EXPLOSIONS IN FIRES

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 149, 14 September 1927, Page 13

EXPLOSIONS IN FIRES

STONES ARE THE CAUSE EXPERT’S INVESTIGATIONS (From Our Resident Reporter.; WELLINGTON, To-day. The indication given in the SUN recently concerning the investigations into explosions in household coal, is confirmed by the departmental report upon the subject which has just been released. Stone in the coal is blamed for most of the trouble, although it is admitted that explosives might have been left in the coal on isolated occasions. More rigid regulations are recommended. Investigations were made by the Deputy Chief Inspector of Explosive-. Mr. R. M. Butcher, and the technical representative of Nobel’s Explosive Company, Mr. J. R. Leggo. Experiments were carried out at various mines, explosives were p aced among coal and placed cn fires turning in grates. In each instinct* there was no explosion, the explosive burning away. The conclusions arrived at by Mr. Leggo and the Deputy Chief Inspector of Explosives point tc The fact that most of the explosions which have recently occurred in the domestic us-? of coal may be attributed to the presence of stone iii the coal. It has been decided that the regulations under the Coal Mines Act rhould be amended, with a view to ensuring a thorough search for explosives in the case o; misfired shots in coal min f >. The proposed amendments have already been put in operation at the State Min:?s.