as expected, the gun cot
ton will also be exploded.
Another set of experiments will be
made with safety appliances to be
worn by members of rescuing parties.
\ miniature mine, with drifts, head
ings. rooms and ladders, will be con-
structed and then filed with smoke or
gas. so as to make the test Of the res
cue apparatus as near as possible like
that to which it would be subjected In
a real mine.