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Show Keping Up UpWhiciene Whiciene Whicienev QnIer ciQnIer ci v e < Sclonco Sc1oncl Science ( Sorvloew.U Service Sorvloe rv1ce -w.U w.U - w WSU ' . . U serviceMine Service ServiceMine Mine Roof Cave-Ins Cave Ins CaveInsMay Cave-InsMay Cave InsMay - May Be Predicted PredictedNew Predictedby by New Nev , Instrument Instrunlent InstrumentMay nstrnment nstrnmentMay \ May l\Iay l Iay Mean l\Iean l Iean \ Prevention Preventionof of Future CatastrophesSTATE Catastrophes CatastrophesSTATE STATE COLLEGE , PA-A PA A PAA PAAnew PA -A A - Anew Anew new device to detect mine mme roof roofcavems roofcaveins rootcave-ms rootcave ms cave-ms cave ms cave-ins ins - and the type of disas disas- disaster disaster disaster - - ter which occurred recently at atMoose atMoose atMoose Moose River Rher Riser , , N . . S , , has been beendeveloped beendeveloped beendeveloped developed developedat at the Pennsylvama Pennsylvania PennsylvamaState PennsylvaniaState PennsylvaniaState State college here . The frantic and spectacular res res- rescue res- res rescue rescue - - cue efforts which saved the lives livesof livesof livesof of two men at Moose Klver River em emphaslze emphasize emphasize phaslze phasize anew the hazard which roof root roofcollapse rootcollapse rootcollapse collapse brings to mining operations opera opera- operations operations - tions and recalls the fact that 150 60 150per 60per 50per per cent of all deaths In well kept keptcommercial keptcommercial keptcommercial commercial coal mines occur from fromthis fromthis fromthis this source . . Dr . H . , Landsberg of the School Schoolof Schoolof Schoolof of Mineral Industries has found that thatIn thatin thatIn In all root roof cave-Ins cave Ins - - so far studied studieda a definite break occurs In the over over- overhead overhead overhead - head rock strata several hours be- be before before be before - - fore the final cave In takes place placeThe placeThe placeThe The shale and dirt , he found , sup sup- support support support - port the root roof for some time atter after atterthe afterthe afterthe the supporting rock roch has gone be beyond beyond beyond yond Its breaking point . . Detects Initial Break . The secret of success of Doctor DoctorLandberg's DoctorLandberg's DoctorLandberg's DoctorLandbergs Landberg's Landbergs ' device Is to detect the theInitial theinitial theInitial Initial break . , In time to warn the theworking theworking theworking working mineis mlnels . . His Instrument Is IscaUed iscalled Iscalled caUed called a com cone convergence ergence recorder . From FromIts Fromits FromIts Its use can be made predlctlOns predictions predlctlOnsmuch predictionsmuch predictionsmuch much like those a " weather "eather eather iieather man may maymake maymake maymake make after reading the barometer . . The apparatus consists of two twosteel twosteel twosteel steel tubes which slide inside one oneanother oneanother oneanother another like lI1.e lI1e . tlie the tubes on a trom trom- trombone trombone trombone - bone The sliding tubes are kept keptapart keptapart keptapart apart by a spring and are placed placedin placedin placedin in the mine so that one tube touches touchesthe touchesthe touchesthe the root roof and the other the floor ot of otthe ofthe ofthe the shaft A mo\ mo movement moement moiement \ ement as small as as1/100 as1 100 1/100 1 100 / of an Inch bet between " een root roof and andcelhng andceiling andcelling celhng ceiling can be detectedPredicts detectedPredicts detected detectedPredicts Predicts Time of Crash . . Following rolloIng rollowing rollo\\ rollo \ Ing the Initial Inlthl lnltlal breik bre'1k bre1k break ' , , Doc Doctor Doctor Doctor tor Lindsberg L'lndsberg Llndsberg Landsberg ' points out , the r'1tes r1tes rites r'1tesof ritesof ritesof ' of convergence of the roof and antI floor floorincrease floorincrease floorincrease increase rapl rapidly rapidli h until the tbe enUre entire enUremine entiremine entiremine mine roof collapses By Dy studying the therates therates therates rates of conveigence comelgence coniergence , the e enact enacttime exacttime act acttime time at which the Internal rock rockstructure rockstructure rockstructure structure was broken brol.en brolen . can C'ln Cln ' be detect detected detected detected ed and the hnal tInal final cave cwe In predictedrurther predictedfurther predicted predictedFurther Further rurther work ivork Is being done clone alopg along alopgtillS alongtins alongthis tillS tins line Jlne bv by both Doctor Landsbeig Landsbeigand Lan L'1n L1n ' lsbeigand sbClg sbClgand and the United States bureau of ofmInes ofmines ofmines mInes In an effort to establish a amore amore amore more definite relationslilp relatIonship bet between betweenthe betweentlie " een eenthe the rates of convergence of ot the roof roofand roofand roofand and floor of a mine , and the col col- collapse col- col collapse collapse - - lapse of ot the roof root structure . |