The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-04
SIX MINE BLASTS.
 IN THREE MONTHS AR0UsEs OFF F|C|ALs.
Director of Bureau of Mines. Discusses Cause and Pre- vention of Underground
 Explosions
WASHINGTON BUREAU l
 THE AGE-HERALD utasttinVfau n ner f


 H, Foster Bains, director of the United States bureau of mines, in a formal statement today, expresses alarm that since the conclusion of the strike of miners, some three months ago, six mining disasters have properly shocked the nation" !"
 One of these disasters, and the most destructive of all of them, was in the Dolomite mine of the Wood ward Iron company, in the Birming- ham district.
 In the following statement of the director of the bureau he discusses disasters in general and their causes, and urges additional care that other catastrophes might not be permitted to occur.
 Country Aroused
 Coal has been mined for three months since the resumption of min- ing following the five months strike, and in that time six explosions. kill- ing about 1s5 men and injufing more than 150 others. have occurred in the bituminous mines. The number and violence of these explosions is in- CT easing. the record of the past montn being the worst of all. The coal in- dustry has not in years suffered as many big disasters and the entire country Is properly aroused,
 Why did these explosions occur Were they entirely accidental or could they shave been prevented2 Will similar explosions follow2 These are some of the questions which are asked. investigations now under way will determine the causes of the past accidents and what if anything, might have been done to prevent them. but investigations alone will give no assurance that similar acei- dents will not again occur. The ies- sons iearned must be applied anl every possible precaution taken If this killing Is to be stopped.
 Lessening of Morale
 Coal producers have been proper ly striving to produce q maximum output to meet the C .5ected heavy
 
 overcome the inroads which had been made in the coal reserves during the recent strike. and intensified activity in any industry increases the risk of accident. The seasonal hazards, which are greater in the coal indus try during the winter months, have probably influenced the result. There has been a lessenng of morale throughout elhe coal industry as a result of the strike, which tends to- ward less careful attitude of mind. Another probable factor is the change in personnel at the mines fol- lowing the strike and the shifting of miners to camps where they are not familiar with the dangers, and. In places. there Is lack of that dis cipline which is essential to pheven- tion of disaster whether in fighting a battle or in fighting the hazards of nature.
 "In face of these increased haz- ards, 1t Is the immediate duty of each operator and each mine worker to concentrate his attention on the pre- yention of accidents. Unless this be done there will be more accidents s and more lives lost however much the research men may do to solve the causes of accidents and to pro- vide methods for avoiding them,
 Individual Accidents
 "The letdown of morale on the part of the individual miner Is indi- cated by a startling increase in the number of accidents caused by falls of roofs or of coal falling at the working face. The prevention of such accidents Is almost wholly a matter in the hands of the individual worker. In the matter of explosions. however. there is collective responsibility which begins with the individual whose act or carelessness is the cause of the accident and continues to the operator who< permits riining conditions that allow the extension of a local explosion into one spread ing through the mine. While one man may ignite flredamp by smoking or opening a safety lamp, or may be firing a dangerous shot, cause an ex plosion. the broadcasting of these explosions through the mine with the consequent large loss of life is due invariably to the presence of coal dust. and investigations carried on by the bureau of mines for more than 10 years have demonstrated be- yond question of doubt that such spreading of explosions by coal dust can be prevented. Responsibility for this rests upon the mine manage ments-
 Although the possibility of coal dust causing explosions had been considered for more than century. and much testing in laboratory ap- paratus and in small surface gall leries had been done. few coal min- ing men. especially in America, be- lieved that coal dust was explosive when the bureau began it's work. It was generally held tina Iis gases of unknown composition were responsible for explosions in bitu- minous mines.
 Seasonal Dangers
 Tt is well also at this time to re- mind the coal miners and operators of the seasonal dangers of coal min ing. During the summer months the air in mines is full of moisture and the coal dust becomes damp or wet, but with the colder. dry air of fall or winter, the moisture is rapidly dried up. When the coal dust is thus dried. out and small pocket of fire damp is ignitei. a blown -out shot occurs, or thet is an arcing from the electric catiies. the dust may be ignited and explosion may rush through the masie as far as the dry coal dIst Is prl sept A violent all l wave precedes lzneSexplosion wave raising the dusit andSthus providing
 (ContAAuedl on Pare Twoo