The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-07-05
FIRES IN METAL MINES
AND DANGEROUS GASES
BUREAU OF MINES ISSUES VALU-
ABLE BULLETINS ON
SUBJECT.


overcome. and there has been much
useless expenditure OF time money
and effort from lack of understanding
of fire gases, and the available meth
DDS of detecting and handling them.
according to the authors of technical
paper Sl4 Metal Mine Fires" recent
ly ISSUED by the bureau of mines. A
considerable percentage of poisonous
gas (chiefly carbon monoXide) is like
y to be present i'm the smoke encoun-
tered during the first few hours of
fire. and frequently the fire gases con-
tain So much carbon monoNide that a
comparatively few limitations are fa-
taL yet miners seem TO feel safe in
walking considerable distances into
smoke Another source of danger is
the recklessness with which metal
mining men, including bosses. enter
underground places from which dense
smoke has disappeared after a fire
Men with technical education and
years of experience openly state that
they feel perfectly safe so long as a
candle viii burn. on even so long as a
carbide light will burn ignoring the
fact that either candle or a carbide
lamp may burn normally in an atmo-
sphere containing enough carbon mon
oxide or other poisonous gas to cause
death in a comparatively few minutes.
Many deaths have resulted. even in
late years. from this ignorance of mine
fire gases
In addition to studying mine fire
gases companies having fire menace
should be equipped with Orsat gas
analysis apparatus and possibly with
carbon monoxide detectors. though for
detecting carbon monoxide and similac
poisons a small animal or bird is
probably the most efficient means at
hand. Use of a bird is thoroughly
and sensible Notwithstanding
the rdicule with which it is common
" received. A study of analyses of
products of combustion during fire
lighting is of great assistance in de-
ermining methods of control.
Hydrogen Suphde as a Poison.
An Investigation of the toxicity of
o.
I'd by the experiment station of the
bureau of mines at Pittsburgh, Pa The
experiments show that this gas is ex-
'eedingly poisonous, as acute poison
ng can be caused by breathing air
containing as little as OF of l per cent
Dangers from the possible presence Of
his gas i'm mines and around indus
rial plants have not been fully appre-
lated, there being "a relatively large
number of poisoning cases which
night have been avoided if the pro-
Der precautions had been taken The
gas is frequently present i'm small bat
dangerous quantities in places where
O chemical action, as in mines sewers.
n sulphuric acid plants, rohneries gas
,lants and smelters.
Carbon dioXde is a product of the
decomposition ans combustion of or
-apic compounds and result of the
aspiration of men and animals states
paper 1874. Just issued by the
ureau of mines The proportion in
nine air is naturally increased by the
recess OF breathing by the burning
f miners lamps, by fires or explosions
nd by blasting 1t is rarely found as
n emanation from rock strata. as in
Zines at Cripple Creek, Colo, Tintic
-tah. and Alais, France. This gas is
n important constituent of black
amp. and traces of it are always
resent in normal air It has long
cen used as a measure of the impur-
y Of air but its importance as such
as probably been overemphasized.
Though in itself not toxic. its con-
,ntration i'm mine air is sufficient to
iuse symptoms il man or even I'M
and death One half Of
per cent of carbon dioxide in normal
r causes a slight and unnoticeable
crease in the ventilation of the
ngs; that is a man exposed to one
llf of 1 per cent of carbon dioxide
in breathe a little deeper and lit
e faster than when in pure air. the
ng ventilation will be increased
bout so per cent; if there is per
mt the lung ventilation will be in
eased about 100 per cent; per cent
fuses about 5000 per cent increase
the lung ventilation and the breath
IS is laborious; 10 per cent can not be
ldured for more than very few
inutes. The results are obtained
ON carbon dioxide air when the oxy-
IN in the air remains about normal
nd the subject is not working. The
astrological effects of different gases
lcountered in mines are described in
clinical paper 1884, copies of which
ay be obtained from the department
the interior, bureau of mines, at
'ashingtOn. ID. c.
Fire Hose for Use in Mines.
A series of tests on the proper size
hose streams to be used in mine
res has been made at the labOrator-
s of the board of fire underwriters
Chicago, in cooperation with the
III o~yparfr,,apf cfaffor Of tho