Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-09-29

That the dust or DitumlnOuS codl -
M explosive more insidious, threaten
ins and deadly to the miner than fire.
damn. is the assertion of George ).
Rice. chief mining engineer OF the
Eureau OF Mines. This is contrary TO
what has been the general belief,
nevertheless il has been proved De
yond doubt by the experiments OF the
last two years at the Pittsburg rest
ny Station of the United States Geo
logical Survey, which is now a part
ce the Bureau of Mines. While many
nine operaBrs and miners have be-
lieved that coal dust would ignite
from an explosion OF tiredamp in =
mine nearly all Of them contended
that the dust in mine free from gas
could not explode. Consequently IN
rnany mines. where no firedamp could
lie detected. miners have paid httle
attention to the accumulation OF dust
from the cutting a the coal, and 1t Is
IN these mines. MIR. Rice declares.
seine of the great disasters have taken
place.
In bulletin which has Just been
issued by the Bureau. Mr.. Rice refers
especially to the appalling series OF
great, wide sweeping disasters tina.
occurred in the United States in 100 ,
as evidence of the terrible havoc
wrought by dust explosions. On jan
uary 90. at the Primero mine. Colo
RADIO. there were twenty-fcur deaths
on January %. at the Pence mine. W.
virginia. twelve deaths; on January
%. at the Stuart mine. near Fayette-
Vile. w. Va. ninety deaths; on Feb
ruary 4. at the Thomas mine. Thomas,
w. Va. twenty-five deaths; on Deem
Der |. at the Naomi mine, Pennsyl-
vania. thirty-five deaths; on December
8. at the MOnongah mine, w. va. oc-
Cured the greatest disaster in the
history of coal mining in the United
States. 35S lives having been lost; on
December 16 at the Yolande mine,
Ala. fifty.six men were killed; and
on December the 19. at the Darr mine.
$50 men were killed. In this black
r,onth of December alone. says Mr..
Rice. CAS- men were sacrificed, chief
" from the effects of coal dust. which
II not the initial cause. in all cases
vas the agency carrying death
II was after these, explosions that
the Federal government took up an
inquiry into the causes Of the disas-
GERS and established the testing sta
ton at Pittsburg. The very first work
was TO prove TO the mine operators
and miners that coal dust alone would
explode. The dust was placed in a cy-
Under 100 feet long and six feet in
diameter. with a cannon imbedded in
one end. This cannon was filled with
black powder and discharged by cleo
tricity into the coal dust In practic-
ally every instance there was terrific
explosion. even more violent than that
caused by iredamp. Each succeed
ing experiment went further to prove
that coal dust is the real great dan
Ier of the mines. Firedamp. accord
ing TO Mr.. Rice. carries its own warn
ing. Whenever gas is present in a
r-'ne in dangerous quantities. a blue
fare rises from the safety lamp 10
notify the miner. but coal dust. though
visible. does not attract attention I'M
, less present in large quantities. Fire
damp is generally found in certain
parts Of the mine. and cxceDt in nOta-
BILE and very exceptional cases Is con
trOllsble BY means Of the vsnti'ai.ng
currents. II by mischance a body o.
fretGmp : ignited in a mine. the
force % the explosion Is terrific. but
the efIec; in localized unless the dry
! ccal dust is present. or unless Gas
rarely happcnsl an explosible mixture
of air and gas extends through large
areas Of the mine In a mine that IS
drv. dust accrmuiates ererywhere.and
the blast from the ignition and com
huStion % The hituminous dust nav
traverse miles % rooms and entries
ard oven wreck structures q; the end
trance Of the mine.
one Of fhe unaccounfahie phases ~
The coal dust problem has been tho
fisinf iirsfinu 81 operators and miners
% believe ira; tho dust would explode
Without the presence Of Gas. The
United States was not alone In This.
for The French engineers refused TO
believe n this until the great disaster
occurred in CourTieres IN 1896. f.
Shish 1000 men lost ikeir lives. Since
thar terrible cafasfrouhc. a testing STA
zion has been established In Franc.
and nov tho French engineers are fdI-
" convinced ~ ne dangers 81 coal
ere.
Nov since u 81 generally accepted
ia; oiiuminous coal dust r. explosive
the Federal Investigators have beer