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Show NO LONGER DANGER IN SHOOTING COAL Electric Spark Helps Gas Save Miners' Lives. Ordinary soda-fountain gas and sparks of electricity may soon save hundreds of coal miners' lives by do lng tlie work of powder and dynamite In getting the nation's coal out of the ground. This harmless gas, so well known for the refreshing quality it Imparts Im-parts to various drinks, Is Just now making a favorable showing In n outhern Illinois mine of the J. K. Derlng Coal company at Eldorado, where, under experimental conditions, It is replacing dangerous explosives. I Nearly all of the 500,000 tons of coal mined In the United States nowadays Is loosened underground by shots of explosive planted in holes that have been drilled Into the coal "face." This dangerous factor in mining annually causes many deaths. In 1925, explosives explo-sives in mines were directly responsible responsi-ble for 89 fatalities and underground explosions of mine gas and coal dust ignited usually by flames from powder and dynamite shots fired in the coal killed 344 more, according to the United States bureau of mines. In addition to the element of danger, dan-ger, the old method of shooting coal slows down mining operations because be-cause most state laws prohibit firing of shots with men in a mine. This usually has meant that expensive loading load-ing machines capable of fast work have been compelled to stand around idle during parts of each day, waiting for the night's round of shots to loosen new tonnages. But during the latter part of November No-vember and the early days of December Decem-ber the mine at Eldorado, 111., has been proving out the new method. Carbonic acid gas, or C02, compressed Into small steel cylinders at about 2,000 pounds per square inch, has been slipped Into shot holes bored in the coal by swift electric drills and tamped tight. Wires leading from these cartridges are led off at a dis tance. They are touched to a mine trolley wire or otherwise supplied with electric current. The gas Inside the cartridges, heated by electricity, generates terrific expansive pressure and the wall of coal is suddenly blown down but without a flame. As much as 42 tons have been loosened by one cartridge. This kind of mine "shooting" is expected ex-pected to proceed at any hour of the day while men all through the workings work-ings go ahead safely with their labor. Electric loading machinery will thus have an opportunity to do its full service in getting out huge tonnages cheaply to reduce the cost of coal. |