The Origin and Rationale of Colliery Explosions: Founded Upon an Examination of the Explosions ... by Donald McDonald Douglas Stuart

Author:Donald McDonald Douglas Stuart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hirschfeld Bros.
Published: 1895-03-25T05:00:00+00:00

At every place in the mine where explosive violence was exerted, the timbering was displaced and often broken : but the timbering at the cavity was undisturbed, therefore there could have been no explosion of carbon monoxide or any other gas there, nor in its vicinity.

The materials of the stopping at the entrance of the adjacent road B, were scattered into the communication itself, in the opposite direction to what must have resulted from an explosion there; and which demands for its explanation some force from behind, in the old workings.

The timbering at the road C was also undisturbed, and the food bag was found hanging where it had been placed, showing no explosion had occurred there; therefore it was obvious that no explosion could have occurred at the cavity or at the roads B and C. A short distance beyond

there were empty trams in the siding, and at the foot of Peters Incline there were more, and neither of them were injured ; but at the top of Peter's Incline it will be remembered, the trams Were broken up and crumpled, and afforded direct evidence that the initial gaseous explosion had occurred at that place.

The question remains whether carbon monoxide was in the air current from the shot to the top of Peter's Incline, to produce with coal-dust the initial gaseous explosion. The deceased man Carter charged the hole and lighted the shot, and walked to the foot of Peter's Incline, and was subsequently found burnt and dead ; therefore it is manifest that there was not one half of one per cent, of carbon monoxide (the quantity fatal to human life) in the air, or he would have been poisoned before he had finished the charge, or reached his Refuge hole. But he was burnt, and found in an attitude seeking protection, which showed he was conscious after the disaster: and that when the hot gases reached him, the air current did not contain any appreciable fraction of carbon monoxide ; nor was he mutilated, indicating that he had not been exposed to explosive violence. The air current was the main intake, the Downcast Shaft was not far distant, and it is beyond question that the air current was free from the gas under notice.

Upon the opposite side of the shot towards Lower Conygre, the only disturbance was the displacement of the stopping in the road A. The materials were also scattered into the communication, again showing that the disturbance had been occasioned not by an explosion there, but by some force from behind the stopping, and in the old workings.

Since the disaster, the character of the gases in the old roads has been somewhat cleared up. In the two roads B and C, the stoppings were re-built and pipes inserted, for the purpose of ascertaining if the normal exhalations of the old workings contained carbon monoxide gas as was suggested. During the Author's inspections on March 6th and 7th, he examined those places; the stoppings had been

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