The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-10-25

water that have to be carried to the
working place are likely to be fail
ure, especially IL the men have to car
ry water up to stope or raise. How
ever, local conditions will usually de-
termine which system is most adapt
able. While water hammer drills and
water drills of the Jackhamer type
have proved successful, there does not
seem to be wholly satisfactory water
STOPPER for drilling overhead holes. The
evolution of such drill is. however.
largely a question of demand. The
reason why water stopers have not
been as successful as other water
drills is probably mainly because of the
object to using water while drilling
overhead, because of the discomfort
that would be caused by the falling
water. Proper laws, proper discipline
overcome this objection in time 1t
should be recognized that it Is not
sufficient to have a law compelling an
operator to fuIxish dust laying drills
or appliances; the law should go for
Their and make their use obligatory on
the part of the miner and provide PEN
alties for his failure to do so.
Effects Of insufficient Ventilation.
Poor or inadequate ventilation is an
other source of danger to the miners
health. AS in the case of siliceous
dust. the metal mine. rather than the
coal mine, is likely to be the offender.
] shall include under this heading
mines with high temperatures, ex-
cessiye humidity, gases and powder
smoke, as the lack of proper ventila-
ton usually means one or more of the
others. The complex problems of
ventilation in metal mines, especially
large mines, are within the domain of
the engineer rather than the sanitar-
ian, but the latter may point out the
ill effects that result where ventila-
ton is insufficient
Where men work under conditions
humidity, there is an impairment of
physical ability and vitality in proper
ton to the severity of the conditions.
Experience has shown that such i'm
is about rs degrees f. and the atmo-
sphere is saturated or nearly saturat-
ed Where heat and dust are COM
bined, and this combination is not in
frequent, there result conditions es-
pecially arduous. Whether working
in moist heat alone produces any per-
manentS ill effect on the physical or
ganism is matter of dispute; but
certainly the decreased vitality. If only
temporary affords a better chance for
disease to take hold. Where the win
ter is severe, the sudden transposi-
ton from a hot working place to a
cold one is cause contributing 70
pneumonia and acute chest infections,
which in turn help the advance of tu~
berculosis. Men with dust injured
lungs are particularly liable to pneu-
monia and chest colds Among the
lesser evils of poor ventilation is the
effect of powder smoke, as 1t would
seem that the headache and tempor-
airy disability caused by its fumes are
the only damage it does. The pres
ence of deleterious gases In sufficient
lamount to threaten life usually i'm
niles an pmarpppcy outside pf the
scope of the sanitarian. So remark
able are the benefits, so far as etli-
cheney is concerned, where previously
inadequate ventilation is remedied
that further argument is unnecessary
in its favor, An example of this came
under my observation recently. The
cost of driving a long drift. about g0A0
feet below the surface, was SIS Der
place was hot and moist; small
blower fan was installed at the shaft
with canvas pipe leading nearly to
the working face. Without any other
per foot. In shaft sinking this mine
had made so feet in one month and
so feet in another. A small blower
with canvas pipe was installed and
the next month progress of 100 feet
was made. No better evidence could
be given of the deleterious effect of
poor ventilation on working ability.
Requisites for Proper Hygiene Under.
ground.
Inadequate systems for the disposal
of human waste underground will
lead to promiscuous pollution This
is often an offense against decency,
and where conditions are bad, may
lead to the spread of hookworm dis
case, dysentery and possibly typhoid
fever, In some of the southern and
mines this is a real
menace A proper latrine system,
adequate to the size of the mine,
should always be insisted upon even
ii it consist Of nothing more than the
use of empty powder boxes partially
filled with sawdust or other material.
Ii is requisite for the success of any
system, no matter how simple or how
that ii shall receive suffi- |
cient attention to be kept clean and !
odorless, If this is not done, the sys- |
tenn will fail. Careless disposal of |
human waste always involves grave |
nng Of