Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-16
j. s. Government Investi-
eating Causes.
Experiment Station in Operation
at PIttsburg.
Every Effort 10 Be Made to Stop
Loss Of Life In Mines.


the direction of the Technologic Branch
of the United States Geological Survey,
has been in operation at Pittsburg, Pa,
with the purpose of discovering the
causes OF mine disasters and suggesting
a remedy.
Along with the establishment of this
station and the agitation which pre-
ceded the necessary legislation, there
has been falling off in the number OF
deaths in the coal mines FOR the year,
1908, and while the official figures have
not yet been obtained, it is stated that
the number of deaths Will be several
hundred less than in 1901 which wa
an unusual year In December, 1901,
four explosions took the lives of TOO
men, one of them-at the Monongah
mine in West Virginia-beinG the
greatest mining disaster in the history
of the country. There were 1856 vic
TINS. During 1903, there were but two
accidents in which the loss of life was
very heavy; one in January at the
Hanna mine, il Wyoming, with loss
of 10 men; the other, November 18th. at
the Mariana mine, in Pennsylvania,
which resulted in 1874 deaths.
Already at the experiment station
two discoveries have been made which
will tend to decrease the number OF
deaths in the mines. It has Teen dem
Onstrated that a number Of the So
called safety" explosives are anything
but safe, in fact the statement is made
that with the present explosives used
in mining, the miner takes his life in
his hand every time he touches off
fuse. 1t is the purpose of the Govern
ment to continue these experiments I'M
til the explosives of the country are
standardized in such a manner thar the
miner will have a definite Idea what
these explosives will do.
After the Government has gone far
enough in it's experiments. a bulletin
will be issued recommending as per-
mssble explosives such as stand the
test. The facts learned concerning
these explosives will be called directly
to the attention Of the State Mining
Bureaus as well as the operators.
Perhaps the most important and far
reaching experiments so far at the
station are those in which it has been
definitely shown that coal dust is an
explosive equally as dangerous as the
deadly fire damp. This has been a
mooted question among mining engi-
necrs and miners alike both insisting
that it is impossible to explode coal
dust unless there is gas present. That
the coal dust will explode in mine
where there is no gas has been repeat
edly shown to several hundred opera
tors and miners at the testing station
The experts ut the station are now
bending their energies TO discover some
method by which this dust can be pre-
vented from being serious menace tC
the miners. Experiments in wetting ii
have been going on for some time, but
nothing of a very definite nature has as
yet been learned. unless it is the fact
that the coal dust does not ignite when
there is a great amount of moisture in
1t.
Every effort is being made at the sta
ton to come as close to the conditions
in mine as possible. The tests of va
rious dynamites and powders used i'll
blasting coal are being made in a NAM
moth boiler plate cylinder which has
previously been filed with gas or coal
dust. The cylinder is 100 feet long and
six feet in diameter. Safety valves
have been placed all along the top and
that whenever there is an explosion tho
valves fly open on their hinges. A Sc
ries of portfolios on the side. covered
with onc-llalf inch glass, enables those
conducting the experiments to witness
the results from an observation house
60 feet away. An explosive mixture of
fire damp and air, or coal dust and air
Is pumped into the cylinder and the eX-
plosiva which is to he tested is shot
into it from one end of the cylinder, SC
that the flame goes right into the fire
damp or coal dust. Natural gas Is used
ut this station for fire damp because il
corresponds very closely to this deadly
gas. The cannon in which the eXplo-
sives are placed is fired by electricity
from the observation house which is
parellel with the cylinder itself
These Investigations are expected tC
accomplish a double purpose: not only
a reduction in the number of men
killed in the mines, but also a saving
of the waste in mining coal. The use
of improper explosives, as we'll 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 un.
necessarily violent explosives. shatter:
much good coal. converting fuel into
dust which may itself be explosive ant
become productive of much furthel
damage. Such explosions often looser
the roof of a coal mine. which ma.
fall later to be wasted. or productive o
fatal accidents
In addition to the actual experiment.
in testing explosives. important expert
ments are being made in rescue work
One part of the station has been fitted
up as a miniature coal mine. This i.
q large lass-encased. air-tight room
which contains difficult passages sucf
as are found in coal mines. There ar,
also various Instructions similar t.
what would be found in 4 mine afte1
it had been wrecked by an explosion
also dummies weighing $50 to 20'
pounds, representing asphyxiatet
miners This room is filled will
deadly gas and a rescue corps of mel
who are being trained in the worl
enter daily, clad in helmets which sup
ply them with oxygen while they work
The men remain in this chamber fol
two hours. removing Instructions