Show BETTER LIGHT FOR MINERS A cressy morrison in iron age for several years acetylene has been used in miners lamps in prance france germany and belgium to a large and steadily increasing extent until at present it is used almost exclusively e in over mines mine s and by approximately men the light is satisfactory and saves nearly 50 per cent of the cost t giving 11 1 1 more and better light mining engineers have been more or less familiar with this fact but the introduction of acetylene into mines up to the last two years has been very slow in this country its use is now however comin coming to be re recognized co g nihed as an important advance and it promises shortly to replace all other means of mine illumination except in special cases it is seldom that an improvement in quality or advantage is accompanied by reduction in cost but the paradox is a reality in the case of acetylene candles which are largely used throughout our western mines remove seven times and kerosene five times as much oxygen as acetylene the products of combustion given off by candles are 10 times and from kerosene 9 times as much as that given off by acetylene the difference is therefore enormous the actual amount of illumination given by candles and kero sene segne is lessened by a very large percentage by the smoke and mist which so rapidly accumulate whereas all the light given by acetylene reaches the point to be illuminated without any interference whatever it has been found in actual experience that in entries which are 60 to 70 feet abeal of the air there is not the slightest part pari tide of smoke from an acetylene lamp and the entry is just as clear at the end of a shift as it is at the beginning an interesting thing about acetylene is s the tenacity of the flame it is not easily b blown out the rapid motion of the miner i will not cause it to flicker badly and it burns brilliantly in an atmosphere so foul E that candles fade and go out in fact acetylene will not deprive the miner cf light until the atmosphere is so bad it will not support life for underground surveying and mine inspection spec tion the use of acetylene is of great importance maps and records escape the usual accompaniment of grease and sri smudge ludge the acetylene flame is so small and clear that it affords an accurate point orl on which to sight instruments another use for acetylene in somewhat larger units is found where the rays are concentrated by a reflector in which case a brilliant illumination can be thrown into inaccessible places where distant bays backs caved places and other difficult id otherwise hidden parts of the mine can call be explored with convenience and in case of emergency without danger in actual practice it has been found that our ounces of calcium carbide at four cents per pound will give nearly 10 candle power clear illumination without for five hours one half pound or two cents worth will give the same illumination for ten hours candles in many parts of the country counting four candles to the ten hour day would cost five cents per day acetylene miners lamps are now frequently found in mines throughout the country pennsylvania new jersey and illinois leading though many other states are using the new light the greatest number used by any one concern in its mines is probably by the new jersey zinc company of new york which has adolte 1 acetylene illumination for all its mines the number of miners lamps in use in the mines of this company is about and it has been found in practical use that the saving is at least 2 cents per day for every miner the whole method of using acetylene is so simple and the lamps now in practical use are so satisfactory that the subject of better illumination in mines 13 worthy of the attention of every miner owner and engineer eng neer |