Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 February 1902 — Dynamite in Coal Mines. [ARTICLE]

Dynamite in Coal Mines.

According to United States Consul Brunot, at St Etienne, a local Inventor named Albert has produced a success ful apparatus for exploding dynamite with safety in coal mines where gas is present In dangerous volume, wlttiout the use of electricity, the installation of which is always costly and subject to disarrangement. The Instrument seems to cover the exposed end of the safety fuse, to fire it aud to receive all flame' and sparks thrown off without allowing any communication with the atmosphere. A copper tube receives the end of the fuse to a depth of several Inches. At the other end of the tube is fixed a percussion cap, similar to those used in toy pistols, and lying against the side of the tube, which is pierced in Its turn by a small hole. The distance between the extending end of the fuse and the percussion cap is only .07 Inch. The end of the tube with the percussion cap is introduced into another cylinder, also of copper, which contains the firing mechanism. To operate the apparatus the tube containing the fuse is held in the left hand, while with the palm of tlie right a sniart blow is struck on the button of the percutient, when the cap explodes. The gas produced by the fuse fills the cylinder, says the Black Diamond, blit cannot escape outside, unless extinguished, as the holes in the cylinder are Covered with metallic gauze. In practice, the tuhes are prepared outside, in the daytime, by the lamp cleaner, so that no stray percussion caps may be brought into the mine.