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SCIENCE CONGRESS

THE NATURE OF EXPLOSIONS. Professor H. B. Dixon, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S., who was a member of the Home Office Executive Committee on Explosions in Mines, 1912, and who had previously sat on the Roj'al Commission on Coal Dust Explosions, delivered a highly interesting lecturo in the Concert ChambcT (Town Hall) on Thursday on the subject of "Tho Nature of Explosions." There was a largo audience, the chair being taken by the Minister of Mines (tho Hon. W. Fraser).' In introducing tho lecturer, Mr. Fraser said that Professor Dixon had placed his services at the disposal of the Government in connectirji with the Huritly mine disaster, and had already made- a visit to the workings.. No doubt Professor Dixon's investigation would be of great value, and he desired to take that opportunity of thanking him on behalf of the Government and the people of New Zealand. In his opening remarks, Professor Dixon expressed his deep sympathy with the families of the men who had been killed at Himtly. He had, ho said, visited the scenes of most of the great mining disasters in England, and lie well knew tho great risks run by miners, and the awful disaster that might come upon them at any time. It was gratifying to him to be asked to use his Knowledge to elucidate this great mystery at Huntly, and he would be pleased to do anything in his power. After brier' reference to the first definite experiments leading to scientific results . in' connection with explosions, the lecturer illustrated by experiment the movements of flame in explosions of gases— the very gentle movement, the vibratory, and the detonator. He_ next referred to the rate of explosions, and contrasted with that tho harmless burning of such high explosives as guncotton, cordite, lyddite, and picric acid. A flame from gas was shown to be extremely sensitive- to sound, and some schools of chemists (it was explained) thought that the nature of the sound had something to do with explosions. Again the mere passage of a flamo down a tube- might make a great change in the nature of the flame as was proved by illustration. From these observations', Professor Dixon passed on to the explosive wove, which he described in a most interesting manner,' pointing out that the action of the explosive wave in a tube was comparable to its action in mine galleries. What was true of gases was true of nearly all inflammable dusts, such as coal dust, but the dust had to bo stirred into a cloud before it became, explosive. All big mining acci-' dents were due to coal dust, which so easily collected in the galleries. When this dust was thrown up into a cloud, a 'flame fired into it would explode it, nnd coal dust was as violent as fire-damp, if not more so. To guard against explosions, the cloud of dust must be prevented by watering or the dust must be diluted with an inert dust. Tho theory that inert dust, would produce an explosion was, he thought, a- false one. Numerous views of the experimental station in Cumberland were shown, also the results of the tests with coal dust under conditions identical with those prevailing in mines. Tho study of this branch of science was nnturally sjow, as it was necessary to hut it was agreed that it was better to move slowly and surely. And, if it-turn-ed out that mine managers could be porsnaded of tho vnlue of certain preen utions and could be educated to carry them out efficiently, tho result would be better than tho effect of hastilyframed legislation. If the experiments did' something to minimise explosions and tended towards , the safety of tho crejit industry the work ■would not have boon thrown ewny. Ho honod that that mijrnt bo the result. , (Applause.) '. A hrii.rtyvote of thanks was iiocorr!"r|the lecturer and his assistant, Mr. Edwards. '

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19140919.2.27

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2259, 19 September 1914, Page 5

Word count
Tapeke kupu
651

SCIENCE CONGRESS Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2259, 19 September 1914, Page 5

SCIENCE CONGRESS Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2259, 19 September 1914, Page 5

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