Originally published in the Pacific Coast Bulletin, January 17, 1924
Visitors to Burnett invariably exclaim about the beauty of the camp’s surroundings and its neat and well-kept residences. The view above, taken from the water tower, gives a glimpse of the east side of the camp.
Mine rescue meet
Huntington, West Virginia, has been selected by the United States Bureau of Mines as the place for holding this year’s International First Aid and Mine Rescue Meet.
The meet is expected to be held in September. Last year the meet was held at Salt Lake City, where the Black Diamond First Aid and Mine Rescue team won third place.
Company supplies coal for French war vessel
Pacific Coast Coal, long recognized as one of the best for bunkering purposes on this coast, was given an added testimonial last week when South Prairie coal was specified in a 550-ton order received from the armored French cruiser, Jeanne-D’Arc. This vessel, with a crew of French midshipmen on a cruise half way around the world, visited Seattle last week.
After the coal was loaded, the commander of the vessel, M. De Bourdoncle De Saint-Salvy, Capitaine de Vaisseau, dispatched a very imposing document in French to Wylie Hemphill, general sales manager, in which he stated that the agreement to furnish the coal had been fully complied with.
Le Charbon en Roches, as coal is termed in French, was delivered to the cruiser while anchored in the stream, two barges being used for the purpose. The Jeanne-D’Arc sailed Sunday for Hawaii.
Mine questions
It doesn’t require sunshine to make things bright around the bunkers at Black Diamond. If you doubt this statement just take the time to get acquainted with the two men whose likenesses appear above. On the left is E.M. Rocky, with the Teddy Roosevelt grin. At his right is C. Head, better known as “Alabam.” He’s not mad either.
Mine ventilation is a subject, a thorough knowledge of which is required of all mine foremen. The following question was asked at a recent state examination held at Olympia for mine foremen. The correct answer is also published.
Question—State what systems of ventilation you are familiar with. Give the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Answer—The two common systems of ventilation are known as the “blowing” and the “exhaust system,” respectively.
In the blowing system the air is forced into the mine under a pressure greater than that of the atmosphere, by means of a fan or other device capable of creating a pressure. The particular advantage of the blowing system is that any gas generated in the roof or overlying strata, or accumulated in abandoned areas, is forced back and often escapes through fissures reaching to the surface.
If the system has any disadvantage, it lies in the fact that in case of a breakdown of the fan the resulting drop in pressure will be accompanied by an increased outflow of gas from the strata and abandoned places.
In the exhaust system of ventilation, the mine is ventilated under a pressure less than that of the atmosphere. This is accomplished by connecting the fan drift with the intake opening of the ventilator.
The action of the fan then creates a depression in the fan drift, and the atmospheric pressure on the intake opening of the mine forces the air into the mine against that depression.
The advantage, in the application of the exhaust system, is that the hoisting shaft and main haulage road are the downcast and intake airway, respectively, which keeps them free from gas.
The exhaust system is particularly adapted to the ventilation of a gassy mine. In either system, however, it is assumed that the fan is installed at a separate air shaft, which becomes the downcast shaft in the blowing system but is an upcast shaft in the exhaust system of ventilation.
The disadvantage of the exhaust system lies in the fact that, the mine being ventilated under a pressure less than that of the atmosphere, there is a tendency for any gas generated in the adjoining strata, or accumulated in abandoned areas, to flow into the mine workings.
Again, the movement of the loaded cars passing out of the mine offers an increased obstruction to the intake current and, to that extent, increases the mine resistance and the power required for ventilation.
Also all the dust of the main haulage road is carried into the workings.
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