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{Front th Tnufwiioi)-' or' thi \orfi Srolifui Iiit/l/u/' of Sen tin , 
 Stssioil oj IS'.iii- .''/.) 
 
 \'I. — No'i'Ks ()\ SoMi: Kxi'LosioNs IN Nova Sco-iia Coal 
 Minks. — Hv E. CJihi'ix, Ju., hwpedor of Mines. 
 
 Tlic prc'seiicv of iiotalilc aiiioiiiits oJ" oas in tlu' Nova Scotia 
 coal mines seems to lia\c lieeii noticed first in Picton Co. Heie 
 mining operations wcic conunenccil systematically in l<S27 in 
 the main seam, from 28 to Mo feet in thicknes and dipjiinf^- at an 
 anide of about one in tlirec Tlu- v\.v\\ \ - kin<>s were from 
 shafts up to 150 feet in dc])tli. As decpfi- shafts wen- snid< the 
 hci<»ht of the woi'kin^' places, nine to twelve feet hiyh, was 
 increased to nearly the fnll height of the seam, Lar^e (jnanti- 
 ties of ^as were ^iven oti', and it was fiiMpiently ignited l)y shots. 
 Numerous explosions took place, until ahont the year IS7() all 
 these older workings wtie ahandoned and opei'ations in this 
 seam weiv confined to the Foid IMt shaft ahout !•()() feet dee}). 
 
 'i'he last of these fires took ]tlace in l.SliT. 'I'he eastern district 
 had been for some time <ii\in;Li' ofi"<;as which had <iccasionally 
 Iteen iirnite<l on li]astin<;' the coal, hut had hecn casiU- e\tin<!uish- 
 ed. On this occasion the <.;as took tire i-nion^^' the coal hroni^ht 
 down liy a shot, an<l the t'ti'oits mad, were not successful in 
 putting' it out. The coal cau^^'ht iiif ami the water of the Hast 
 river was turned into the pit. 
 
 When the Ford ]»it was sunk to the main seam an<l the lexcls 
 w<'re heini;' opened a shot tired (>as an<l i<jnite(| the coal and the 
 shaft had to lie closed for some time. 
 
 Tiiere remains hut little infoi'ination ahout these lires ;.nd 
 explosions, (ieiierally speakino'. the woi'kines weic dam]i. ex- 
 cept in sonu- of the working' places in the lowest deeps. The 
 ventilation. l>y furnace, with upcasts of ahout -SOO feet, was 
 not aide to sweep the huec chandlers in this thick coal, and 
 larne hodies of ^as constantly acciniinlati'd. It is proliaMe 
 that the imperfectness of the ventilation, hy allowing' vitiatetl 
 
(o>-^ ^ 
 
 r-- 
 
 KXi'LOSloNS IN NOVA SCOTIA COAI. MINKS— (ill, IMN. 
 
 ftir to mix with tli«j ^ms, reinlt')-t'<l it less cxploHive. It is stilted 
 tluit oil one occasion tlic cxuiiiitioii of <fas was so stcadv and 
 stron^f, that on rcniovin;;- it Ity a heavy fall of water, it fired at 
 the lioiler fires on the -urface some fifty f<'<.'t from the shaft. The 
 resulting fire was so strong as to practically fuse and destroy the 
 shaft. 
 
 In Cape Hretoii, up to this date, there had heeii a few slight 
 explosions hut n<» serious accidents. The Mines Report f( " 
 I.SDO, gives special rules in force in I'ictou County in l<S4()' 
 which show that the j»resence of gas in these mines was 
 I'egarded as constant. 
 
 One explosion Itefore I.S7(), in the Deep or Cage pit, was un- 
 douhtedly of gas only. It took place in the face of a level 
 which was wet foi- some distance hack fi<iiii the face. The ex- 
 |)losioii was local, and the tiiuher of the place and the man who 
 tii'ed the shot were hadly sliattere(|. 
 
 In 1<S78, at the Drumnioinl Colliery, Pietou County, a shot in 
 the hench coal set fire to a heavy fee(|er, Avhich could not he put 
 out, and the pit was set on fire and greatly damaged after a 
 series of luiusually heavy explosions. It is not helieved that 
 coal dust was greatly concerned in this explosion, as it is helieved 
 that the gas made hy the pit and the fire were enough to account 
 for all the explosions. Ahout fifty-five lives were lost. 
 
 May 21st, 1(S7<S, an explosion occurred at tlu! Sydney Colliery, 
 Cape Breton C'o., hy which six men were killed. ( !as was fire(l 
 at the fact! of a working place, hy a Jiarty of men, including the 
 overman, who were arranging to .start new work. The efl'ect of 
 tlie explosion was very slight at the seat of the explosion, lait 
 its effects Ijeiian to he fV'lt a few vards awav, and for .some dis- 
 tance the coal and ])rops were charred, and the latter knocked 
 out. 'I'he amount of gas pivsumal)ly must have heeii very small, 
 as there was a heatl within two feet of the face. The workings 
 wei'e dry and the roadways deep in dust. In this case there 
 appears to he -m) douht that the coal dust augmented the explo- 
 sion, which sent dust up the shaft at a distance of nearly 8,000 
 feet. 
 
 The coal of the Cape Breton coal Held presents tlie following 
 
 1 
 
EXPLOSION'S IN NOVA SCOTIA (OAI, MINES — (JlU'lV. 'A 
 
 averutfc fompositior, ^I'.-oui ;i |)a|H'r nvnl liy iiif at the Moiitro.il 
 iiieetiiii'- of tlio Hhcisli .-issocintioii) : 
 
 Moisture 0.75 
 
 Volatile eoiiilmstilile iimttei- .S7.2() 
 
 Fixeil ("irlioii O.S.74 
 
 Ash :{.25 
 
 * These eoals coke rea.lily, aii.l yii-M I'loiii .S,()()() to 1 1, ()()() cMil.ic 
 feet per toil of ilhiiniiiatin<^" <iHs of from 10 to Id eainlle power. 
 
 On N'o\ eiiilier 12th, ISSO, a very violent explosion took place 
 at the Kooril Pit, Alhioii Mines. Pict ni Co., referre<| to altoNc, 
 eausiiio' the loss of forty-ftair lives. The men ha<l desremled in 
 the morniiii'', and the greater nundier of tliose emploved on the 
 south side hail left the hottoiii, and presnmalily were M-atheriMl 
 at the head of the dip-slants ahout three-(piarters of a mile away 
 waiting' for their tools, when the explosion took place. These 
 <lip-sla:its are believed to have lieeii the seat of the explosion, 
 which, n'achin;,^ the levels, divided, part jnoin^' to the rise of the 
 upcast and part coming' <lirect to the main shafts, downcasts. 
 
 The tlu'f)ry was advanced that the shot tirer had tired a shot 
 in one of the places in these slants, which had heeii left hy the 
 out;H'(»in^' shaft, an<l that it had lighted nas. No exact account, 
 however, can he <<;iven, as no oiu; escapeil from that side of the 
 pit and it has not since been entere<|. There is a possiliillty that 
 some Mas had accumulated siiict' the examination of the foreman, 
 ami had heeii iouited hy some of the men ^'oiuf,*' into their places, 
 without waiting- for their tools, to loail coal, timher, etc., as the 
 time oave scant opportunity for the shot tirer to have Hred the 
 sli(»t. The mine was pidiKauict'cl that morning- free from ^as, 
 exce[)t in very small amotuits lyin^' away from the district in 
 which the explosion was lielieved to have orioinated. Fi'<an 
 W'liat source, then, started the series of ex](losions, heoinniiio- 
 within an hour from the time the mine was reported entirely 
 safe, and ctnitiiiuin<^' at intervals until the mine hecaiiie a furnace 
 whose flames could he sululued only hy emptying- into its hurii- 
 iii_o- chamhers the waters of an adjoininti- river. The locality 
 whei-e the men \\ . • believed to have been Mathere<l was alxait 
 
 ft« 
 
4 
 
 EXIM-OSIONS IN N'oVA SCOTlA COAI, MINES — fJIIJMN'. 
 
 1'2()() yards fVtMii tlic shaft, Itut only half that distance could ho 
 ti'averHL'd l)y the cxploi'tTS, wlio entered the ])it hetween the first 
 and second explosions. In this distance were found Itodies of 
 men and horses killeil I )y concussion or after-(hinn) : hut none 
 hore the mark of tiic, nor did tlie sph'ntei'iMl woodwoi'k show 
 any si^^^iis of chari'in;.:'. and the flames had not reached tins pai't 
 of the mine. The walls of the main level had heen swept cleai* 
 of tindtei' and of cNcry j)article of dust. N'olumes of coal «lust 
 liad lieeii diiveii into this section hy the hiast, and lay in wa\es 
 mid drifts, sometimes a foot thick, in the floor of the level. 
 
 It was found that little of this dust showed any simis of heat 
 or cokino'. Clouds of the finer particles had e\i<lently heen car- 
 ried aloni;- tin- main .-ind low lexcls past the shafts and into the 
 north levels. Here a lam]) cahin had heen huilt, in a hea<l l»e- 
 tween the two levels, a few yards from the pit hottom. There 
 was a secondaiy explosion liei-e demolishin<f the lamp caltin, 
 liui'uin^;' fatally the lam)) man, and the horses hetween the ca))in 
 and pit, and showint^- markings of fire, while in the opposite or 
 south side of the pit, as alread\- mentioned, then- were no sions 
 of the j)as.sa^'e of flame. 
 
 Secomlary ex])losions, caused hy ^enei-ated or extiacteil ;L;ases, 
 are usually in the vicinity of i)rimary exi)losioiis. Hut in this 
 case it ha<l apparently taken place at least om- half a mile frian 
 tlu* first I'Xplosion. with the intervening- spaces evidently unti'a 
 verseil hy ilame. and presumahly f)'er fi'om ^as, as they had heen 
 worked manv voars. The shaft an<l hotttnii were \ er\- wet, 
 hence the dust as it tiaiched the walls hecame imiocuous, hut the 
 fine (h'v particles of carhon were di'iven into the laniji cahin. 
 
 It hail heen the custom for years to keep a lar^'e ojien oil lioht 
 here, as the cahin was near the pit hottcan and in fiesh air. But 
 on this occasion it wouM a]>pear tliat i^-nition of coal dust caused 
 an explosion comparatively slinht in c<anparis(ai with the one 
 preceding' and those following it. It may have heen the case 
 that the air and dust v/ei'e intenninf^led with some gas distilled 
 bj' the iieat of the primaiy explosion, hut not exploded hy it. 
 
 The coal took fire presumahly near the fii'st explosion, and the 
 .shafts were saved only hv the most strenuous 'efforts and the 
 
 f 
 
 '/<^" 7 
 
KXI'I.osioNs IX NOVA scoTIA (OAI, minks— (i| LIMN. 5 
 
 intriMlnctlcn of watt-r from the Kast Kivcr. Tli,' main s.'um, us 
 \voi-k<'<l I.y the All»ioii, Anulia, and Druminond ( ollicrics, was 
 always ^mssy, and Lcoanir .Iry a short distance away fr(.m the 
 crop. It aiipeurs, also, that when shots ii^dited ^ms, or upon any 
 exi>losion, the coal i'^nited wvy readily. 
 
 The avera<,'e composition of the eoals of this district, taken 
 from the paper referretl to, is: 
 
 Moisture I 1 
 
 \ olatile cond)Ustil)le matter 2!U() 
 
 Fixed carlton dO (;;j 
 
 '^'^'^ !>.:{4 
 
 The coals are firm, and hold a ooihI ileal of mineral charcoal. 
 They are ovnei-ally coI<in<i, an<l yield fiom (),()()() to !»,()()() cuhic 
 feet per ton of 12 to 1.') candle-jiower ons. 
 
 Fehruaiy IN, iSSo, an explosion causing' the death of \:i men 
 took place in the Vale Collieiy, I'ictou County. It was claimed 
 hy the management that it was caused liy du.st alone from a 
 Mown otit shot. However, a wry careful enijuiry conducted l»v 
 the Deputy In.spector, Mr. Maddin, showecl that it was with more 
 prohaliility due to a .small hody of oas extended I.y dust. I nive 
 vei'hatim his report which was lia,sed on our careful examinntion 
 of the .seat of the explosion, a very full encjuirv, and the ovneral 
 con.sensus of opinion of tht» mo.st experienced mininneiioiucei's of 
 the di.strict. 
 
 "I was in Cumbei-laiid C'cauity at the time and arrive.l at 
 scene of disaster on the 12th, and remained foi- s(nne leiK-th of 
 time uive.stiortin^- the cause of the accident. 
 
 "On A])ril 'ith 1 went <lown the McBean seam to the point 
 where the men had lieeii workino- at the time of the explosion, 
 examined a hole at that point which was supposed to have lieen 
 tired on the nif^dit of the explosion, and which some of the 
 officials consider cau.sed the explo.sion. The cause of the explo- 
 sion at the Vale Colliery is a matter of dispute aimaijust expei-ts. 
 hut the most reasonaV>le .solution appears to he as follows: On 
 the west side of the slope, at 1800 feet level, were two (2) check 
 <lo»u-s, which, when shut, sent the ail- circulating- down tin- slope, 
 
6 
 
 EXI'LOHIOVS r\ NOVA S("(»TI.\ COAI, MINKS— (ill, IMX. 
 
 Itut it' opciUMl the air would rush tn tlic \Ji»cast. as an exhaust fan 
 iH Kituatt'd on that side an<l thus the lower jiait ol" niinc \V(»ul<l In- 
 cut ott" IVoni thf air eoniinunication which, if allowcil for anv 
 k'n<;th of time wouM undoulitcdly accumulate ^ois : from aj)i)CHr- 
 anccs I Would .jud^c this to hiivc tfanspircd ami /^as to have liccii 
 p'Ucratcd in the manner su)t])osed. ( ias then ha\ in<f lieen driven 
 <lown liy the restore<l action of the air was forced u)M)n Foley's 
 lamp, who was woi"kin<^' in a head ahout 100 feet from sinkin^^ 
 face. He was lnu'iieil almost to a crisj). whilst two-thirds of 
 the men lielow him had scarcely a sineed head. Whilst sinking-, 
 they drive heads east and west from hack slojtes, at intervals of 
 ahout (iO feet, at ri<ilit Mn<>les to slopes, which are cut a^ain at 
 the fact!, connn^f up the hill with shoots. Heads dri\en uji the 
 hill, oft' the air curicnt anv distance, and left stan(lin<>', will fill 
 with ^'as. 'i'his has heen an occurrence hefore the explosion, 
 and since, which would leail me to helieve that the air current 
 nmst have in some way heen tampe)"ed with, and the restored 
 Hction resulted as I have stated. In suppoi-t t)f this view I 
 W(aild say that the tind)ersin the slopes from the head in which 
 Foley worked " downward," that is, toward the sinking' face, 
 ^nive unmistakalile evidence that the explosion came fi'om aliove, 
 whilst the tiudier ahove this head pive like evidence that the 
 j^xplosion came fi-om helow, until it reached the 1(S00 feet level, 
 which is some 400 feet ahove the level : then it expanded east 
 and west, destroying" the check <loors on the levels, and showing 
 slif^dit sioiis of the explosion for a distance of "200 or 800 feet 
 in the levels inside the doors, which wei'e from 70 to 100 feet off' 
 the slope. The stoppini^^s hetween the main slope and hack . 
 slopes from the level up to the 1800 feet level were hlown down. 
 Stranm; to sav, the first check door at 1800 feet level, on west 
 side, was found .standin<i' ojjcu, whilst the inside dooi- was de- 
 stroyed. At this point there were men employed taking' tind)er 
 from the slope to some point inside of the dooi's. The explosi(ai 
 liad gone in this level a distance ol not more than 200 (.]• 800 
 feet. The stoppings from 1800 feet level to mouth of slop',' were 
 Itlown down, and tindter and del iris were strewed in a confused 
 way all thnaigh the slope. " 
 
 f 
 
/ 
 
 KXI'LO.SIUXS IN NOVA SCOTIA ro.\l, MINKs — «ilI,|MX. 7 
 
 The force of tlic explosion seeiii.M to linve lit'uii spiviul over the 
 lucfi I li.ive nieiitioiiecl, viz.: on the niuiii slope aii<l hack slopes, 
 luid e.\teiiilin<; east ami west frctni main slope ailistance of fiuni 
 2C() to '){){) feet, o\-er wliieh area the tinilier was in many eases 
 hlown ilown anil falls of roof took i/laee, whilst the working 
 taces o)i east and west side of pit were fiee from any ajipearance 
 of explosion and in as ^'ood ordei- after as Itefoi-e. 
 
 After the mine resumed work and the vvatei- was extracted, 
 a hole was discovered at the woikin<4; face of the sinking-. 'I'lic 
 evidence lirou<;lit to show that this hole was Hreil, hefol-e the 
 explosion, di<l n«»t aj)pear conclusive. 
 
 On .January lo, 1,S,S7, an exj)losion took place at the Third 
 Seam woi'kiiijus, Stellarton, I'ictou Co., fortunately unaccompa- 
 nied Ity lo.ss of life. This explosion, which was considered one 
 of the most violent evei- known, was accompanied hy unusual 
 circumstances. 
 
 Preparations were made for lieyinriiiii^' a sloj)e in the ('a<«-e 
 Pit or J)eep Seam to the lise of the old shaft, to strike an 
 old balance near the east level workings, in order to win the coal 
 to the nortlieast of the piesent workinos. Tlds project inifoitu- 
 nately was pre\ented hy the discovei-y that the tire in- the west 
 rise workinjLfs of the Caoe Pit was not extin^'ui.^hed. The tiiv 
 had heen huilt oft', J think, in IS72, and it was helieved hy the 
 management to he (piite out, especially as the tii-e in the same 
 mine, caused hy tlu' Foord Pit ex])losion, was found to he out 
 when the mine was iv-eiitered. J)ui-inn' the summei-, jnii't of the 
 pillars in a halance in the Thirtl Seam workin^rs inidei- the Cn"V 
 Pit seam had heen drawn, the fall of the roof extended uj) to 
 it, and stythe came into the Third Seam workings. TIk- lialance 
 was i.solated hy .stoppin<>-s, and at the do.se of the yeai- no trouhle 
 was anticipated. In the he<^innin^ of this year, however, tire 
 hroke out in the Third Seam with threat violence, destroying' the 
 hank-head and necessitating- the closing' of the mine. 
 
 The extraction of pillars in the lower seam had hroken the 
 roof up to the overlyino- or .second .seam. As stythe came down 
 the panel or hack-halance in which the i)illars had heen diawn 
 was built oft' as raj)i<lly as possible. Foi- about a m<aith everv- 
 
KXI'I.ONluNS IN NOVA SCOIIA (t»\l, MINKS tilM'IN. 
 
 thin;,' Hppcarril tt> lir all ri^jfht, and the tcni|n'ratur(' <»t' tlu' jianri 
 IcHscnrd. TlicM, one Sundax' inorniu';', sniokf was found in the 
 rt'tnrn, and slimtlv after a innst tcrritic i-xjilosjon uccunt'd, wldcli 
 \V)-t'cI<i'd the slopes and set fire to tlie liaid\diead, wincli was 
 destroyed in a very short tinie. 'I'he innnediate origin of this 
 tire JH iniknovvn, lait it is conjectured that a fall of loof had 
 hroken one of th" stojjpines, and the a<lniission of fresh air ha<l 
 caused the i<,Miitioji of e-as slowly ilistilled from the heated shales, 
 etc. I'resunial»l\-, the explosion was heiehtencfl in its etiects hv 
 dust, althoUifh tin- mine woidd not he clas,sed as dusty. 
 
 I append tlie following;' fiom my rejiort on the explosion at 
 Sjirinehill Kehruary 'ilst, |S!l|. (See Report of Mines |)epait- 
 ment, year iSiM). ) 
 
 In the N'o, 7 lialance when the lioi'ds were Hrst started, tlu' coal 
 was woiked to its full heie'ht, havin;;' a heneli of aliout 4 feet, 
 then a stone hand, and aho\e that ahout 'i feet of coal. After 
 the l)or<ls were driven in ;} short ilistance, the fall coal and stone 
 was left in and the liench oidy was wca-ked. This coal was not 
 Worked with powder, hut as the face advanced it was ncccssaiy 
 to hlow down frcan 12 to IM inches of the stone, to make I'oom 
 for the tuhs to e-ct near enoueh to the face to pei'init of their 
 Iteino- loadeil with coal. The stone was 'ilown down in the low 
 si(le of the hords, ovei' the rails, and stowed in the hieh side. 
 A row of plops alone- the mi<ldle of the hords held the rest of the 
 stone up. There was conse(piently little shot-firin<;' done in the 
 halance workines. The stone is ahout two feet thick, a coarse 
 sandstone, with streaks of coal sometimes '2 inches thick. It 
 was shown in i'\ idence that usually the holes for the shots in the 
 stone were hored in the coal streaks arid were in some cuseH 
 partly in stone ami partly in coal. 
 
 It was shown that on the day of the explosion a shot was to 
 he Hi'eil in this stone in the No. -l hord in No. 7 halanct-, an<l that 
 Thos. Wilson, the shot tirer, left the hottom of the sloi)e ahout a 
 quarter past twelve o'clock, savin;;' he had to eo to No. 7 halance. 
 'I'he explosiiai occuri'ed shortly hefore one o'clock, a time havin;;' 
 elapsed in the opinion of the witnesses sufficient to have allowed 
 him to reach tliis point, tt) luive made tlie necessary preparations, 
 
 » I 
 
EXI'LMSKiNs l\ NOVA scuTIA < uAI, MINKS- «!||, IMS'. 
 
 f) 
 
 ,f 
 
 ih 
 
 mill tnliiivr tilt'il tilt' sliot. His liuily was ruiiinl, with tlinsc of 
 tln' iiit'ii Winking' ill tin- liur<l, lU'iir tin- t-iitiaiK-f t<» tlif idarc. 
 Tlic sli(»t in tli«' stniic hail licni tirfil. This, couplftl with the 
 • lircctimi <»! tlir cuiirsc ol' tjic cspjitsioii, shownl with rcasniialih' 
 certainty that it haij its nriifin in thr ImhiI, ainl tliat thr shot 
 lirt'il liy Wilson was tin- ilirt'ct cause of tin- cxplosiiai. 
 
 The Mu,iii,n'stii»ii was iiiaile \>y Mr. Mailden, the Di'j.iity Inspec- 
 tor, who was at haii«' at the time of the ex)t|osinii, anW reinleieii 
 valualile aid to the rescuiii;;' ami explorine' parti<'s, that the 
 iinmeiliate seat of the explosion was to he soU(,''ht in the stone 
 itself. After exaniinin;;' the huiil in ipiestion with him, I am of 
 opinion that his su<;<,'estion offers the readiest explanation of the 
 source of the catastrophe. 
 
 The liord is 14 feet wide, and the stone is carried liy a row of 
 |)rops in the middle. These j)rops were set liy the miiers as they 
 advanced the face, to hold the stone, which was not of a specially 
 stronj'' character, conseiiuentlv, as the stone was not Mown ilown 
 
 O I • 
 
 until it hecanie trouMesonie to move the tnhs, there were always 
 props alon^ the side of the shots, and lietweeii the shots and the 
 face. The ert'cet of these pi-ops was to ])artly conriiie the shots to 
 the low side of the hoi'd. 
 
 As the stone was in layers, and had streaks of coal in' it ex- 
 aniinatiiai showed that it was moie or less fissures across the 
 liord, and huni^- on the props, the natural effect of the shots hein;;; 
 to lilow in alon^' the layers, to comj)re.ss the props and to cause 
 the stone to liao- between the pntps and the hi^h side. 'I'hat this 
 effect was pi-oduced is shown liy the fact that laree ipiantities of 
 this stone fell in the workin<,js of Xo. 7 halance, the props liein<i; 
 knocked out hy the explosion, although Xi'vy short, and partly 
 supporti'<l hy the stone stowed in the hiyh side. The hole that 
 was tired in No. .S liord was, so far as could he estimated, from 2 
 feet !) inches to '.i feet lon;^'. The end of the h<»le was in stone. 
 The charge of powiler api)eareil to have tilled IS inches of the 
 hole. The shot threw down almut ,' of the stone it was designed 
 to dislodoe, and left the halauce split hy the heel of the shot, a!id 
 a prop near the Itack of the hole. There was a lype in the stone 
 
10 
 
 EXPLOSION'S IX XOVA SCOTIA coAI. MIXES — fMM'IX. 
 
 on the low side of tlu' lioi'W, wliicli iiiay Iiunc Ik'IjxmI to k'ssi'ii 
 the desired efi'ect of the sliot. 
 
 The weight of evidence Hi)iiefired to he that there hail hoeii an 
 overeharij'e of powdci'. 
 
 It would appear that the expansion of the layers of the st(»ne 
 afforded space foi' the accumulation of ^as, which would not he 
 readilv ilislodi-ed l»v the air curi'cnt., and there was an unusual 
 opportunity for accumulation, owinti;- to the fact that the pit was 
 idle the preceding- day. That the shot ^ave evidence of having- 
 been a more or less flamino- ()iu' : that it itfnited the tras lodged 
 in the I'oof stone: that this conihination of ^'as and powder 
 flame acting' on an atmosphere charged with a small percentaffe 
 <<f oas and fine floatin<i' dust derived from the lowei' hords, 
 caused an intense Hame sufficient to propa^-ate itself until it 
 reached an intensely explosive state and self supporting, swept 
 the two balances and the adjacent levels. 
 
 The evidence of Enoch Cox, who worked in No. 1 liord,outhe 
 same balance, supports this view. He testified that some time 
 previous to the explosion a shot was Hred in this stone, tluit 
 filled his working- place with flame, and io^nited the ^as in the 
 stone, so that it reipiired soi'ie eftoi't to extinouish it. It is fair 
 to state that the management <leclare they never heard of this, 
 and that it was never reported to them. 
 
 The effect of dust and ^as are referred to therein. This is one 
 of the few explosions that have happened on this side of tlie 
 Atlantic, wliere an opportunity has offered lor an exact identi- 
 fication of the startino- point and for ; .» examination into the 
 results produced. The testimony thus withered a])pears to agree 
 closely with the results of prexious encpiiries in this direction in 
 Nova Scotia, and is to the effect that as yet no explcsioi) here 
 can be traced directly to coal dust fired by powder or by an 
 open light. In this connection the evidence given at Spi-inohiH 
 (see Mines Report, IS!I0) seems to show that when flaming' shots 
 took place, both dust and gas were present. 
 
 The Springhill coal in character resembles that of Pictou, hut 
 is, perhaps, most properly described as intermediate between the 
 Cape Breton and Pictou County coals. It is coking-, and yields 
 
EXI'LO.SIOX.S IX NOVA SCOTIA COAL MIXES — GILFIX. 
 
 II 
 
 fair aimmnts of illuininatin^' fjas. The average comjiositioii is 
 aliout — 
 
 Moistxirt' 
 
 \'iilatile C'Oinlmstililt' iiiatti' 
 
 Fixed carltoii 
 
 Ash 
 
 1 .4() 
 
 5!).:io 
 5.50 
 
 111 coiK'hisioii, I may sav t\\nt tlio uiiiu's hore are as a rule 
 carefully worked, — that individual or insioiiiticant i^'uitions of 
 mis are rare: that the amounts of yas now visible in the mines 
 are (|uite small in comparison with the amounts allowed twenty 
 years a^(»: that during this period great im])rovements have 
 heen made in the amounts of air circulatino', and that it niav be 
 tlie increase in the velocity of the air cui'rents and the lai-gei- 
 auKaints of air now nuxed with the gas, and the greater move- 
 ment of dust, combine to render explosions nioi'e violent in Nova 
 Scotia than the\' were thirtv vears aj-o, when larae bodies of lias 
 were connnon in the nnnes, l)ut existing as diluted greatly with 
 deoxidised air and the products of combustion and l)i"eathing. 
 
 When the nundjer of shots tired in mines dusty niid yieldini"' 
 gas is considered, an<l tiie vai'iety of explosions or ignitions of 
 dust or gas is remend»ei'ed, in coiuiection with the fi"e(|Uent 
 malignity of explosions when they do occur, it nisiy be permitted 
 to s])eculate if there niay not exist certain conditions (a])plying 
 to gases) rendering the inception and ])i'opagation of explosions 
 more read}' at one time than another. To the uninfoinied mind 
 it certainly appears that in (au' dusty and gassy mines there 
 sluadd be nu)re frefjuent explosions when the nundter of shots 
 tired is considered. 
 
 If any means could be assioiied for an increased leadiness for 
 dust particles or gas to ignite at one time more than another, 
 ground might be given for exjieriment. When the existence in 
 mines is noted of tracts of dry and dusty woikings, alternating 
 with others dampeneil with moistui'e, it may not be imjjossible 
 for electrically induced conditions to lie set up in a diy district, 
 as influenced by the neighborhood of a danij) and bi-ttei' con- 
 ductinp' tract, that may at times ))rese!:t unusually fuNorable 
 
 O t 1 ft 
 
 'mm 
 
-•>^ 
 
 12 
 
 EXPLOSION'S I\ NOVA SCOTIA COAL MINES — (ilLlMN. 
 
 comlitioJis for ready ignition oi" ous niul prompt distillution of 
 coal dust, !Uid uii cMjUfilly prompt propaoution of the induced 
 explosions. 
 
 In tliis connection the following remarks on Kxplosions in 
 Dynamite Factories, from Kissler's work on modern explosives, 
 are oi' interest : — 
 
 ■ iJXI'LOSIVES l/l'E TO EXTERNAL CAISES. 
 
 " Mr. L. J. L(;Conte holds that dynamite cata.strophies ai'e in- 
 timat^ly associated with electric phenomena. He has for the 
 past ten years noted the circumstances attendino' the accidental 
 explosions which so frequently occur on the Pacific Coast of 
 North America, and he has found that, with the excejition of 
 such as occur durin(>" thunderstorms, the explosions take ))lace 
 duriuf;' the violent, desiccatino, noi'th wind stoiiiis [leculiai' to 
 the winter and . pring months in California, Imt occasionally 
 happening- in midsunnner 
 
 " These winds, it must lie remend)ered, have a velocitv^ of 50 
 
 ' t, 
 
 miles per houi', and a relative humidity of about 20 percent., hut 
 frequently as low as lo per cent., tluaigh seldom as low as 5 ]ier 
 cent. l)urin<4' the jirevalence of the winds a ])rodi<^ious amount 
 of electi'icity is develo]ie(l l»y the fi'iction of clothing', I'specifdly 
 when walkino- aiiainst the wind. One can thus easily <!enerate a 
 spark half an inch long. The phenomenon is also sti'ongly 
 marked in hoi'ses at work, the electricity causing their manes 
 and tails to Iiristle to ;i remarkable extent. Mr. LeConte finds 
 in th> electricity the exciting cause of these ex])I()sions, and in 
 the dust that prevails in the work, the medium tlu'ough which 
 explosion is itro])agate(l, a tlust explosion always preceding the 
 explosion of till' mass of powder. 
 
 "The explosions occur on the thii'd or fourth day of the storm. 
 
 "To test the theory, he nuule f<air predictions in 1(S<S2 and 
 iScS.S, and in each case an explosion of considerable magnitude 
 occurred. To guard against these accidents, he suggests the use 
 of steam jets, such as have been so successfully a])plied in cotton 
 and Hour mills, and in coal mines. 
 
 "As explosions during thunderstorms are caused l»y the retm-n 
 
EXPLOSIONS |\ NOVA S('(»TIA ((.Ai, MINKS — (JIIJMN. 
 
 i:} 
 
 shock, it sliouM 1)1- a t"un<laiiK'iitjil |trrc'ailti<tii that all ^ooil coii- 
 (luctors of I'li't'trieitv I't' l)rohil»ittMl from ciitt'iiiiij' anv ImiMiiii'' 
 where explosives are stored or iiiannfactureil : and it would he a 
 wholesome rule not to alloM- such coiiductoi's to he anywhere neai- 
 the ]>remises." 
 
 'm»fi.