The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-12-07
PRIMER ON Use OF
HIGH EXPLOSIVES.
Issued by United States Geo.
logical Survey for Use of
Miners.
DANGER MAY BE AVOIDED
VIGOROUS OBJECTION TO THE
USE OF BLACK POWDER.

Washington, Dec. 5.-In furtherance
of its efforts 10 reduce the number of
fatalities in American coal mines, the
United States geological survey has
just issued primer on explosives for
the benefit of miners and all others who
have anything to do with explosives.
The primer, which is written in plain,
non-technical language, describes how
and of what explosives are made, the
dangers in their use and how these
may be avoided or reduced to a mimi
mum.
The assertion is made by Director
George Otis Smith Of the United States
geological survey, that the improper
use Of explosives and the use of inn
proper explosives are responsible for a
considerable number of the deaths in
the coal mines, many of which are
often credited to other causes.
Vigorous objection is made to the use
of black powder in any mine where there
Is danger Of gas o. coal dust explo-
sion. In such mines the operators and
miners are urged to use the explosives
that have been tested at the mine acct
dents station at Pittsburg, Pa, as be-
ing much less dangerous in their action.
Investigations at this station have
proved that the flames from the eX-
plOsion Of black powder lasts from
700 to 1000 times as long as the flame
from the newer explosives and is there
fore more likely to ignite the gas or
dust in these mines.
Use Of Explosives Increasing.
The use OF explosives is increasing
both in quantity and in the variety Of
purposes to which they are applied,
says Mr. Smith. They are now made
al $50 plants in different parts of the
country and the product of a single
year now approaches 500,000,000 pounds.
Of all this material there is no such
thing as a safe or safety explosive when
in the hands of a careless or ignorant
person. This statement is true whether
considered in connection with the trans
pOrtatiOn or use OF these explosives in
mining. In addition to the large
losses Of life and property resulting
from an improper use of explosives in
uning, the recent statistics of the
railway bureau for the safe transpOrta-
ton of explosives have shown more
than 400 persons killed and injured from
this source. The fact that through CO.
operative effort under the wise super
vision of this bureau during the three
years of its existence these losses have
been reduced to almost nothing, should
erative effort may likewise greatly re-
dUce losses of life and property from the
use Of explosives in mining.
Log Death Roll.
The large death roll Of American
mines is an oft recurring appeal to the
miner and the management that they
cooperate in every possible effort for
greater safety. 1t may never be posi-
bic under conditions such as exist to-
day to prevent mine accidents. Little
may be accomplished in that direction
by either the operators or miners work
ing alone, but experience in all cOun-
tries shows that through hearty, deter
mined cooperation OF the two, these &C
cidents may be greatly reduced. This
Will require wise laws and regulations
based on fact and experience, and the !
strictest possible discipline"
The authors of the bulletin are
Charles Z. Munroe, explosives expert, !
and Clarence Hall. explosives engineer !
OF the teChnOlOgiC branch of the /
I United States uqo1opica1 survey