Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-10-27

All WHO VIII NiINNN az the meeting
room 0f ihe rescue station. aud the
attendance ~ very good are lecturcd
10 twice q week upon the sources Oh
danger within the mine and how surh
bad conditions must be- prevented.
Those among the foreigners who can
speak English translate the English
to the language ~ their gounlrymcn.
Many Of the fpreieners belong 10 tho
firat asa and rescue crews and do ex-
Collcnt work
Manwnys which the miners are re-
qulred 90 travel are lighted BY electric
lamps. there b no haulaee equip
mcnt among them. and consequently
no danger Of men being killed or in-
iurod by mine cars while going 20 or
coming from their working places.
A telephone system extends
throughout the principal workings.
Instruments are placed 81 the most
whence MESSAGES can be sent 90 any
place IN tho camp or connections
made with the long-dlstance phone
ne the central station.
Tho general manager "a the mines,
mine auuerintpnhrut. milne engineer
Ing crew. pit bosses. Gre bosses, shot
flrcrs. company mine inspectors, coke
oven boss. company chemist, IN fact
an OF tho men in places Of reauonai-
Il
trimming with helmets In the smoke
chambers az the rescue station. side
By side with the miners who attended
these aaiiis. The miup4s.. eis.t. =. ssss-,
fire boaaos and others working direct
y In the mine were paid so cents an
hour for the dime they we've being
taught ana practleing the helmet
work. that a good attendance might
DO secured. Those IN places ~
greater responsibility were 80 much
Interested that they gladly gave their
time 20 learn the use Of the helmets
and be prepared IN case OF an emer-|
gency.
Or Carver. chief surgeon az the
Dawson hospital. and his assistants,
lectured and demonstrated first aid
work 10 tho nrqt aid crews, and scores
az trained men have gone from Daw-
ton 70 tho other mining camps Of the
United states wearing the Dawson
First Aid Crew" button: and trained
IN rescue work. "a practice the good
they were taught at Dawson.
Many Of these men took the course
prescribed hy the Dnhed states hur-
eau Of mines and hold certificates
from that department as trained res
cue and first aid men.
\ Few 81 the Things That Might
Have Caused the Explosion.
The tough sandstone top, % feet 90
40 feet above tho coal seam remains
in place while the intervening rock
strata falling into ths worked out
ground, leaving space above, 90
which higher opening IRE damp
would ascend seurcEating from the
heavier air OF the entries and work
! ings below because of lis lesser spec
lie gravity Whatever and wherever
these vacant spaces were found, tho
IRE bosses tested every day. for Are
damp ana placed their mark, show
ing the date so that " they were not
attending closely 10 their business
| their neglect was easily discovered.
They dare not ante date their trips
because the superintendent, plt boss,
mine Inspector or other fire boss
! finding tho place ante-dated would
demand the dismissal OF the man who
would do such a trick. hence II can
| be seen that all such points in the
mine must be inspected by the ire
| bosses every day
The company mine inspector also
paid exceedingly close attention 20
| these places and 20 al other places
/ whore gas mlght lodge.
hut there rs the possibility that a
| place might cave where pillars had
been drawn and IN caving close up
the space an around. giving the APP
J peaTuncc Of having cavcd tight from
above. and vet a large space might
he left In which gas could occumu-
| late; and n N large area Of tho over
| hanging roof fell into such space u
| would force the gas down and out
into tho workings, where II u came
Ia contact with an open iight, u would
ignite ANA perhaps cause an explos-
| ION.
Such conditions we're closely sought
after and remedied as far as possible.
/ Yet. ilrehosscs. pit bosses mino SUI
/ perintendents and mine inspectors are
| only human, and some defect may
| have escaped their observation.
| heavy fall of rock and coal might
| put dust Ia suspension In a working
| place that could be ignited by min
| er's lamp. or "a Ere boss or milo IN
| spectOr, or other person, while test
Ing gas, might accidentally break his
safety lamp and ignite gas.
Al Rock Springs, Wyoming. IN mine
No. no.. ON september ~, 1901 the
shift was coming on work, the man
| yards down the slope. "a trip Of load
ed ears was going up the slope. The
cable came uncoupled. crossing the
| knucklc al the top. The ears ran
down the slope and wrecked. The
dust stirred up hy the wrecked cars
was ignlted by the miners lamps ana
| more than 80 miners badly burned.
Here was "a combination of many cir
| cumstanCes necessary 90 produce sueh
an explosion. The men had to be
crossing that particular part Of the
lslopo just nt the psycf illogical mo.
lment. the trip had to start from the
bottom at the right moment. " had
90 run at "a certain speed 90 feach
| the knuokle at the top "a the proper
time. the cattle had go come uncoHp-
led on that trip in preference 90 hun-
dreds of other trips during the day
the cars had 90 run down the slope
exactly tho proper distance before
they jumped the track and wrecked,
that they produce tho necessary dust
that lgnitcd and burned AN these men.
4 Yet ail these various Incidents COM
| hiupd and the results were seriout
for more than 30 msn.
Who then can say that an incident
! practically impossible 90 torseo was
not the most potent factor in causing
tho Dawson explosion
The mine sLperintendents, mine Inc
! spcctOrs, Ere bosses, shot hrer5 and
an the safety crew might inspect z
mine and Ind IL safe at one hour ana
an hour hence the conditions might
hc changed This should hc rcmem'
aered that conditions may change 10
"a few minutes from being quite safe
/ to being very dangerous Thousand'
, OF feet ~ development work may h'