Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-01-16
PERIL OF COAL DUST
Expert, Demonstrates Contention
of Explosion.
o.r,sv,vania Mine Is Wrecked by
Touching OFF Badly Placed Charge
Of Ordinary Black Powder
Test is Object Lesson.

rit,sb,rs, Pa.-"NU amount OF
writing or talking could he so ioEcipie
in tho teaching OF great lessons
said DR.. Joseph \. Holmes, oifectol
OF The bureau OF mines. when ne re,
turned the other night from the dehs'
ous,ralion at the government expert.
mental mine al Bruccton. ia. Gov
nrod with mud and looking almost
like = veritable miner. Dr. homes
was most enthusiastic over the en-
prrimert. Notwithstanding many DC
laws in the preparations.
II was not Until alter dark that this
first ''madc-to-ordcr' mine explosion
really took place.
Standing alone in his laboratory,
back in .hc hills oi Allegheny county.
4 chemist twice touched All innocent
appearing button. The explosion
tailed TO matcrializc. Investigation
found the source Of trouble, which
was readily rcmedied.
The last shot was touched off by
DR.. Holmes. Instantly there was II
dull rumble far down in the bowels
OF the Garth Flames burst from the
drift and spurted from the air shaft.
The farmhouse went down with ii
crash. Dense volumes OF black
smoke poured into the open and the
heavens were abazc.
1t was terrifying to the laylhch.
Fire bosses. mine forcmcn and SUI
perintendents who had heretofore es'
capped those things unexpected saw
what they believed they would some
day experience. but would never De
able 10 tcll--a real mine explosion.
The government effort had ap.
parently been successful
Ii was test OF the explosive prop.
critics OF the deadly coal dust. so
enthusiastic was Dr. Holmes the GOV.
ernment's expert, that he made this
public statement:
1.-The great value Of this experiment
to the mining industry was in demon
stratins to more than 800 coal op.
orators and mine managers from
every coal mining district OF the
United States the fact;
That ordinary bituminous or soft
coal dust will explode from j charge
of black powder badly placed in Il
mine:
THAT dust will explode with vio'
lcnce sufficient 10 wreck the mine ana
kill every person working in the mine
and
"Tha, poisonous gases arc given on
from such an explosion in sufficient
quantity 10 suIfucatc and poison any
persons IN tic mine who may have
escaped The violence OF The explosion.
The fact that the explosion did
not take place until after dark was Il
disappointment 10 the photographers
and many OF the visitors: hut the 81.
feet or the explosion With the Cn0r.
NOUS fame which penetrated aud rose
above the forest trees OF this region
was so much more impressive at night
than it possibly could have been dur.
in. the daytime that i; was held 10 be
fortunate that il had occurred al night
rather than during the day.
The explosion at the experimental
mine means further that. having been
actually witnessed by 50 many coal
mine operators and managers from
the different coal mining states. these
mon will return TO their respective
al, ,t.jih
fact that dust will explode from the
improper use OF black powder, but
that many of tn" explosions that have
already occurred in The mines in other
regions have been dust explosions and
not gas explosions. as they were for
mcrly supposed {" IL" 1t, therefore.
opens up new lincs uF treatment look
ing 10 the prevention Uf such mine
explosions in The future