Show BEWARE OF BAD AIR IN OLD MINES ETC warning against entering any place where the air does not circulate unless one is first assured that it contains enough oxygen to support life is given by dr thomas T read safety service director of the bureau of mines department of commerce in commenting on the recent death of three persons dersons who entered a well near rockwood maryland to make repairs to the piping wells abandoned mines and other confined spaces where the air does not circulate may be filled with black damp and the incautious person who ventures into them may be asphyxiated asphyxia ted black damp is s a miners term for air that has become depleted of its oxygen and consists mainly of nitrogen and carbon dioxide it is not poisonous but being t heavier than ordinary air it lies in a confined space like so much water and a person who goes into it is as effectually cut off from the life supporting b oxygen as if chehad he had gone under water unless immediately rescued he will die as quickly as lie he would by drowning such accidents are much more common than is b generally supposed dr read continues not long ago one 0 of two men who were strolling near summerville alabama walked a few yards into the slope of an abandoned mine his companion saw him fall and instead of immediately trying to rescue him ran to a nearby house for help by the time help was obtained the man was dead last autumn a boy delivering bread for a bakery stopped at an abandoned mine mine near a highway between culbertson and froid montana and climbed down the he was over overcome conle by black damp another boy who tried to rescue him was also overcome and by the time help reached them both were dead many other similar cases might be cited such deaths could be avoided if people would not enter abandoned mines wells and such places unless they have ha some definite duty to perform there it is pointed out if it is necessary to enter a place of this description it is very ve y easy to test for the presence of black damp by lowering dwenn 3 lantern to the point poin t at which it is desired to go it if the lari la tern goes out black damp is present and should be removed demov 1 brella before entering in the case of a well an opened tim ambre can be used to bail it out like bailing water out it in a bucket or a current of air may be set up by any congenie con venie nt ingalls but do not enter until the lantern burns without flick flickering eri g after which it will be safe the observance of the these se simp precautions the bureau of mines considers would save sa a number of lives annually |