The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-10-17
EXPLOSION
. |||.N||..G0AL MINE
THE. FEATURE. !.
AN ACTUAL REPRODUCTION Of
( UNDERGROUND DEToNATioNl
WILL BE WITNESSED.
1.-THE MINERS n ]. MI 9I'fITI!i[
"A DRAMATIC SPECTACLE FOR IN.
STRucTloN OF ATTENDANTS AT
y SAFETY DEMONSTRATION. n

WASHINGTON. Oct. 1.-THE ac-
tual reproduction OF an explosion in
a coal mine promises. to be the really
dramatic feature OF the two days pro.
gramHe Of the National Mine Safety
Demonstration, October 80 and 81, at
Pittsburg, Pa
The demonstration, which Is Inder
the auspices of the Bureau OF Mines,
the American Red Cross and the
-Pittsburg Coal Operators Associa.
tion. has for its purpose friendly
meeting Of the mine owners, superin-
tendents and the miners from all over
the country 10 witness and talk over
the dangers OF the mines and the rem.
edies for certain OF the dangers as ad.
socated by the Bureau OF Mines.
The bureau has long been Of the
opinion that coal dust in mine, was
more OF menace to the miner than
gas and has frequently demonstrated
this in an experimental steel tube.
at Its station. Fortieth and Butler
streets, FlttsDurS.
These experiments, showing how
easily the coal dust becomes ignited
and causes an explosion, have been
taken as conclusive by the great ma
jorlty Of mine owners and superln-
tendents and now great precautions
are being taken to keep down to the
coal dust in mines. The question.
however, has. risen, not only In this
country, but also in European coal
producing countries, whether the re-
suits obtained In the experimental
tubes are the same as would be
found in a mine under working condli
tions. In order to settle this problem
and to make still more conclusive the
bureaus contention that coal dust is
the real, danger of the mines, the
bureaus: engineers started the dig
ging Of anime at Bruceton, Pa, 12
miles from Pittsburg. The mine.
which was planned to resemble
many commercially operated mines
in Pennsylvania and other States, is
now. ready for the experiments. The
bad practices found in mines where
the lives OF men are risked. will all
be contained in the experimental
mine, and black powder. the most
dangerous explosive in dangerous
mines "'nl be used.
Mos .nine explosions are caused
by what the miners term "blown.out'
shots. That is. the explosive. instead
OF breaking the coal. blows out
through the hole drilled in the. coal
to contain it, sending stream OF
flame into the mine. This flame gen.
orally ignites the gas or coal dust.
Then engineers will reproduce the
"blown:out shot They will make
certain that 1t will be '.blown.out''
shot and then will watch for results.
| These experiments will take place
the afternoon OF October 30. The next
,tmorning, at Forbes Field. the base,
ball park, there will be friendly con.
tests between first.aid teams OF min
ers from nearly 100 mines. President
Taft will witness this part of the pro
gramme! Already more than 10000
miners have declared their intention
OF witnessing the experiments. MI,
ners in the Pittsburg district have
been granted a holiday for the 31st
and the railroads have agreed upon a
two cent a mile rate within $50 miles
1 OF Pittsburg. The Central Passenger
i Association has also granted excur
sion rates throughout its territory.