1938-05-19 — Page 18

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, THURSDAY, MAY 19, 1938,

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The

Hongkong Telegraph.

Thursday, May 10, 1938.

WRONG TURNING

Yesterday was the anniver-

of snry

the first world movement for the preservation of peace. Nations met at the Hague in 1889 at the close of century distinguished by several first class slaughters and tried to concoct some sort of scheme whereby civilisation might be preserved from such horrors as the Crimean and Franco-Prussian wars. Well within a half century these same nations were to see wars more terrible and conquests! [more brutal than anything over: before experienced. It almost seemed that the powers of evil were stimulated by the pence- suckers, Long before the dreadful days of 1914-18, the century had echoed to the crash of guns. There had been a war in South Africa, another in the them go swiftly. For them came the Balkans, and probably other little affairs buried under the debris of history and forgotten in the chaos which followed them so swiftly. For then came the greatest war of all, and out of the mud and blood rose the

It always takes a major mine disaster to draw public attention

to the terrible risks run by mine- workers.

Then, once the first shock dics down, people cease to ask what can be dono to reduce those risks.

Until we got publio ownership of the mines, unnecessary risks will con- tinue; but there are safety measures which could and should be enforced at oner.

These are explained below by Mr.Will Lawther (Durham Miners' Associa tion), vice-president of the Mine- workers' Federation of Great Britain and a member of the Trades Unlon Congress General Council.

STOP

These

AVOIDABLE

E

in

coal

XPLOSIONS mines may be caused by many things, and many different measures are, therefore, needed if they are to be averted. But it must be evi- dent to many people that one of the greatest causes of these all too frequent disasters is the use of explosives.

Big explosions involving heavy loss of life arouse public sympathy and concern; yet it must be added that never in the history of conl mining have there been so many small ex- plosions as in recent years.

These would have been much larger, resulting in greater loss of life, lind it not been for the excellent methods employed by mine managers to render coal dust harmless and the better and easier systems of ventila- tion.

Yet the question remains, why should nny explosions

occur?

Son

OME people think at once of electricity, the use of which has been considerably extended in min ing, when such awful calami- tles take place as that in York- shire.

One hears anew strong views on the dangers attaching to the use of electrical machinery in mines.

There is foundation in this.

Badly applied electrical trans- mission is a serious peril.

Let us not overlook the fact, however, that in every known case where electricity is now

permanent peace structure of world, crushing out all chivalry, Į

1

blood

back-

con-

Pit Deaths

This collier la undercutting the coal face with a pick. A shot may then be fred to drive the coal down into the space which he has cleared.

by WILL LAWTHER

used the explosions have been very small, because they have been confined to small places.

I regard the use of explosives, of which little or nothing is said at these times, as a much greater source of danger.

It is a well-known fact that many collleries, on the score of safety, employ no other power than compressed air for driving their underground, machinery; yet these collleries also destroy this safety factor by the use of high explosives.

During the last few years other means for breaking down the coal have been successfully adapted-methods by which no explosion takes place.

These include a system which embodies the use of carbon dioxide.

Unfortunately, the change- over to such newer methods brings us up against vested in- terests, the explosive manufac- turers, who still tell the outside world that the use of explosives is safer.

They urge us to pin our faith to high explosives. Much is said in support of these in their. sheathed form. These are simply mixtures of nitro-am- monia, nitro-glycerine, saw- dust and moisture in various

on

percentages, with

outer covering of bi-carbonate ΟΙ soda, or some other mixture for killing flame.

But before this mixture can

be completely changed into its gaseous form at high tempera- tures and pressures it has to be Το subjected to detonation. obtain this detonation, the cartridge is either opened or punctured with a small piece of wood.

When this is duno, the out- side sheathing is rendered use- less, because it Immediately 'allows the interior of the eart- ridge to become exposed to the outer atmosphere,

T

HIE atmosphere, in a shot-hole, may be an explosive mixture con- taining 7 to 8 per cent. of CH4 (carburetted hydrogen), which cannot be detected on the safety lamp because this lamp cannot be pushed to the back of the shot-hole.

Furthermore, the coal may be broken from the back of the shot-holo to the back side of the "under-cut" made by the cutting machine, and the gases

By LichtyTM

may be percolating through from the "under-cut."

Thus it is evident that wo may have an undetected explo- sive mixture in the run where the shot is being fired.

It is folly, therefore, to claim that the modern explosive 18 safe, and especially foolish to sug- gest that it is safer than other systems in which no explosion takes place.

A

*

NOTHER point which must not be forgotten

plication of sheathed explosives dependa upon the human element. The carbon dioxide system-was adopted in certain plis in the Inst two years, and the result was good from the safety point of view.

use

It is significant that after the of that system was stopped three explosions took place in those pits, and it was proved con- clusively that the use of high ex- plosives, both sheathed and un- sheathed, was the cause.

Defenders of high explosives bo- come eloquent, about the small amount of fumes which may be given off from carbon dioxide used in shells.

But they take particular care to make no mention of the number of men partially poisoned by the fumes from high explosives.

Nor do they say anything about the deaths, attributed to paeu- monia, when the victims really loso their lives through gas poisoning from the use of high explosives in narrow places where the tempera- tures vary from 87deg. to Ozdeg. Fahrenheit.

수

S

| HOT-FIRING, of course, is not the only cause of explosions. They may occur from the fact that gob Ares may be cmouldering in the gobs (waste material packed between. the roadways) while gas-which is CH4 (carburetfed hydrogen)—is near by.

There may also be danger from large outbursts of gas from virgin. areas, though these can be safely dealt with in our present mining systems.

Again, ammail outbursts of gas may form an explosive mixture, due to insufficient ventilation, bad roads in the various districts, and too few "aplits."

A mine which is efficiently venti- lated has "aplits into districts, with defined barriers left between; and this would confine explosions to small districts.

There is added 'poril to-day in the fact that these methods which were laid down by well-known mining engineers are becoming more or less neglected, with the new bystoma of extracting coal quickly by machinery,

the League of Nations. And the decency and humanity in human GRIN AND BEAR IT world hoped, or pretended to, nature." During the Crimean that wars would be ended. The War, Russia, "the most Age of Righteousness was at ward nation in Europe, con- hand.

tinued to pay the interest on its To-day the League stands foreign loans to the very nations it was fighting against," he helpless and abandoned. In the

"This was not past few years there has been goes on.

sidered at the time anything a glorious 'spectacle of progress; scientific progress which has extraordinary. The idea never led to the "spraying of mustard seems to have occurred that a nation at war was justified in gas"

the on Ethiopians, BS

breaking its pledges." And he Bishop of Chelmsford writes.

draws a comparison with the Then

civil war in came the Spain, and open intervention by attitude of modern nations to their pledges and treaties. three powers, and flowed in Europe, Japan acted Charles Swayne, writing in the Victoria Colonist, has this to in the Far East and rained

say: "There is an obvious de- bombs on cities and machine-

cline in the element of decency gunned refugees, 80 ove-

possessed by human nature. witnesses say, until all the

Certain passions of distrust, dis- peace-loving folk shuddered and

honesty and brutality seem to eried their unavalling, empty

have been released by the pro- protests. In the meantime £4

cesses of the Great War and savage persecution of Jews

these have remained unappeased was going on in more than one by all the energies of the European state, and Wylie's League of Nations, created story of their terror wrings the bring about universal peace heart. All of these dreadful

... The veneer of civilisation things have happened and are (if that condition has anything happening and are hated.

to do with decency in conduct nothing—literally and finally

and a code of morals) is thin in- nothing-has the sane, unselfish

deed since it has disappeared civilisution which we boast done

PEG LEG FAILS DRIVER

VIOLIN MADE FROM PAPER to put a stop to the reign of among such a percentage of the human race." The only thing evil. Well may the Bishop of that remains to the generations

ALAMEDA, Cal-A driver under London-Sapper Herbart Wratton, Chelmsford ask if it is worth whose hands are clean of blood con of being intoxicated 02nd Flold Company, Royal Engl- clinllenged the right of two patrolmen neers, sintioned at Ismalla, Egypt preserving.

in this day is a conscience; and to impose on him the test of walking has been granted three months' that has become dulled. We in a straight line "without basis- | special lenve to come to England to "A paule," he writes, "closely have missed the road to peace, tance." He insisted he was entitled patent a paper vfolin. Wratton

| to sastatance because he had a woo-

ferent. mado the violin in his spare time resembling insanity, is running because we lacked the courage den leg, which he had. He was from compressed, sheets of cartridge

ko an epidemic over the whole to take the rougher course. Jailed Without the test.

paper.

But

to

"A pretty pass we're coming to when a taxpayer can't come t

to fill his fountain pen without getting a lot of sediment in the ink!"

They could, however, be put in operation again, and it should be made legally obligatory for every colliery in the kingdom to do so.

W

THEN the Mineworkers" Federation gives Ovi- dence before the Royal Commission on Safety in Mince,

it will have proposals to make covering

0

much widor fold this than I have touched in article, but I want at once to drew public attention to the fact that Recidents from

shot-fring ard avoidable, and continued failure- to adopt the available measures. · will be nothing short of a crime..

-To-day's Thought..............

Do not do unto others as you would they should do unto you-their tastca may be dif»

BERNARD SHAW.

Th