Precautions in using safety lamps_.

Internal igniters for safety lamps_.

Publications on mine accidents and methods of mining_

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ILLUSTRATIONS.

FIGURE 1. Davy lamp, unbonneted_.

2. Clanny lamp, unbonneted_

3. A recent pattern, oil-burning safety lamp, bonneted__

4. A recent pattern, naphtha-burning safety lamp, bonneted___

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First edition. June, 1913.

4567

THE USE AND CARE OF MINERS' SAFETY LAMPS.

By JAMES W. PAUL.

INTRODUCTION.

Safety lamps that were defective or were not properly cared for have caused a number of accidents in foreign coal mines. Many miners in the coal mines in this country have been burned with the flame of gas (methane) that was lit by opening a safety lamp or by not using the lamp properly.

Safety lamps from which the gauze had been removed have been found in the hands of inexperienced or careless men in gaseous mines. And no doubt many mine disasters have been prevented by discovering such ignorant use of safety lamps and warning the men so carelessly inviting injury or death.

Defects in miners' safety lamps caused at least two disasters in this country in 1912. The lamps were of the modern type, burned naphtha or gasoline, and had a double gauze, a shield, and a glass globe. In each disaster a safety lamp ignited gas within a mine. In one case 12 lives were lost, and in the other case several men were severely burned.

The first of the two disasters resulted from the parts of a lamp not being properly assembled. The top asbestos gasket was doubled on itself, so that a part of the glass did not touch the gasket and an open space was left between the top of the glass and the gauze. When this lamp with the gasket doubled back was lighted and placed in an explosive mixture of gas and air, the gas within the lamp flamed and ignited the gas outside the lamp.

The second disaster was caused by a safety lamp that had not been properly assembled. In assembling this lamp the pull bar that works the scratcher for igniting the tape had been left out. This lamp when lighted and placed in an explosive mixture of air and gas ignited the gas outside the lamp.

Miners' safety lamps with the pull bar removed have been found in use in a number of gaseous mines. To use a lamp in this condition in a gaseous mine is very dangerous, because the lamp is then no safer than an open-flame lamp.

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