Show RESCUE WORK IN MINES Consul sui Maxwell BI Blake k of Dunfermline line reviews the tho pro progress re being made for safer mining methods metho s in Great Groat Britain Brit Brit- ain nin as well as tS the continent as us follows fol ml lows Since the colliery explosions ions at Cour- Cour r and the more moro recent disasters in iii tho the United Unite States and elsewhere a public pub pub- lic lie demand has hns been awakened for somo kind of organized rescue work york in a connection con con- with mines which is now attracting attracting at at- tho the operative co-operative aid of collier comer owners and expert engineers through throughout lJ out ED England I an and Scotland In Austria Austrin and aud Franco France the tho provision pro of rescue apparatus iu in mines mines is made marle compulsory In Germany it is optional but hut has hos been voluntarily adopted opted l In InI Russia Bussin where over O tifty lifty men aro are employed em cia- I in ono one mine it is provided provider that every colliery must have havo a rescue corps trained to work in gases ases that the tho the number of f men in iu I each corps must be equivalent to 4 J 4 per perI perc percent c cent nt of those engaged in the largest I pit or shaft work I and that the I number of completely c equipped sots sets of breathing apparatus at each colliery must not be bo less than three The British royal commission on ac accidents ac ac- in mines which sat last year reported upon the tho subject of rescue rescue app apparatus apparatus ap ap- ap- ap p as follows Wo 4 Y have considered whether r it I would be desirable to make provision ision of an any rescue appliances compulsory and we have come to the tho conclusion n that sufficient advance has n not t. t been made mado in this country countr to justify such a course courso at present Types of Apparatus I i I I I The rhe breathing appliances ref referred to toi have ha been too frequently des described of late in mining aiming and scientific journals to ren render er complete description here nee nee- essary The is worn about the chest and is fai said eaid to be DC trustworthy trustworthy trust trust- I worthy for about two hours hour In this thi appliance ap ap- ap- ap the expired air passes through h chemical compartments by which h it is re regenerated and breathed o 0 a again ain It is ill adapted for laborious exertion I however er the thc helmet appliance being preferable under such stich circumstances inces t I d This apparatus is s operated on tho the saino famo I principle as the diving helin helmet the air nir bein being supplied through flexible tubes b by means of pumps The helmet like like- I I wise is IS said to pos possess ess impractical features fea- fea features tures as its use lIse is unsafe for any dis dis- j I tance yards from fresh sir air In InI I addition to these there is the tho We Weg I the tho Draeger and the Shamrock i C all diff differing more in tiei tie tie- i I tail than titan in principle The Tho desired requirements for an ef effective effective ef- ef I e rescue a apparatus may be summarized as follows Li Lightness of I weight a sufficiently dependable supply supply sup sup- pI ply of oxy oxygen en an e chemical absorbent of ot o 02 reliable air ti tightness tightness tight tight- ht ness nese of construction and convenience I of structure It is not claimed that so M far there is aD any aDone one appliance on the market combining ng all of these fea Lea I tures Rescue Organization I What is of quito as much importance to the success of rescue work Wo as the breathing appliance is the trained rescue res 1 cue corps In both England and Scotland Scotland Scot Scot- land several rescue stations have ha been or organized in connection with experimental expert expert- mental galleries aller es devised de for the purpose of training colliers in the methods of effective rescue work in in the event e of explosions pit fires and all other underground un Un- der round accidents A number of men are exclusively identified with each central station and by numerical rotation rotation ro roo ro- ro tation instructions are given to the surrounding colliers coWers nil all of whom in times of emergency thus become available available avail avail- able for intelligent rescue assistance The colliers comers lend themselves Cs to these exercises 8 with much willingness ness and considerable con con- rivalry exists anlon among them for the tho honors at the public exhibitions which are- are frequently arrange arranged There is also alo now under way in this district the construction of a mining collE college e as the tho desirability of offering the tho working miner opportunities for fora a more intelligent knowledge of his work has lon long been felt of or ec economic importance In In connection with the minin mining college colleg there will also be a conva convalescent home nome home and a hospital corps devoted to ambulance work Recommendations Recommendations offered the Cla ClacK ClacK- k Coal Owners' Owners association by their commission upon rescue stations embrace both exhaustive inquiry and personal investigation and contain suggestions sug sug- of practical minin mining en engineers and experts and should be of much value to all those in in this thie important im ira- subject It is IB advised that a certain station be equipped with a sufficient sufficient suf suf- number of re rescue C apparatus kept constantly ready for use as well as nt at least fl five c appliances at each separate colliery within the district of the central central cen cen- station that telephonic communications communications be directly established with these outlying collieries that at least thirty men inca in each colliery nil alt of whom thoro 1 thoroughly thorough bly know the mine be re regularly instructed in the use of ot the various p-p p appliances c provided pro that the tho central station should be in in char charge e of only expert ex cx- pert operators The Tho cost of the station exclusive o of oC apparatus is estimated at and andall an nit additional 1500 per annum for up up- keep As men inca generally live for fora a considerable con time timo after an explosion the use of tho breathing apparatus may mar aid aidin in restoring in-restoring ventilation and thereby be bethe bethe bethe the means of saving those who would otherwise become the victims of after aCter damp clamp As the various arious rescue apparatus i is undergoing very rapid improvement it iti itis itis is i ito to be hoped that the cia day is ia not far distant when mining will be carried on I of life with comparative c safety I |