(n).—Wicks in lamps must be of sufficient length to be at all times in contact with the bottom of the vessel in which the illuminant is contained, and, before it is used, the wick shall be dried to remove moisture.
Mine-Rescue Methods.—Mr. Paul, who has had perhaps as wide an experience as any mining man in the investigation of and in rescue work at mine disasters, is also in charge of the mine-rescue
apparatus and training for the Geological Survey. These operations consist chiefly of a thorough test of the various artificial breathing apparatus, or so-called oxygen helmets. Most of these are of European make and find favor in Great Britain, Belgium, France, or Germany, largely according as they are of domestic design and manufacture. As yet nothing has been produced in the United States which fulfills all the requirements of a thoroughly efficient and safe breathing apparatus for use in mine disasters.
At the Pittsburg testing station there are a number of all kinds of apparatus. The tests of these are to determine ease of use, of repair, durability, safety under all conditions, period during which the supply of artificial air or oxygen can be relied on, and other essential data.
In addition to the central testing station, sub-stations for training miners, and as headquarters for field investigation as to the causes of mine disasters and for rescue work in the more dangerous coal fields, have been established; at Urbana, Ill., in charge of Mr. R. Y. Williams, Mining Engineer; at Knoxville, Tenn., in charge of Mr. J. J. Rutledge, Mining Engineer; at McAlester, Okla., in charge of Mr. L. M. Jones, Assistant Mining Engineer; and at Seattle, Wash., in charge of Mr. Hugh Wolflin, Assistant Mining Engineer. Others may soon be established in Colorado and elsewhere, in charge of skilled mining engineers who have been trained in this work at Pittsburg, and who will be assisted by trained miners. It is not to be expected that under any but extraordinary circumstances, such as those which occurred at Cherry, Ill., the few Government engineers, located at widely scattered points throughout the United States, can hope to save the lives of miners after a disaster occurs. As a rule, all who are alive in the mine on such an occasion, are killed within a few hours. This is almost invariably the case after a dust explosion, and is likely to be true after a gas explosion, although a fire such as that at Cherry, Ill., offers the greatest opportunity for subsequent successful rescue operations. The most to be hoped for from the Government engineers is that they shall train miners and be available to assist and advise State inspectors and mine owners, should their services be called for.
It should be borne in mind that the Federal Government has no
police duties in the States, and that, therefore, its employees may not direct operations or have other responsible charge in the enforcement of State laws. There is little reason to doubt that these Federal mining engineers, both because of their preliminary education as mining engineers and their subsequent training in charge of mine operations, and more recently in mine-accidents investigations and rescue work, are eminently fitted to furnish advice and assistance on such occasions. The mere fact that, within a year, some of these men have been present at, and assisted in, rescue work or in opening up after disasters at nearly twenty of such catastrophes, whereas the average mining engineer or superintendent may be connected with but one in a lifetime, should make their advice and assistance of supreme value on such occasions. They cannot be held in any way responsible for tardiness, however, nor be unduly credited with effective measures taken after a mine disaster, because of their lack of responsible authority or charge, except in occasional instances where such may be given them by the mine owners or the State officials, from a reliance on their superior equipment for such work.
Successful rescue operations may only be looked for when the time, now believed to be not far distant, has been reached when the mine operators throughout the various fields will have their own rescue stations, as is the practice in Europe, and have available, at certain strategic mines, the necessary artificial breathing apparatus, and have in their employ skilled miners who have been trained in rescue work at the Government stations. Then, on the occurrence of a disaster, the engineer in charge of the Government station may advise by wire all those who have proper equipment or training to assemble, and it may be possible to gather, within an hour or two of a disaster, a sufficiently large corps of helmet-men to enable them to recover such persons as have not been killed before the fire—which usually is started by the explosion—has gained sufficient headway to prevent entrance into the mine. Without such apparatus, it is essential that the fans be started, and the mine cleared of gas. The usual effect of this is to give life to any incipient fire. With the apparatus, the more dense the gas, the safer the helmet-men are from a secondary explosion or from the rapid ignition of a fire, because of the absence of the oxygen necessary to combustion.
The miners who were saved at Cherry, Ill., on November 20th,
1909, owe their lives primarily to the work of the Government engineers. The sub-station of the Survey at Urbana, Ill., was promptly notified of the disaster on the afternoon of November 13th. Arrangements were immediately made, whereby Mr. R. Y. Williams, Mining Engineer in Charge, and his Assistant, Mr. J. M. Webb, with their apparatus, were rushed by special train to the scene, arriving early the following day (Sunday).