The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-08
SELMA PREPARING
 FOR CONVENTION Annual Meeting of State Sunday School Con-
 vention in April

Selma. March 7.-(SpeciaD General Chairman Samuel F. Hobbs of the com mlttee of arrangements of the church and Sunday school workers of the city Wednesday received a number of tele- grams from Field Secretary D. ". Sims and which had been forwarded
 These telegrams were from officers of Sunday school organizations in differ ent parts of the state and promised a record breaking attendance at the an- nual convention of the Alabama Sum | day school association which will con- vene in Selma about the middle of April.
 Thursday morning, as the result of
 a meeting committees from the various womens societies of the different
 churches of the city, began canvass to secure homes for the large number of delegates expected to attend the sessions of the convention. These com mittees will make a house to house canvass and more than enough homes will be secured for the delegates WI Q
 are expected to attend the sessions of the convention.
 ---~-~---~-~-~-~~--~-----
 out any gas being present. They have
 also shown that a small gas explosion Is one of the easiest ways of starting a dust explosion which, if the mine is wet, will be a local explosion, from which
 many miners may escape; or If the dust is dry and abundant, there will be gen eral explosion, extending to every part | of the mine and killing by it's own vio- lence or its poisonous gases all the men | in the mine. 1h
 "One of the important lessons taught l by certain recent mine explosions is tha. | the coal dust, while thoroughly wet, will not explode, but that with modern yen | tiiation, and especially during cold weather. wet coal dust often becomes | dry and dangerous within a few hours, and that, therefore, the sprinkling of
 coal dust once month or once a week
 only gives us safer conditions for a few hours immediately following the sprink- ling. Indeed. sprinkling occasionally is often a useless and even a dangerous
 practice, as 1t does little or no good un-
 less done thoroughly and frequently and
 it often tends to make us less careful in l dealing with this half dry or dry coal
 dust in between the periods of sprinkline
 and it never reaches the other unused portions of the mines. 1 "Wetting coal dust through the intro duction of steam along with the air eur rent Is by all means the most effective and cheapest way of mostening the coal | dust during the cold weather. This
 steam warns the inflowing air and satur- ates it with moisture, which moisture is | in turn deposited on and vets the coal | dust in all parts of the mine where this air penetrates. This method continues | through the winter season. the natural
 sweating process which keeps the dust
 wet and helps to prevent dust explosions
 during the summer season,
 ''As far as possible the coal dust should
 be kept out of the mine. And what cam
 not be removed should be kept wet, either | by liberal sprinkling or turning exhaust steam into the mine or keeping the coal
 dust mixed with fine soil dust, ashes, oi stone dust.
 "The influence of stone dust in prevent | ing or checking coal dust explosions is
 being carefully considered in France ano l other European countries. In many mines l the stone dust is considered more effec- 1 tive than water. In this country stone dust has not passed beyond the expert.
 mental stage, but Is worthy of serious
 consideration and thorough trial.'