TRAINING FOR MINE DISASTERS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1890, 27 October 1913, Page 8

TRAINING FOR MINE DISASTERS.

DRILL AT A RESCUE SCHOOLv Owing to tlio extensive developments in the mining industry of Scotland, and. tho fact that it lias becomo more and more necessary to sink deeper pits, find so enter a moro dangerous zone, tho eoal-owiiers of Fife and Clackmannan have recognised tho possibility of the occurrence of moro serious disasters. To provide for this they have built and equipped a rescuo station at • Cowdenbeath, that being the centre of a large mining district stretching from Alloa in the west to Largoward Colliery in the east. Tho building is situated about flvo minutes'' walk from the railway station, and cost £1600 for building and £800 for equipment, £2000 per annum boing granted by the coal-owners for its upkeep It has tho honour of being the only ouo in Scotland, thero being, however, sovoral oil' tho other sido of the Border. After passing through tlio main entrance you enter a largo ten la which, the rescuers practise their stretcher drill and ambulance work, receiving in* struction froiii tlio master of tho station who lives in the premises «nd is always on duty. There aro 840 meii in full training supplied from all the collieries in the area. A team Comprises five men. Each, on attendance at drill, is paid railway fare and a half a shift. The rescuers are subjected to a strict medical examination oil appointment, and at- .intervals of sis months, lloiind thrc© sides of the hall, shut off by glass partitions,-runs a gallery littecl 'to illustrate tlio obstacles and dangers attending an underground explosion—roads fallen in, passages full of smoke and injurious gases, atmos- , phere so dense that the light of the lamps can hardly bo seen t>y tho instructor in the hall. Tho gallery can bo heated to" such a temperature that the rescuers have to come into the hall to save themselves from death by/ "heat-stroke." 'Hie moil aro equipped with the Wog apparatus, so called from its inventor, AV. B. Garforth; Altorfs, Yorkshire. This apparatus eonsists of two cylindera of oxygen fitted round tlio waist; and partly supported by shoulder straps so that tho weight is equally distributed. In the -actual work the oxygen is ox- . hausted in the left cylinder first, and then tho rescuer knows "to return to the shaft, as ho will use the supply in the right- cylinder on tho backward journey. The oxygen passes from tho cylinder through a lung-governing value to tlio mouthpiece, which is small, and allows tho rescuer to breath and perspire freely. In case lie may bo overtaken by darkness, the heads of tho valves are of different shapes, so that Oven then lie may know which to use. Tlio helmet of raw hide protects the head, but does not cover eyes or oars, for lie- must sea everything, and bo able to hear the slightest noise, tlio faintest groan, or tho weakest cry for ht?lp._ The weight of tho whole apparatus is 321b., and when fully charged allows-tlio mini to work hard for tJiree hours. As an experiment to meet the case of a man who might bo delayed on the , return journey, ouo man wore tlio apparatus for C hours 10 minutes without any inconvenience. On tho walls of the dres/.iiig-room hang five Sots of ap-' paratus ready, day and night, so that tlioy may bo put on and adjusted in one minute. Other fifteen sots aro also kept ready in cases. It is common in Fife for fires to bo caused by spontaneous combustion, and should tho firo bo near the fresh air tho Weg apparatus is not used, but a smoke bellows helmet. Tho head is eompletely covered by a helmet of raw hide. The frame is made of aluminium for lightness, and tho windows aro of mica so that they ma}' not bo -easily brokenAt tho pit bottom Or wherever the air is fresh, a bellows, pumped by hand or foot, supplies the rescuer with air through a strong tubo forty feet long. ' . In tho underground region of gnttt darkness, tho explorer must have a good lieht, so ho carries at- his belt a "Float" electric lamp of 40 candl® pewcr, with a reflector. The lamp is guaranteed to burn at least five hours. Tins is provided with two straps and works with great simplicity. Hold .it upside down and tho whole pliico. is ilhimuiated; reverse it and tlio light is out. While standing overawed at the many wonders of human ingenuity as revealed at this station, the silence is broken bv the cheerful song of many birds. Tho canary also is a rescuer. He is carried in a little cage to tho seeno of tho explosion. If "white damp," carbon monoxide, bo present, the canary falls on its sido unconscious, and tho rescuer knows to return quickly and don his arwiiratns. Fortunately on return, to tho fresh air tho canary almost always revives. Tho rescued, if overeomo by gas, is, in being brought- to tho shaft, treated ay tlio draoger or incoo puluiotors., A niask is placed over tlio noso anil mouth, ono tube supplying the lungs,. ivith fresh air while tlio other eonvevs tho vitiated uir and discharges it through' tho apparatus. How nuictt better this is than the old mctliofl or irtificial .respiration 1 How often .no performer, who was only humans be* ;amo exhausted, and had to give m be'ore the patient was revived, jno dou > • she apparatus enables the rescuer . o inter places with impunity; into which ivithont-.it he could not attempt- to go, ind, fai' be it from us to undervalue it, jut behind it all must bo the master vh-o has. instructed] framed, and dis:ipliiiod tlie men. arid tho men themselves,. imbued with, a sense of grave responsibility,, so trained that panic can lover touoh them,, and ready to face lange-rs where ovou the bru\est- .leart nay swell."