Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-31

clubs look like mere pikers For the
government has been going afield in many
lines of activities through his various de-
partments and finding methods whereby
nature may be improved upon for the
benefit of the ninety millions. So sue
cessful has he been in twisting the
methods of nature into new ways that are
strange and devious that the record OF
it appears most mt upon the recurrence
of that day in the year most given over
to make believe intended to deceive
The government bureau of mines has
gone to a vast trouble in its de-
termination to manufacture summer con-
ditions in the winter time because 1t has
found out that by doing so it can save
the lives of hundreds of miners every
year While Dame Nature is wondrous
wise in most things she seems to have
made mistake in manufacturing winter
weather in those regions where there are
coal mines. 1t is one of the recently eS-
tablished and vastly important facts in
connection with mining that winter
weather on the outside makes mines blow
up under ground.
1t happens this way. All these mines
require a great deal of fresh air in order
to make it possible for men to work In
side by great fans and is circulated through
the mines. Now scientists know that cold
air carries much less moisture than does
warm air. The air outside is cold When
il is pumped under ground and becomes
warm IL is one of natures laws that IL
should take unto itself considerable guam
titles of moisture. In the winter time the
cold air that goes into mines quite natural
ly rises in temperature, and in doing so
finds Itself in need of moisture. 1t sucks
up that moisture from the walls and cell
ings and floors of the tunnels and beds of
coal that are in the mine The process
goes steadily on from the time the air
gets cold on the outside in the autumn
until ii gets warm again In the spring
The difference in the moisture contained
by the air going into mine and that
coming out was definitely measured in
the case of one property of no great size
and 1t was found that sixty tons of moist
ure a day was being taken from the
mine
for two or three months the mine becomes
exceedingly dry. This dryness causes the
coal in the mine to powder and become
a very fine dust. This dust is stirred up
by the operations of mining and soon fills
the air. The bureau of mines has def
nitely established the fact that coal dust
thus suspended In the air Is dangerously
explosive. The great majority OF coal
mine explosions occur In the winter time
and are due to coal dust suspended In the
air. The way to prevent these explosions
is to prevent the coal dust. The way to
prevent the coal dust is to keep the mines
moist. The underground regions must not
become aware Of the fact that 1t is winter
on the outside. Summer conditions must
be maintained. The tunnels and caverns
must be April-fooled into the belief that
it is still summer.
method Of accomplishing this has
been devised Steam pipes have been run
throughout the tunnels through which the
outside air Is forced. When that air rises
in temperature and cries out for moisture
one of these steam jets is set to work
spouting steam into the tunnel that the
warming air may be given its moisture.
The air current is followed throughout its