The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-07-19
WILL ORGANIZE
F|RST-A|D CORPS
Practical Work Of Succor In
The Mines
DR.. SHIELDS IN CHARGE
Paper Read BY General Superintendent
Coke at East Lake Saturday Re-
oarded as Valuable Contri-
button on Subject.
DR.. SHIELDS IN CHARGE


button on Subject.
The Tennessee company has decided to
organize at once "Ffrst-Aid" corps at
six of its mining camps, and If the ex-
pertinent succeeds a corps will be organ
lied and maintained at each Of the COM
pany's mining camps. DR.. M. j. Shields
of the United States army medical corps,
who has been in the district for several
days and who will remain here until
August 5, is the leader of the 'first-aid''
movement in this country. He made
strong impression, it is said, on the coal
opartors of Alabama at the East Lake
meeting Saturday, and 1t is believed that
the work along the lines discussed will be
taken up by the various mining COM
panies
The paper read Saturday by Edward Fl.
Coke, general superintendent of the Ten
nessee company's coal mining department,
was regarded by those who heard it as
a valuable contribution to the literature
of the mining industry. The full text of
the paper follows:
For the purpose of this discussion we
will divide coal mine accidents into four
different classes and treat them in that
way.
First-Accidents caused by explosions.
Second-Those caused by falls of rock
or coal
Third-Those caused by defective or i'm
properly protected machinery or appl-
ances
oil al, &c
| We will consider accidents due to ex-
| plosions first, not because they are the
| most frequent, but because when they
| do occur they are by far the most dis
astrous and widespread in their effect
| and so frequently happen where least
expected and in mines which are con-
sdered almost explosion proof.
OF accidents due to explosions we have
four kinds; sometimes two or three of
these combined classed as follows:
Premature explosions.
Blown out or windy shots.
Dust explosions.
Gas explosions.
The premature explosions are caused,
usually, by careessness on the part of
the employee, either in making up his
cartridge or handling his explosive in
careless manner in the vicinity of light
from which spark may fly, as in the
case of miner handling black powder
with MS cap on MS neau OF Ill Sucll
a position that the air will carry a spark
from his lamp into the powder. A great
many accidents of this nature could be
prevented by proper observation and the
exercise of proper discipline on the part
of the officers of the mine, who. in maxi
ing their rounds, undoubtedly observe
some Of these things being done nearly
every day. And it has been my own OBJ
servation in going around the mines that
this sort of carelessness is exercised fire.
quently and the man who is guilty of
this practice should be discharged or Sc
verely disciplined, as he Is not only en-
dangering his own life but also the lives
of all his fellow employees in the mine,
as explosions of this kind will frequently
stir up dust II 1t exis,s In the mine.
Premature explosions are also frequent
ly occasioned by miners firing what is
known among mine men as "skinem-
back" that is, cutting fuse short and
improperly tamping the charge. This Is
sometimes done by miners on account of
the holes being wet but should certainly
not be allowed and the man guilty of
doing this has no place In any mine,
and should be discharged. 1t frequently
results in one Of two things, either the
shot going off before the man who fires
1t gets out of the way. injuring or kill
ing him, or resulting in windy shot due
to improper tamping.
Blown out or windy shots are usually
caused by one OF two things Either i'm
properly tamping the hole or using too
heavy a charge of explosives. If shot
of black powder or dynamite blows the
tamping out, instead of doing the work
1t was intended to do, the shot comes
out of the mouth of the hole, as from a
gun barrel. in long tongue of flame
reaching at times. 1t Is estimated. as
much as 100 feet or more, making con-
siderable wind. blowing doors open in
ha ato RI Of ha mi In
case there is any dry dust in this vicin-
ity, it will stir this dust up and ex-
plode 1t, making a serious and far-reach-
ing explosion out Of what might have
been, without the presence of dust. not
particularly disastrous, although windy
shots have been known to do consider
able damage without any evidence Of
any dust having taken any part, but
the presence of dust or gas makes the
danger of windy shots a very grave one.
If there happen to be any explosives.
in any quantity, kept on the side OF the
heading or In room within reaching
distance of the windy shot this will
also have very disastrous effect ana
the recommendation recently made by
the state mine inspector In some of our
mines that no explosives be kept within
1ou feet of the working face Is very
good order and mine foremen should see
to it that this rule Is observed. Also
that all shots are properly tamped and
not overcharged. Tbt 1 realize. is
very hard thing to :, as 1t is impos-
sible for any man, or dozen men, to
see all the holes that are loaded But
proper discipline. IL exercised when a
man is caught doing this sort of thing,
will go long way toward accomplish
ing the proper result.
/ believe, however, that the greatest
preventive for explosions due to any OF
the causes mentioned above Is the use
of what Is known as Safety or permissi-
BILE explosives such as bituminite or
carbonite, both of which are extensive
ly used In this district. Neither con-
cussion nor heat, alone, will explode them
so that percussion cap. giving a COM
bination of the two. must be used and
hence the handling of them is much less
dangerous. And except in very excess
sive quantities the heat from the ex-
plosion is not sufficient to ignite either
gas or dust. Two pounds, l believe 10
the safety limit placed by the meuufac-