The Cordova daily times., 1923-02-08
SAFETY ALL MINES IN
 CALIFORNIA


 mines in California the most import ant of which will be the adoption of system to give instant warning to all men underground in event of fire, are being formulated here by representatives of the Government, State, mine companies and organized labor and will be announced next week, according to a statement made here today by H. M. Wolfin, super intendent of safety, Industrial Acci- dent Commission.
 "To prove that the 47 men who sacrificed their lives in the Argo- naut mine fire in Jackson, Cal on August, 31 1922, did not die in vain, these new regulations are being | drafted" was the expression of one member of the committee of eleven now drafting the new regulations for | California mine operation.
 The system of underground warn- ing will be handled in three ways, MT. Wolfin explained. First, thru stench warnings; second, through | telephonic communication; third, by system of electric light flashes. "The stench warning system will be the most vital" said MT. Wolfin. '"This will be accomplished by putting | ethyl mercaptan or methyl mercap- tan in the compressed air line con nection at the surface of the mine. In event of fire, these chemicals will be released through the air com pression system and in minute or two will penetrate every foot of every stope, drift or level in mine. | "The stench of ethyl or methyl mer- captan is terrific and cannot be mis- taken for any other odor in mine. For test purposes and drills, how ever, the mines probably will use amyl acetate, which is oil of banana.
 This is effective but does not have the same swift penetrating effect of the other chemicals. It takes from forty seconds to a minute longer for the banana oil to reach the re- mote sections of level.
 Ut is true, however, that men working away from the air compress sion system will not get the same quick warning as the men working the compression drills, or in sec tions where compressed air is used ] for ventilation.
 "To offset this, the new regulations will make compulsory an auxiliary telephone system through the emerg- ency exit of each mine in addition to the regular telephone down the main shaft. Telephones will be on each level and warning of fire will be transmitted in this manner in ad- dition to the stench warning.
 "A system of electric light flashes will also be put into effect, and under the new regulations the men when warned of fire will meet at desig- mated parts of the mine and form fire-fighting squads. Each skip tend CT, boss or sub-boss will have cer- tain work to do and the fire fighting equipment will be on hand for each squad to do what it Is supposed to do."
 Timbers, shafting and other inflam, mable material in each shaft will be gunited, or sprayed with cement according to the terms of the new regulations. The new regulations also call for five sets of breathing apparatus for a shift of 25 men or more underground. The old regula tions called for five sets for fifty men. Where a group of mines have a cooperative station the new regu lations call for ten sets of breathing apparatus instead of five to be kept at this central station.
 These regulations, which have not yet been adopted in their final form are in the hands of committee of eleven, comprising, Byron o. Pick ard, district engineer, United Bureau of Mines, Berkeley, chairman; G Chester Brown, chief engineer, Indus trial Accident Commission, San Fran cisco, secretary; w. J. Loring, man aging director, Plymouth Consolidated Gold Mines, San Francisco Arthur B Foote, general manager, North Star Mines, Grass Valley James Lord, dis trict organizer, American Federation of Labor, San Francisco R. c. Rodda representing organized labor, Grass Valley William E. Colby, attorney representing California Metal and Mineral Producers Association, San Francisco Warren Pillsbury, attorney representing the Industrial Accident II Commission Fred I, T,owe1l safety