The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. FRIDAY, MAY 22, 1914. COAL DUST IN MINES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 26, 22 May 1914, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. FRIDAY, MAY 22, 1914. COAL DUST IN MINES.

The great menace of coal dust in mines has occupied the attention of the Special Committee appointed by the British Government for some time, and, as a cable message announced, the committee has now reported that it is firmly convinced- of the superiority of the dust of stone, or other non-com-bustible dust, provided it is of a suitable character as a preventative. It is only of late years that the public mind has been aroused of the danger of coal dust in mines. Engineers now generally admit that such was the cause of the Pas do Calais disaster, in which over one thousand lives were lost, and again for other serious explosions, both in Britain, America, and the Continent, which have caused groat loss of life. In a statement recently published as to what is being done to mitigate the chances of disaster it is stated that at the Altofts colliery, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the associated coalownors of Great "Britain have constructed out of a long length of boiler tubes, riveted together so as to resemble the main roivl of a colliery, and experimental gallery, iu which has been proved beyond th® slightest shadow of a doubt the fact that floating coal-dust constitutes a frightful underground danger. Along the long length of boiler tube shelves hare been placed, and prior to the experiment finely-ground coal-dust is spread, lightly on them. The quantity is not great. When all is ready, two small cannon are placed near one end of the tube, and these are electrically fired, one a few seconds after the other. The first merely dislodges the dust, hut when the air is permeated and the second fired, there follows an explosion magnificent in its violence, A huge ©auuou of coal-dust

is exploded. All the woodwork in the tube, and pieces of impedimenta, are blown through the tube into tlie outer aii' with great force, to lie deposited hundreds of yards away, and the sight of the explosion gives some faint idea of the horror of a similar explosion occurring underground other experiments in the same gallery have also demonstrated tire absolute value of stone dust as a prophylactic. The shelves replaced in the gallery have been covered with coal-dust under all atmospheric conditions. Stone-dust has then been sprinkled on the top, and the two cannon have geen fired. But no explosion has taken place. A\ ith the admixture of a very small proportion of stone-dust the inflammable coal particles are rendered as harmless as though water had been flooded through the place. The' percentage of dilution required to completely kill the explosive power of the coal-dust is not high, but a very small quantity of stone-dust has the effect of greatly diminishing its force even when it is not sufficient to absolutely deaden its calorific power. Coal-dust may, of course, he rendered harmless by the| application of water, but there are. many objections to the use of water! underground. The uso of stone-dust is cleaner, and, probably cheaper and more effective. Whether there is danger of its generating lung trouble is a point that is now being debated.