Show MEANS QUICK I AID TO MINERS Inexpensive Individual Oxygen Generators of Value in Mine Accidents Individual oxygen generators each ca capable capable capable pable of sustaining the life of a man sur cur surrounded rounded by noxious gases or the deadly d firedamp for almost an hour will be sup supplied supplied supplied plied soon to all coal miners if expert experiments menu manIa now being conducted at ta the labor laboratory laboratory atory of the United States geological sur survey survey survey vey In the old arsenal grounds prove sue suc successful cea tul says 1188 the Pittsburg Of Officiate tidal in charge cha of the laboratory and tasting Ung station are of the opinion that an Inexpensive n lve oxygen oxy cen generator which ev cv every every ery miner could afford to own can be made and they expect in a short while to have practical models completed One HOne of the facts In relation to explosions explosions said so J A HoIm in charge of the laboratory yesterday Is that many of the fatalities do not Lint result from physical mangling or disruption but from the suffocation of the miner by in inhalation inhalation halation of gases cases which follow the ex cx explosion pIo Jon At the Wehrum mine It would seem a 8 number of fatalities were ere averted because as near as own there were appliances for producing oxygen which were brought into use In time to save life New Invention Not Costly Of or course cours ours I am cm not conversant with I the circumstances but the conditions ns warrant me ID lu saying that were oxygen available Immediately many lives would be saved in lii nearly all aU of ot the mine dis die disasters disasters asters Oxygen has only recently been used for this purpose and It has led to some interesting experiments which may prove of much value The generator of oxygen now In use Is la for rescue purposes It Is expensive It costs about 1030 1000 We Ve are experiment experimenting ing with ith an inexpensive apparatus that may be carried by the miner and which t in the event of an explosion can at once be placed to the mouth of the conscious miner who otherwise might be suffocated I by fumes fUmel giving him time to make malte his i way from the mine to the outer air Recent investigations here at the sta eta station station tion lead me to believe that such an ap apparatus apparatus apparatus can be manufactured at a cost nt n lt to exceed 1 or 2 and which can be bek k kept pt by the miner permanently with him hint himIn himIn In the mine and In ease case of an explosion or 01 of an excess of poisonous pol onous gas sas to walk to the t th f outer air even though the distance should bould be two or three miles How Oxygen Is Created Not by any aD intent of Professor Holmes tut lit by sheer accident a miniature of this really extraordinary invention was brought into the room where a representative representative representative of the tle Dispatch sat in conver conversation with tile the chief of cof the Ule station yes yesterday yesterday es It is I mainly the result of study by Clarence Claren e Hall hell an enthusiastic Investigator gator of the laboratory who with an as associate associate was the first to explore the mines at Marianna Marianne immediately after the ex cx explosion explosion which last lat November killed lit miners many of whom according to Mr Hall were suffocated and not killed by force of impact The miniature contrivance can be put into the pocket of or a miners coat A little upper reservoir contains water In Ina a larger lower reservoir is a small quan quantity quantity quantity of sodium peroxide Through a fine tine aperture drops of the water fall on the tile sodium peroxide and produce pure oxy oxygen oxygen oxygen gen which h Is filtered through a sponge i stopper Around the mouth of this con contrivance contrivance contrivance Is placed a oat coat which fits tits close clofe to the face of the miner Even Kven with this crude first instrument nt simple as a childs toy and with but a little water and a little sodium peroxide oxygen was pro produced produced produced for more than thirty minutes as aswall was wall shown Infallibly by b holding a match over the fumes the extinguIshment and rekindling of the flame from the tile faintest spark by b chemical combination of the th oxygen and ant the spark of fire on the match I I I Invention Open to All This miniature v was as made at an actual cost coet of about 40 c rents It ma may result in inthe Inthe inthe the saving of untold numbers of lives It cannot be patented as a It is the concep tion of an of the government It will be given for what it is worth to lo the miners of America and of the world At the Marianna Marlanna disaster the only man manof manof manof of IK who came alive aUve was wa one o e who had consciousness and ard intelligence to throw a coat over his mouth and an l get his breath without Inhaling the noxious fumes following the terrible explosion This lit little littie tie tle invention which ts Is not yet et christened would enable any conscious miner to shut shutout oct out all vapors from his lungs and take his hla own on time and strength to struggle to 10 the outer air inhaling nothing but pure oxygen Too Late to Determine Cause Professor Holmes Hohn s said aid Said yesterday it was impossible to decide after an explosion in a mine why that explosion occurred Catastrophes may be due to any anyone one of I many causes cause but It Is probable no scientific scientific knowledge and invention will for all tUne titus prevent explosions I Nature has baa her mysterious crevasses said sald Professor Prof Holmes Holm and no miner or operator or scientist can an tell at what mo me moment ment t one of them may lOa be opened by bv a blast admitting an inrush of explosive gases The only thing art can do Is af at ford the best beat appliances for the prevention of explosions bv by b reason of Ignorance or carelessness In the use of the modern ma machinery chinery for mining It is a matter of economy In these thes days day that the operators shall have bave all the best machinery that science can devise delse No o operator or miner desires an explosion But the Ignorance or nr carelessness of or the th miner the Inability of racial mixture of or miners to under understand understand understand stand the rules and laws make for mis takes and no device of science or ma machinery machinery chinery can prevent that |