Salt Lake Telegram | 1927-02-04 | Page 24 | Gas Detecting Device for Mine Safety Shown

G s' s Detecting Device for Mine Safety Shown Demonstration by Prof E. E K Judd Is by Coal Mine Operators From Over t the e State I Coal mine operators and their from nearly every mine In ht the state were present Thursday at the chamber of commerce where Professor E. E N. N Judd and II H. C. C Stelling of the Union Carbide and Carbon corporation cor- cor assisted d by J. J K Mabbs of the Linde Air r Products corporation corporation corpora corpora- tion gave a practical demonstration of a new device Invented 11 Mr Ju Judd d for the detection of methane gas the coal miners miner's deadliest foe The demonstration was the re- re stilt of of former Governor Charles R n. Mabey after the Castle Gate I disaster when he brought the mine owners together in a concerted to prevent a repetition of such In the state A At t that time te a committee was appointed consisting of E. E O. O How Ilow- ard chairman Harold Fabian secretary and TJ I. F. F Rains vice president and general manager of the Columbia Steel company B. B P P. Manley l general manager ot of the Carbon Fuel company Bir Pelt Pett general manager of the Bingham Mines Iines company William Monday general manag manager r of the Kinty Coal company James mes J J. J Burke Burk president president dent o of the Burke Construction company R r. l l Ia Magraw raw formerly sUI superintendent t of of the United States Fuel yuel company John JohnH H H. Tonkin president of the Independent Inde- Inde pendent Coal and Coke company Ross noss Beason president of Ross Beason A Co A. A Steiner and Thomas Varley o the research de- de of the th-e United States bur bu- bu r 1 ADVA IN SCiENCE ADVANCE CE IN SCIENCE The committee employed Professor sor or Judd and his assistants who after two years of Intensive re- re rh produced the tras detector which eras as given Its first demonstration demon yesterday As a result of Ie he tests expertS expertS' believe it to bE bEthe bethe the greatest single advance in mine af ty devices since the invention i of oC the safety lamp by Sir Henry ray Pay more than a century ago alo The Tho Invented by Professor r Judd and his assistants el of a platinum platinum- filament a adry adry dry cell battery and a recording recording- dial so accurately tuned that It registers e the presence presence of less than 1 per cent of methane gas The platinum filament Is enCased encased en- en Cased In a quadruple layer 1 yer 1 of wire gauze and is mounted on a pole of sufficient length so th that t the fire b sj In the mine when he makes his rounds can elevate the filament filament fila- fila ment to the roof of the workings where the gas Is first usually found The platinum filament Is kept at glowing glowing- heat by the battery the principle of the device being that when wheel the filament comes In contact contact con con- tact with methane I gas s ture rises in proportion to to the Increased In- In creased percentage of gas with which it comes comes in In contact and this increase Is registered on the dial TIMELY WARNING Therefore Therefore as the fire boss passes through the mine In his search for this highly explosive gas he can cantelI cantell tell telI Instantly when he comes to a place where sufficient gas has collected collected col- col to prove menacing and can at once order all workmen to leave the mine a and seek safety until the lat ga has been has been removed mb by ventilation ventilation tion or other means Professor Judd told his healers Thursday that he has bas well under underway underway way a device which he believes will dissipate methane gas He did not describe this device excepting to say that it ft acts like a a. large vacuum cleaner Prof Professor Judd demonstrated the perfect safety o of his device Thursday Thursday Thurs Thurs- day by filling a glass jar with whit sufficient suf- suf methane to blo bloW y a section of the chamber chambel of commerce building to pieces and then Inserting the glowing platinum filament into it ft At thi this demonstration the dial registered reg- reg almost 8 per cent methane which It was said was probably t the e ht tI that at caused the the Castle CastleGate CastleGate I Gate disaster A committee consisting of S. S F. F Balli Jr A. A C. C Watts and L. L R. R Rains was appointed to make further further fur fur- ther Investigation of the methane detector under act actual al working con con- In Utah mines con j