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January, 1905 COAL AND TIMBER 9
Mr. Stoek described the differences existing
in the Wyoming and Schuylkill
regions which give rise to differences in
mining and consequent differences in the
method of preparation between the two
regions. He explained the necessity for
preparing anthracite and showed how the
coal is delivered at the head of the breaker
and then traced its course through the
various bars, screens, jigs, and different
automatic picking devices until it is ready
for the consumer.
He also showed the method of washing
anthracite and showed by illustrations the
method of disposing of the refuse culm
by flushing it back into the underground
workings. The method of driving breaker
machinery by rope drives, by individual
electric motors, and by belt and line shafting
was also touched upon.
The President spoke appreciatively of
Mr. Stoek's lecture and the gentleman received
a unanimous vote of thanks.
Adjourned until 9:30 Wednesday morning.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1904.
inexplicable, while the numerous mining
President Keighley called the meeting to
Institutions of this and other countries have
order at 9:50 A. M. and announced the
long records of voluntary labor and expenditure
in trying to discover the needed
first paper on the program, "Box Car
Loaders," by Mr. Wm. L. Affelder, Mosgrove,
Pa.
remedies.
The origin and conditions of Fire Damp
Mr. Affelder stated that the firstpractical
Box Car Loader was invented by Richard
Ramsey, of Illinois, and was first placed
on the market in 1885. Loaders of this
type were manufactured by the Ottumwa
Iron Works, Ottumwa, Iowa, and the
Litchfield Foundry & Machine Co., of
Litchfield. 111., but are no longer made
Mr. Affelder went into the history of
Box Car Loaders very thoroughly and with
the aid of illustrations was enabled to convincingly
show the practicability of Box
Car Loaders.
The following Box Car Loaders were
illustrated and their operation explained
during his address: The Ottumwa, of which
a working Model was exhibited, Christy
Victor and Smith Gravity.
We shall endeavor to give a more complete
report of Mr. Affelder's address in
some future number of "Coal and Timber."
The next paper on the program was
"Coal Dust." This paper excited so much
comment, was received with so much enthusiam
and aroused such animated discussion,
that we give the paper in full.
COAL DUST.
Paper prepared and read by Thos. A.
Jackson, of Oliver, Pa., before the Winter
Meeting of the Western Pennsylvania
Central Mining Institute, held at the Court
House, Pittsburg, Pa., Tuesday and Wednesday,
December 20th and 21st, 1904.
There are few industries in which the
practical and theoretical knowledge of the
work to be performed is of more importance
than in Coal Mining. The danger to
life and risk of capital are so great that
laws have been passed to protect the one
and the most modern business methods
advanced to counteract the other. The
difficulties in mining are increasing daily
as we go deeper into the bowels of Mother
Earth, and the competition in the coal
market, so that the management of our
mines today require something more than
ordinary intelligence.
The operations of mining and the production
of coal are conducted under circumstances
that command public sympathy and
the subject of mining in all its details is one
that should be studied by every miner and
mine laborer, as well as the mine officials,
for the safety of a mine, especially in regards
to ventilation, drainage, gaseous mixtures
and coal dust; for it not only depends
upon the competency of the mine officials
and mine inspectors, but upon the action
of each and every individual in or around
the mine, whatever his position may be.
The history of mining contains many
sad pages of disaster and the explosions to
which they are subject have caused an appalling
loss of life.
These calamities have appeared to be
explosion are now well known and provided
against. Yet explosions still occur,
and a well equipped mine that is supplied
with all the arrangements and precautions
that experience and science can suggest,
is suddenly transformed into a chamber of
death.
It has been evident for some time that a
danger other than Fire Damp lurks within
the mine and its discovery has been sought
by inspectors of mines, mining engineers
and mine officials and the general verdict
is that Coal Dust is an element that plays
an active part.
The subject under consideration is somewhat
complicated, and in the very nature
of the case, the part which coal dust may
take in an explosion in a mine cannot be
a matter of observation, as it would in all
probability prove fatal to the observers.
The dangerous part wheh coal dust plays
is difficult to elucidate even under the
highly organized scientific and practical
management and inspection to which all
our mines are now subjected.
Scientific and experimental researches have
been conducted and the results applied to
the examinations in recent years, which
permits only the conclusion that Coal Dust
is a contributory danger in a gaseous mine
that would propagate an explosion of gaseous
mixtures.
An explosion is the most dreaded accident
we have to contend with in the mining
world, as it occurs unexpectedly without
any warning.
The records of mining show that explosions
cause a greater destruction to life
and property than any other class of accidents.
They have been traced and found
to effect mechanical violence where gas
could not be conceivably present. Coal Dust
has- been observed in a coked condition on
the timbers, roof and sides of haulage and
traveling ways, showing that it had been
subjected to intense heat, and next to the
explosion itself, and the loss of life and
property which it involves. The most
serious (and often frequent) consequence
is an underground fire,as some smouldering
material may be fanned into a flame as
soon as ventilation is partially restored, and
it in turn will set tire to the coal or any
other combustible material close at hand.
In regard to the part coal dust plays in an
explosion, it can only be arrived at by
means of experiments. It is however, a
well established fact that coal dust under
certain conditions is a very dangerous
element in a mine and it is probable that
the intense heat thrown out by an explosion
may convert an otherwise harmless dust
into an inflammable one, and as a result coal
dust of sufficient quantity, fineness and
dryness raised by a strong ignition of fire
damp an extension of the initial explosion
is inevitable, which goes to show that explosions
are carried into districts that had
this agent not been at work, would have
been unaffected by the initial explosion.
Let us for a moment take a view of the
force an explosion of Fire Damp and air
contains when properly mixed in the most
explosive proportions, let the initial temperature
be 65 degrees F. and 521 degrees
absolute. Yield about 23,550 units of heat
and the degrees F. this mixture will be
raised are 6663 degrees or 13.8 atmospheres,
the steady pressure due to the explosion,
but to this must be added a considerably
increased force due to shock, the amount of
which cannot be calculated when it is
remembered that 13.8 atmospheres are
equal to 30,000 lbs. pressure per square
foot, whereas the force of a hurricane
moving at the rate of 100 miles per hour is
only 50 tbs. per square foot, some idea of
the terrific force of an explosion may be
realized, and as before stated, this in itself
will convert an otherwise harmless dust
into an inflammable one.
Let us look at our mines since the introduction
of mining machines, and I think
we will find that we are getting a larger
percentage of coal dust than before their
use. Taking the chain type of machine for
instance in undercutting or undermining the
coal, they practically saw their way in under
the coal, making nothing but fine dust, and
it will be observed that when the machine
is in operation as the chain containing the
bits or teeth revolves and cutting into the
coal brings out its fine dust and the helper
on the left of machine turning it over or
casting it aside out of the way raises a
very large cloud of dust into the atmosphere,
so much so at times in very dry and
dusty mines you can scarcely see the operator
and helper at work and the atmosphere
is pregnated with said dust. It will also be
observed that naked lights are used daily
in the presence of this danger without any