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

IN the mine would not have been moro
than thirty per cent OF tho number
Killed. as the fan could have been
reversed Within minute and fresh
air sent into the entries beyond the
shaft, where most oi the miners were
employed The shaft Is equipped with
spiral stoel stairway. by which the
men might have quickly escaped II
tho fan had been IN constant opera
ton and the air IN the vicinity OF the
shaft had been good
II Is seldom that thirty per cent Of
the fatalities OF "a big mine explosion
Ia due to the shock Of the explosion.
The great MINORITY OF the victims die
from osphyxiHtion by the afierdamp.
The fan In use at the shaft is ono
Of great capacity, n Jenries rs by
foot, double inlet, primarily cxnnustl
reversible fan, with a capacity or
400. O00 cubic feet Of air per minute.
The FAN Is driven hy q Western Elec-
trio t50-horse power alternating cur
rent induction motor.
II will be seen from the foregoing
that the ventilating equipment was
excellent. and that many avenues OF
escape were provided in case Of accl"
dent
Now 20 consider tho conditions that
have been maintained a. those mines
looking 10 the safety Of the employees
UNDERGROUND Quoting the reports OF
tho United states mine Inspector for
New Mexico 20 the honorable secre-
tary Of the interior, for the fiscal
years ended June 80, 1910 and 1911,
and which were not write IN an
tloipatlon OF being quoted on such q
sad occasion.
Although little Gre damp has been
found Ia the mines the management
gives careful attention 20 keeping the
mines clear OF gas and maintaining
thorough ventilation. eleven fire
bosses are employed Ia the four
mines The nre bosses examine all
workings for Indications of IRE damp
or other noxiOus gas before the men
are allowed 90 enter the mine A rcc-
ord book Is kept IN a chpck cabin,
near the mouth Of each mine, where
Ia record Is made Of gases found.
ana tho miners are prevented from
going into q locality where gas in con-
Hidored dangerous.
A very commendablo method put IA
practice Is to have each Are boss re-
port any unsafe conditions in tho
working places which it Is his duty Go
examine Ho notes unsafe Condi-
lions Ia memorandum hook sup
plied him and marks the unsafe SPOT
or locality. This record applies 10
tlmbers lacking. timbers broken, un-
comes from the mine he copies these
lauotes ln record book. duplicated by
carbon sheet. stating particularly
whore there Is imminent danger and
need OF immediate attention. II Is
the duty OF the pit boss, when he
comes on shift. 10 examine this rec
ord. and n any place needs immedi-
ate attention he keeps the wortmen
out and either goes himself 60 the
place or sends an experienced work
man TO remedy the dangerous
| condition AZ once. The pit boss
| tears out the duplicate record from
| the book and carries Il into the mine,
and Il Is mandatory that he visit cach
| place noted as requiring attention be"
| fore noon that day and remedy the
| conditions the fire boss complained OF.
! Hy this method some person Is made
responsible for knowledge Of con-
/ ditlons az every place Within the mine,
and if an accident occurs the re-
! spunsibility can De placed definitely.
/ IL Ia true that "a WORKMAN may quick
/ Is change "a safe condition go r. dan
/ gcrous one, az hy a few blows OF the
picks but such changes, made after
| rooms or entries have been shot. usu'
ally the preceding night are easily
| discernible
Fire bosses dislike the responsible
! ity thus placed upon them but the
responsibility for safe conditions Ia a
! mine should be placed upon some of
nclal. and who should be so Compel
emit and careful Ns q fire boss
shot frers examine each WORKING
place after tho shots are fired and
| likewise make % record ~ any unsafe
conditions found Tho shot nrers have
their own record hooks, thus there
was "a double check upon safety con-
| ditions. aud the ilre bosses and shot
Arers were a check upon each other
as they inspected the workings at dit-
| feront times
seven careful and experienced shot
nrers are employed to Inspect the
shot holes and Go distribute dynamite
| and caps TO the miners, TO determine
| whether the holes are properly plhc
! cd. ard Co decide whether each hole
| Is undermined or released 10y SIDE
| cutting to render the hole safe shol
| 81 a hole IL not considered shie, the
! shot Inspector condemns u ana re-
| fuses powder and caps 10 the miner
| An shots are nred by electricity attei
Ian persons have left the mine, IA,
mon being checked IN and out clay
or adobe liz distributed az convenient
places throughout the mine. TO Do
used for tamping the shot holes.
| 10 make Il certain that the mon are
Ian out. before the shots are fred, the
7 IWNINM NNIA n. "Nf.IiN M" NN+tN'H's
man must deuosit "a metal chech
uampcd with mis- number before en-
toring the mime md must call Tor mn
check when he leaves the mime ~
responsible man receives and returns
the checks at each mine. In case an
employc leaves the mine ana neglcru
to urn in his check before shot-nfihi
tlme Dol the evening, "a man is toni y
his working place 20 find HIM ~
quiry Is made ut his domicilo ana con
tiuued until his whereabouts is Diet
iu.tolv ascortbired. Tho dorcict ID
charged with me price Of time of th'
man employed to seek him conse
uuently there are few who break th'
check rules
The mines ore humihed by koert
ing sprays at comparatively short ih
torvais throughout the main houlag
, WAYS. and pipe lines extend 90 lh
: faces of an entries. with hose pln
cVcrv 200 feet. nom which ROADWAY
and rooms can ne sprinkled,
4 pahcock ta0-cylindCr chemi'a
! are engine is kept ON "a truck on
Z side track. under cover, in eoisl1h
readiness for uso In case Of hre. FIT
J oxt!nguishcrs aud helmets Win th
3 MOST npproyed devices for rcspiiaio
I Ina the polsonod atmosphere OF a burn
\ ing mino on after an explosion %
Tor other emergency are az nan
I ready for instant use.
The comp0ny employs q mlne n