Great Falls tribune., 1922-04-23

FIGHTING FIRES in mines is a
slow. tedious, costly-and until
now virtually a hopeless-propO-
sition. Ever since mining began. ages
probably before Solomon's minons
jumped the claims of the Arabs at
Ophir and drew therefrom the gold and
gems with which to glorify the premier
family man and his gorgeous temple at
Jerusalem. it has been regarded as a
task almost as bootless AS an attempt
to cool the incandescent interior of an
active volcano.
Let it burn" has been generally the
policy wherever fires underground have
advanced far beyond the ignition stage
despite the huge losses entailed through
the forced abandonment of valuable ore
bodies.
Rich mines in many parts Of the
world have been burning for genera
tions, their vast stores of wealth
guarded securely from the hands of
man by barriers of deadly gases and
rock walls white with the heat of fires
smouldering beyond. Wherever mining
on a large scale has been carried on
for any length of time, whether for
metals, coal or precious stones. there
are tales to be heard of quenchIess
fires in the bowels of the earth that
have driven men from a fascinating
and favorite pursuit.
But underground conflagrations are
no longer to be considered unquench-
able. The policy of abandonment and
resignation to fate is superannuated
In the Butte district, process or
method of fire fighting has been devel-
oped by engineers of the Anaconda
Copper Mining company which is sal
vaging an ore body of tremendous ex-
tent. Fires which have been burning
10 or 10 years in three connecting
mines are being smothered under a mil
1linn tons Of mud. And by the end Of
1922, two million tons of metaliifcrous
ores. containing, according to expert
estimates. at least 10000 tons of cop
per. will be once more accessible.
More Safety for Miners
A great part of this store of wealth
already has come again within the |
reach Of the miners. Not only that. /
but large areas of underground work |
ings in which there has been no fire.
but which were dangerous because of
the Infiltration of poisonous gases. have
been freed of the noxious vapors gem
Grated by the sufides and other com
bustible components of the ores Venti- /
lation, an essential prerequisite to deep
proved: temperatures are being rednc-
ed. and ground movements s-technicallv /
subsidence-prevented by the filling of /
old workings
These collateral results. from A hui |
manitarian standpoint, are even more /
important than the recovery Of the I
abandoned ores. great though that may /
be. for they establish an additional fac |
tor Of safety and comfort for the men
whose working days are spent deep
within the bosom of the earth.
The process as developed is uncom-
plicated. 1t is an adaptation of an idea
evolved in 1884 by fire fighters at
coal mine in the Schuylkill region of
Pennsylvania. The same idea was en-
ployed latterly again in PENNSYLVANIA
and also in Belgium. Australia and in
the Rand district of South Africa TO
fill in exhausted workings and prevent
surface caving.
Sand decomposed rock and other
materials which came originally from
the Slopes and were discarded rs tail
ings in the process Of copper cxtrac-
ton. simply have been turned back un-
derground into the deeply buried fire
area. Water. which in many eases has
proved its uselessness as an extinguish-
er of Subterranean fires. is used for
transportation-a common carrier. 1T N
conveys the tailings in the form OF silt
down to the fire regions. 1900 to 1900
feet underground, where the soup-like
slime fills the abandoned drifts. cross
cuts and Slopes, and literally smothers /
the fire.
The soft. muddy sludge. gathered up
from a pond of tailings, seeps into ev-
cry crack and crevice of the broken :
ore bodies or mine walls through which j
a fire raD creep. and driving. remains
to be dug up in the years to come when {
the salvaged areas are reWorked
Meanwhile the water. having served its I
purpose. is led to the mine pumps and |
by them forced Immediately back to the /
surface. saturated with copper, which +.
is recovered in great precipitation {
plant The water pours over quantities I
of dsca rded tincans and iron junk. and ,
gives up its copper content before it 4
passes on into the drainage bitches. h
.::lis recovery is said to be sufficient G
IN amount to defray in great part the |
cost of the fire fighting system. Tests
carried out by H. j. Rahilly. mine fire q
of the Anaconda Con n
per Mining company, and other engi- 7
leers, show that since the sludge pro- I
.ess was introduced. the content Of the h
copper water pumped from the three +
mines has been increased two to three s
'o1d.
Four Years of Fire Fighting
Though uncomplicated, the task of t
fires in the Butte copper D
workings has been difficult and long. S
|; began in the autumn of 1917. More Ii
han 25O glen have been employed Ie1
wenty -four hours day ever since. A L