The Sun. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1915-1932, 1915-09-03
HOW TO PREVENT
Mine EXPLOSIONS
Safety Lamps Should Be Used In Coal Fields
and Vigilance Maintained, Says Chief
Mining Engineer Rice.

WASHINGTON. n. c.. Aug as
That widespread coal mine cxplv sions
with their large loss of life can be pre-
vented u the recommendation ~ the
bureau of mines are used and " care
Is taken 40 all times by everyone In
the mine. Is the assertion made by
George s. Rice. chief mining engineer
Of the bureau. In "a report made pub
lie today. Rice goes further and de-
clares that mine explosions can no
longer be considered acts Of God"
for which no one H. responsible. lie
rays that mine arrangements are not
using the means that are nj hand Go
prevent explosions especially coal
dust explosions.
Despite all that has been said and
written during recent years about the
prevention ~ explosions" says Rice.
u must be admitted that unsatisfac-
tory progress has been made In this
country In lcsscninE the number of
dust explosions out Of n hundred
typical mines examined IN one state
only fifteen were taking any prccau-
tons. and In only few uf these was
there enough systematic humidifyinE
or watering Co give reasonable assur-
ance that the coal dust. always pres
cnt In a coal mine. was rendered nom
ignitablc.
Perhaps the reason better protec-
ton u not sought In hituminous mines
In general IA that coal dust II every
whore and It's presence and danger
are frequently forgotten. The risk of
an explosion seems Co mining man
like the chance of being struck by
lightning. yet the chances are greater
than that. as indicated by the toll 81
mine explosions In this country. which
has varied In recent years from four
hundred o. eleven hundred deaths per
annum.
belgian Miners Careful.
NO better illustration ~ the adj
vantage Of carefulners rRn be found
than In the mines 81 Belgium. In
those mines great instantaneous out
bursts 81 inflammablc gas from the
measures into the mine workings are
frequent. sometimes amothcring the
men. yet for the last twenty years mo-
explosions Of any magnitude have oc-
CURED through ignition ~ gaH. though
prior 90 1898. when less prccautiong
were taken. there had been many
great disasters The adoption 81 pre-
vcntiyc measures largely IL In the
hands of mine operators, hut In the
carrying out the provisions every min,
employc H. concerned.
without open flame Of some sort
there would be NO mine explosions
Permissible explosives as recommend
ed by the bureau for use IN Eaacoui
mines produce some flame. but theli
flame h 10 small and its duration Il
NO brief that " properly used they WI
not ignite gas or duHts. ana " thr5
were employed throughout the Goa
mines 90 the exclusion Of black pow,
der. dynamite and other explosives VI
n character dangerous Co use In Goa
mining. IL II believed by bureau en-
gineers that nearly one-hnlf of th'
explosions would be prevented. u
safety lamps or permissible electric
lamps were used. even In socallcd non
gaseous mines, Il IL thought that owe
one-third of all the explosions In thi
country would be prevented.
1T IN observed by the field engin
GERS OF the bureau that the uneXpect
ed presence ~ gus IN n most importan
factor In the starting OF mine eNplo
sions. In many socalled non-gase
Gus mine. gas Issued In small feeder
az the face In som" part OF the mine
as matter OF daily occurrence, yo
open lights are used In such "A mine
This IN particularly source OF DANCE
In those Alabama and Oklahomi
mines. In which much firedamp 1
found. Also there are many mines
doubtless more than half OF IN
mines In the United States, In whicl
small bodies OF gas are occasionall
reported. yet these mines are rated "A
homogeneous and open lights are freel
used. despite the fact that consider
able proportion OF the explosions hav
occurred In just such mines throug
the ignition Of a pocket of gas by Ion
flame explosives or by al open light
Vigilance Not Relaxed.
Comparatively few OF the Goa
mines OF the country are frankly ac
knowledged 90 be gaseous. and singu
larry enough. since the bureaus wor
was inaugurated In 1908, only singl
explosion disaster has occurred In
mine IN which safety lamps were be
ing used prior 20 an explosion. Tn
reason for greater immunity from 81
blossoms In mines that are ordinaril
considered dangerous because OF IN
presence OF firedamp IN that create
care is taken In all respects, Vigil
ance IN not relaxed, open lights an
the use OF matches IN forbidden, per
nlissible explosives are exclusivel
usad and the ventilation AT the work