The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-06-02
bon lOnOlide DetacfO1
gplaGes Canaries III Mines
DISCOVER Poisonous Gas
IRE.
Carbon Monoxide Deteetor.


After ali nine explosions, and in
the case of mine fires, carbon mon
oxide gas is present in variable
quantities This is the most deadly
gas encountered in coal mines. Il
is odorless, colorless and tasteless,
and therefore it's presence cannot
be detected by a person. It gives
absolutely no warning, and up to
the moment that a man drops I'M
conscious, he feels fine. Two-tent11s
of a per cent in the air can only
be breathed for a very short time
and per cent will render man
unconscious almost instantly.
Canary birds have, IN the past,
been most generally used to detect
carbon monoxide gas, because the
canary is more quickly affected
than a person, and usually can
airy will be rendered unconscious
in time to enable the rescue party
to get back to fresh air before they
are knocked out. Recent expert
ments have proved that all can
aries are not affected alike, and
some can stand up against per-
centage of carbon monoxide which
will affect some men. So the
canary is not an infallible safe
guard. Besides. when canary is
knocked out, it is not available for
use again
The carbon monoxide detector
has just recently come on the mar
ket and is another very important
invention resulting from the World
War. 1t is a very simple device
which will show the presence of
carbon monoxide to five-hundredths
of a per cent, and you get your
reading almost instantly, SO that
YOU Immediately know the condition
of the atmosphere in which you are
living. 1t is always available fof
use.
The principle OF the detector, IS
that the air to be sampled is drawn,
by6means of bulb. through cylin
der that contains a chemical which
will absorb all gases likely to be
present, except carbon monoxide
The air drawn through this cyl1n-
der is then. forced, by means OF the
bulb. through a glass tube which
contains chemical which changes
color when it comes in contact with
carbon monoxide. The color var
les according to the amount of car
bon monoxide present, from light
green to a deep green. The color
scale is placed along side of this
tube, which is calibrated against
known percentages OF carbon mon
oxide, and by comparing the TUBE
with this color scale. the percent
age can be Immediately obtained
BurrelI Methane Indicator.
The Burrell methane indicator is
a device to determine small per-
centages of methane, which IS an
explosive gas found in coal mines
The flame safety lamp is the 1nstru-
ment employed at the mines tor
detecting this gas, but our mine IN
spectors want to be able to deter
mine smaller percentages that can
he detected bv the flame safety
lamp. so all of our mine inspectors
are equipped with a BurreH me-
thaue indicator It is of particular
use in determining the amount o.
methane present in various spllts
of air in a gaseous mine.
The lowest percentage OF me
thane that can be determined by
the average fire boss with flame
safety lamp is from 11s per cent
to 2 per cent. The Burrell 1ndlca-
tor will determine accurately tot
1 per cent.
The Psychroneter-
The psychrometer is an 1nstru,
ment for determining the amount
of moisture present III the al; a.iu
the percentage of saturation or the
air. The question of saturatlon or
the air has an important bearing
on the safety of the mine, because
air will take up moisture up toI
satura ton, and warm air will carry
considerably more moisture than
cold air. AS an illustration. air at
a temperature of so degrees Fahren-
heit will carry just twice as much