Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-01-25
What the Rescue Station Ex-
peflmentS of the Geological
Survey Have Done in Cam
paign to Check Appalling An
nual Slaughter.
Especial Correspondence to Morning JournalI

burg, Pa, with the purpose of dis
covering the auses of mine disasters
and suggesting a remedy.
Along with the establishment Of
this station and the agitation which
preceded the necessary legislation.
there has been a falling off in the
number of deaths in the coal mines
for the year, 1908. and while the Of
fetal figures have not yet been OBJ
tanned, it is stated that the number
OF deaths will be several hundred less
than in 1907, which was an unusual
year. In December. 1907, our ex-
plosions took the lives of 700 men,
one of them-at the Monongah mine
in West Nirginia-heing the great
est mining disaster in the history of
the country. There were 1856 victims.
During 1908, there were but two accr-
dents in which the loss of life vas
very heavy; one in January at the
Hanna mine. in Wyoming, with a loss
of 20 men; the other. November 2S.
at the Mariana mine. in Pennsyl-
vania, which resulted in l54 deaths.
Already at the experiment station
two discoveries have been made which
will tend to decrease the number of
of deaths in the mines. 1t has been
demonstrated 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 a fuse. 1t is the purpose of the
government to continue these expert
ments until the explosives of the
] apttntrv ava Sta pdqrliza1 in G1nh "a
manner that the miner viii have a
definite idea of what these explosives
Will do.
After the government has gone far
enough in its experiments, a bulletin
viii be issued recommending as per-
missible explosives such as stand the
test. The facts learned concerning
these explosives will be called direct
ly to the attention of the state min
ing bureaus as well as the operators
Perhaps the most important ana
far-reaching experiments 50 far at the
station are those in which it has been
definitely shown tsat coal dust Is an
explosive equally as dangerous as the
deadly fire damp. This has been a
mooted question among mining en-
eineers and miners alike, both insist
ing that it is impossible to explode
coal dust unless there is gas present.
That Goa dust will explode in a mine
where there is no gas has been re-
peatedly shown to several hundred
operators and miners at the testing
station. The experts at the station
are now bending their energies to dis
cover some method by which this dust
can be prevented from being a seri-
Gus menace to the miners. Expert
ments in Wetting it 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 u great amount of moisture in 1t.
Every effort is being made at the
station to come as close to the condi-
lions in a mine as possible. The
tests of various dynamites and pow
ders used in blasting coal are being
made in a mammoth boiler plate cyl
indar which has previously been filled
with gas or coal dust. The cylindar Is
100 feet long and six feet in dame
ter. Safety valves have been placed
all along the top and are left unfas-|
tened in such a name that when
ever there is an explosion the valves
fly open on their hinges. A series of
portfolios on the side. covered with
one-half inch glass, Enables those
the experiments to witness
the results from an observation house
sixty feet away. An explosive mix
ture of fire damp and air. or coal dust
air. is pumped into the %cylindar
md the explosive, which is to be test
ed, is shot into II from one end of the
cylinder. SO that the flame goes right
.nto the fire damp or coal dust. Ma
-ural gas is used at this station for
Ire damp. because 1t corresponds very
with this deadly gas. The can
lon in which the explosives are placed
) fired by electricity from the OBJ
iervation house, which is parallel with q
he cylindar itself.
These Investigations are expected to ,
accomplish a double purpose. not only !
reduction in the number of men =
in the mines, but also a saving
# the waste in mining coal. The :
Use of improper explosives. as well as
he improper use of suitable explo-
ives. results annually in the waste OF
amounts Of coal The use OF
90 high charges In blasting, or tne
Use of unnecessarily violent explosives.
hatters much good coal, converting
into dust. which may itself be
Explosive and become productive OF
much further damage. Such explo-
often loosen the roof of a coal
nine. which may fall later to be
or productive Of fatal acct
ents.
In addition to the actual expert
In testing explosives. import
mt experiments are being made in
work. One part of the station
as been fitted IN as a miniature coal
line. This is a large glass-encased.
ir-tight oom which contains diff
ult passages. such as are found In
GAL mines. There are also various oh
similar to what would be
)und In a mine after 1t had been
rocked by an explosion. also dunn
lies Weighing $50 to 200 pounds. rep
~asphvxiated miners. This
is filled with deadly gas and a
sscue corps Of men who are being
aimed in the work enter. clad in he'll