Bisbee daily review., 1911-11-05

In many respects those operating the mines of the Warren district have been fortunate as compared to the operators of other sections of the world and Of the country, This is especially true in regard to noxious gases in the workings, which in many mines is a difficulty that is almost impossible to overcome, and is sun others is at best serious problem It is true that there have been many times when the mines or this district have had troubles of this kind, but it has never been gen eral or usual, it has been the exeep- ton and not the rule. Just al this time the Copper Queen company has been having such trouble. is now hav- ing it in the Lowell shaft, but has practically conquered The difficulty and expects to have it removed within the next two months. The present trouble followed the fire in the Lowell shaft. which broke out about ten months ago. An active cam paign against it is being conducted and the end is now in sight. with men victorious once more.
 At the present time the gas in the Lowell shaft is caused from burning sulphides. following 9 fire which is now under control. There is no longer any timehring burning. but there are sulphides that are smoul- dering and are throwing out a gas and fumes that are dangerous and serious in their noxiousness. After the fire the workings where it oc- cured were cut of, and water is now being poured upon the sections where the sulpides are burning or smoul- dering and giving forth their fumes. When the workings were opened the noxious gas was found. and then came the question of disposing of it.. Several methods were tried, and then a set of oxygen helmets and the out fit for operating them were brought from Dawson and put in operation. Wearing these, men were able to go down into the gas infected workings, and the work Of wetting down the burning ore could be pushed. This has been done and good headway has been made. The gas is not nearly so strong and prevalent as it was, and the statement given to The Re view is that within two months the workings will probably be entirely free from gas. so that mining in those sections can be actively continued on the same lines and to the same ex- tent as before the fire in the Lowell shaft occurred. The gas that is now giving trouble has a distinct and decided odor, so that there is no danger of its creeping upon work men unannounced and catching them unawares, overcoming them before they know it is there. Besides this, ,none are sent into the workings where the gas is prevalent except those who are wearing the oxygen helmets, so there is no danger from the gas. and the object of combat ting 1t is to enable the company 10 resume operations where they had to be abandoned.
 The. present trouble with gas in the Spray. which is now almost ob viated. has been one of the most seri ous difficulties that either of the com panies have had to combat here. The fire started in an abandoned stope and was held to that stope. There timberings were burned out and the fire spread into sulphides from which the gas was generated. From this abandoned stope the gas spread to two other stopes and finally reached the shaft on the 500 level working up and out of the shaft When this occurred it was found advisable to stop sending men down in the cage at the Spray. The time they would be passing through the gas was so short that it would not injures the men but there was always the dan ger of getting caught and stopping in the gas infected zone. Such an accident did occur below the fevel of the gas to a cage which was car rying Umbers down to the lower lev els and had no men on it.
 The gas which formed from the burning sulphides was damp and had an effect of destroying bolt heads and