Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-03-04

the breaking OF usuIiJ
stretched wire. There was nothing 10
do but walt. The chief engineer located
a spot directly over third west soutn'
where the lire had been hottest From
the charts showing the curves OF the
floor Of the mine 1t was discovered tnat
there was a natural declivity starting
nj the foot of the shaft and descending
to the point where the FIRE had started
and from there the ground rose again
10 the level Of the mine bottom al the
far end of third west south entry,
about three quarters OF a mile from the
shaft The total drop at the air split
whore the tre had started was only
about fifteen feet. but as the helgnt OF
the entry was ten feet It was evident
tha, n this basin could be filed with
water any hre that existed In tnat
entry could be effectively extinguished
without flooding the rest OF the nine.
a feat that would be impossible on ac-
count OF the vast area Of the workings
Meanwhile the pipes for compressed
mir which threaded every tunnel
throughout the mine had been hl!ed
with water. aud rs these pipes would
naturally be red hot wherever hre ex'
,sted they would burst and discharge
the water where II was most needed
At the spot located 10y the head engi
neer a drill hole was sunk. and at AZ
feet the drill went through. proving
that the surveyors calculations had
been correct The pipe line was i'm
mediately connected. and for TWO
weeks q steady stream Of water pour
ed Into the burned section Of the mine.
In the meantime almost hourly OBJ
seryatiOns were taken with the ther-
nometers at the shafts. and record was
made Of the haroinetric conditions
within the mine mine that Is sealed
breathes at regular intervals like a
human being through the natural crew
ices In the rock. and even through the
seals ut the shaft mouth the vacuum
created by the burning out of the oxy-
gen in the mine would draw In the air.
aud for several hours d handkerchief
laid over one of the small openings In
the seal would show a steady suction.
Then, following. uD expansion would
b. noticeable. and for an equal period
the strong. heavy smells Of "black
damp" and smoke would exhale from
The mine.
So great was the interest taken by
the men In this work Of examination
that there was little complaining. One
morning. however. as | walked back
from the power house to the town !
met Luke Davis. an old miner Of about
sixty. who came limping down the
street toward the mine. and from hlm
| heard the first complaint Of the kind
and many like 1t followedl that | had
yet encountered.
"The air OH top aln't at to live In"
he said. One day it's cold: next day
it's hot I've had rheumatism ever
since the mine shut down. The only
place man keeps his health is under
ground" And there were many others
who shared his views.
Four weeks after the shafts were
sealed It was determined that some
sort Of personal Investigation should
be made Of the conditions In the mine.
One thing was apparent. and that
WAS that under no consideration should
any air be allowed to enter the mine,
~ the entrance Of air would not only
fan NJ any latent fire which might eX.
ist but the mixture Of air with the al.
most pure gas. or after damp" which
existed throughout the entire work
ingS. would cause most violent ex'
ploSion and the death of any who were
within its reach. Tests Of the mine at
moSphere which had been made by
chemists showed less than per cent
of oxygen and the presence OF enor'
nous quantities Of the various gases
generated by the burning coal. Sc
poisonous was the atmosphere-for un
der no consideration could 1t be called
air" which filed the shafts and ev
cry foot of the tunneling below the
seals that life would be extinguished In
approximately ninety seconds should
any man he compelled to breathe It.
The gases which filled the mine con
sisted principally Of carbon monoxide
or white damp. and carbon dioxide. oil
black damp. with n small additional
percentage of other gases. White
damp Is the gas most feared by the
miners. for its properties render 1t dif
hrult to detect. inasmuch as It is taste
less. odorless aud colorless and wher
mixed In the proportion Of about one
part gns to nine parts air Is called
fire damp and becomes explosive tt
degree hard to realize unless one
las seen its effects. Black damp. un
ike white dnmp. Is heavier than air
Il nonexplosive gas which may be de
tected by its peculiar odor. Again
unlike the other. It's effect Is to suffo
cate and extinguish fire. This gas Is
so heavy md moves with such slug
slsh tow that occasionally. when min
rrs have been trapped In q mine FOL
lowing an explosion and have detected
the black damp creeping In upon then
by its smell. they have been able t
stop i,s advance BY erecting dams o.
harricadrs along the door. building
them higher as the volume Of gas IN
creased and keeping the air within
their little inclosure comparadvel!
clear by rude improvised fans. Fol
lowing al explosion. these two case
become mingled and form Q mixet
gas possessing all the dreaded quail
ties OF each. which Is known as "afte
damp" and It Is this mixture Of CASE
which destroys any life that may re
main following q mine disaster.
To contend with these almost impos
sible conditions 1t was determined 4
make the descent equipped with al
light helmets, somewhat resembling
In appearance those used BY deep se
divers. This ingenious device. whic
| enables a man tn exist under snch COT
| tiitiuns and to conduct invesnSnuon
| Dor u period Of two houra. consists o
steel hcadpiece completely covsrtn
the fore part Of the head and leavin
the ears exposed, made alright D.
means of pneumatic washer whic
passes In n circle around the top OF tn
head and down each side OF the fac
! IN front OF the ears. connecting unde