The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1909-02-16
Mine INSPECTION
VERY INEFFICl INT

Second le MY zeal ehafae
vi TIE d9s
afilre alI no
Ilie 5e
oaEt volume 81 ltensitg
1of tie ilanssl
ne size II fie "a ing s.
ms oI the openli
istt The coaditaba 81 fhs nine
dust ana moisture
rom mes eonelnsion NJ learn
that essential ture taS x.
Iolosson n. First ME ii enee Sf
bic matter Il, form I'M
nlaSes combustion with explosive
ptdity possible and second, the
presence OF gan attnosph re that gsii
support combination: third. 4lle els-
yation Of the ternperat uTe aboye the
point of ignition ana maintaining il
at tlat point Hence any c1ndtio5
that lessons either Of fhese cont.i
tions. not only lessons tae force a
Il
me explosion. bnt also helDs to pre-
YEN the concurrent Of an explosion. /,
The Preyeptions.
me commission, recommends Il 81
regarding the prevention Of expfo-
sions show that the members Nave
gone to much work to search oi,f
the Information ana establish ttis
remedy that win be ot real yaiue. IS
tlle actual practical mining man.
This feature IS wen prepared ihteF-
.esssng and will be OF great benefit
me commission argues that along
the line that an statutory enact
neats that may be made viii moi
save the lives Of miners unless I Ne
men themselves are taught. 10 exer4
else care ana diligence for tie bro.
lection OF their own and the lives II
their telloWworkers.
On the part of the officials IRA
commission says: THAT there NAV
ee too great anxiety to increase M
a d rs - . f
tonnage and reduce expenses 81 M
Grafton, which FOL, q time exists ana
1 apparent 3 Immunity enjoyed Dut
only FOR q short time, and the har-
vest 9fsdeafh and the loss 81 thoI,s.
ants In property surely ana uneyZ
pectedly follow"
The commission recommends tbot
there should he sufficiency Of afr#
at all times to sweep gases from an
parts Of the workings; that mining
Should be done so the minimum IN
creating dust is accomplished; thar
the workings should be kept free
from dust and sprtnl5led before the
firing Of shots; that the use Of mix
ed lights should be prohibited and
that the tracings made by the fTe
bosses should be rigidly understood
by the men. 1t believes that water
does not always establish immunl-
ty but thinks that at may, with In
malicious use, add to the dangers Of
mining.
According to the report, the I'M
doubted cause of the Thomas dis
aster was the earelessness of the
fire boss. 1t claims that. in this
case, the boss did not attempt to de-
tect the presence of gas that caused
the men to walk into their death.
The commission thinks that the
blasting of coal is great source of
danger in mine, ami this Is often the
exciting. cause OF gas and dust ex-
plosions. The commission has found
upon Investigation, that the energy.
stored In one pound of marsh gas
equals the energy OF twenty-five
pounds Of blasting powder; that the
energy of two pounds of coal dust
equals that Of twenty-five pounds Of
powder.
Hence. 1t is only a question Of set
ting free these great energies. locked
by chemical law. OF which the key 10
loosen Is heat. This may be Furnish
ed by blowout, windy or overcharged
shot, throwing a sheet of fame into
the combustfble matter creating the
necessary pressure by expansion, igzf
hitting. the gas already existing there.
adding thereto the product OF its own
combustion as well as that distilled
from the coal dust. Thus we have a
mine explosion and the mine becomes
burning furnace picking up and
adding to It's energy, the energy Of the
material in its pathway.
'.These evils cannot be corrected by
statutory law but must be accom-
plished by and through the vigilance
Of those who are ins charge os the
work, added by that earnest and
practical training which viii fully inn
press upon the minds of each ana
every individual working therein the
danger to his own as wen as to the
lives Of those who are associated with
him.