The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-01-10
WOULD SAVE MINERS
Government Experiments Oh
Safety Devices.
STATION IS IN PITTSBURG
Explosives Used Prove to Be Dan
EeFOus-DuSt Found = Great Peril
in the Mines-HOw Geological Sur
vey Conducts and Registers Prac-
teal and Scientific Tests.

In Its effort 20 stop The appalling loss
Of life in the coal mines Of the country,
the United States government is meeting
with much success. For several months
an experiment station. under the direction
OF the Technologic Branch Of the United
States Geological Survey, has been in
operation at Pittsburg, Pa, with the pur-
pose Of discovering the causes Of mine
disasters and suggesting remedy.
Along with the establishment Of this
station and the agitation which preceded
the necessary legislation. there has been
q falling OF in the number Of deaths in
the coal mines for the year 1915, and
while the official figures have not yet
been. obtained. it is stated that the num-
Der Of deaths viii be several hundred
less than in 1907. which was an unusual
year.
In December. 1877. four explosions took
the lives Of 100 men, one OF then-at the
NTonongah mine, IN West Eirginia-being
the greatest mine disaster In the history
OF this country There were S56 victims
During 1905 there were but two accidents
in which the loss OF life was very heavy
one IN January. al the Hanna mine, IN
/ Wyoming. with a loss Of seventy men,
F the other. November ,. at the Mariana
mine. in Pennsylvania. which resulted in
Z Isl deaths.
Two Discoveries Recorded.
Already at the experiment station two
Z discoveries have been made which will
( tend 10 decrease the number Of deaths in
Z !. tod
that q number Of the so-calIed "safety"
explosives are anything but safe. in fact,
the statement is made that with the pres
ent explosives used in mining. the miner
takes his life IN his hand every time he
touches of a fuse.
Il IS the purpose Of the government 20
continue these experiments until the ex-
plosives Of the country are standardized
in such a manner that the miner will
Z have definite idea what these explosives
VIII do
After the government has gone far
enough in its experiments. a bulletin viii
! be issued recommending as permissible
I explosives such as stand the test The
facts learned concerning these explo-
sives viii be called directly 70 the atten-
ton Of the State mining bureaus as well
as the operators.
Coal Dust an Explosive.
/ Perhaps the most important and far
reaching experiments so far al the sta
ton are those in which it has been def
nitely shown that coal dust is an expo
sive equally as dangerous as the deadly
I fire damp This has been mooted Ques-
ton among mining engineers and miners
alike, both insisting that il is impossible
10 explode coal dust unless there Is gas
present That the coal dust viii explode
in a mine where there IS no gas has been
/ repeatedly shown 10 several hundred
operators and miners at the testing sta
ton
The experts AT the station are now
bending their energies 10 discover some
method by which this dust can be pre-
vented from being q serious menace 10
the miners Experiments in wetting il
have been going on for some time. but
nothing OF a very definite nature has as
yet been learned, unless IL is the fact that
the coal dust does not ignite when there
IS a great amount Of moisture IN It
Every effort is being made at the sta
ton to come as close to the conditions
in mine as possible. The tests of vari-
Gus dynamites and powders used in blast
LIZ coal are D-lLE Lldue III a mammoth
boiler plate cylinder which has previous
y been filed with gas OF coal dust The
cylinder is 100 fest long and six feet in
diameter. Safety valves have been
placed all along the top and are left IN
fastened in such manner that whenever
there is an explosion the valves fly open
on their hinges.
Experts Watch Explosions.
A series Of portfolios on the side. COW
cred with one-haf inch aglass. enables
those conducting the experiments to wit
ness the results from an observation
house sixty feet away. An explosive
mixture Of fire damp and air, or coal dust
and air, is pumped into the cylinder and
the explosive which Is 70 be tested is
shot into It from one end Of the cylinder,
so that the fame goes right into the fire
damp or coal dust.
Natural gas is used at this station for
FIRE damp. because il corresponds very
closely to this deadly gas. The cannon
in which the explosives are placed is
fred by electricity from the observation
house which IS parallel with the cylinder
itself
These investigations are expected 10 &C
complish a double purpose; not only re-
duction IN the number OF men killed in
the mines. but also a saving Of the waste
in mining coal. The use Of improper ex-
plosives. as well as the improper use OF
suitable explosives. results annually in
the waste Of great amounts Of coal. The
use Of too high charges IN blasting. or
the use OF unnecessarily violent expIo-
sives. skaters much good coal, convert
ing fuel into dust which may itself be
explosive and become productive Of much
further damage. Such explosions often
loosen the roof Of a coal mine, which may
fall later 10 be wasted, OF productive OF
fatal accidents
IN addition 10 the actual experiments
in testing explosives. important expert
ments are being made in rescue work.
One part OF the station has been fitted Nd
as a miniature coal mine. This is a