The Origin and Rationale of Colliery Explosions. Founded upon an examination of the explosions at the Timsbury, Albion ... Collieries, etc

Front matter

THE ORIGIN AND RATIONALE OF COLLIERY EXPLOSIONS. BY THE SAME AUTHOR. Croivn 4I0, Bound in Cloth, Price Js. 6d., Net. COAL-DUST AN EXPLOSIVE AGENT." As shoivn by an Investigation of the Camerton Explosion. "A most valuable addition to the important subject of danger from Coal-Dust." — The Engineer. " The subject has been advanced a long stage by Mr. Stuart's careful examination ; his book is certain to be read." — Engineering. " Clears up the difficulty showing how and under what circumstances Coal-Dust is capable of becoming explosive. In strict accord with well-known chemical and physical laws." — .Chemical News. "Carefully reasoned out with conspicuous clearness. A most timely and useful book. — The Colliery Guardian. " This branch of the subject has been practically neglected, the only pronouncement of importance being tendered by Faraday in 1844.

Another explanation, and certainly a more reasonable one, is to be found in this admirable dissertation."- -Iron and Coal Trades' Review. "The most important work on Explosions published for many years." — Colliery Manager. " A thorough investigation with important results." — Bookman. " An important and interesting volume." — Saturday Review. E. & F. N. SPON, 125, STRAND. NEW YORK: SPON & CHAMBERLAIN, 12, CORTLANDT STREET. THE ORIGIN AND RATIONALE OF Colliery Explosions FOUNDED UPON AN EXAMINATION OF THE EXPLOSIONS AT THE TIMSBURY, ALBION, MALAGO YALE, AND LLANERCH COLLIERIES AND UPON THE PRINCIPAL PHENOMENA OF THE DISASTERS AT THE Abercarne, Alltofts, Altham, Apedale, Blantyre, Bryn, Clifton Hall, Dinas, Elemore, Hyde, Llan, Mardy, Morfa, Mossfields, National, Penygraig, Risca, Seaham, Trimdon Grange, Tudhoe, Udstone, and West Stanley Collieries. by DONALD M. D. STUART, F.G.S., MINING AND CIVIL ENGINEER ; AUTHOR OF " COAL-DUST AN EXPLOSIVE AGENT."

All Rights are Reserved BRISTOL: JOHN WRIGHT & CO. LONDON: SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT & CO., LIMITED. NEW YORK: HIRSCHFELD BROS., 65, Fifth Avenue. 1895. JOHN WRIGHT AND CO., PRINTERS AND PUBLISHERS, BRISTOL.

Preface

The subject of Colliery Explosions again commands public attention, and proposals have been recently advanced, for strengthening the statutory regulations for the direction and discipline of Mines. The cause of these calamities has been sought with persistence and assiduity : and evidences have been accumulating for an examination of the respective theories of Fire-Damp and Coal-Dust, as the principal agents in Colliery Explosions. The large explosions have been attributed to the presence of fire damp, because that gas was known to be normally yielded in the mines ; but this conclusion involved the hypothesis of sudden outbursts or accumulations of gas, of which there has rarely been any evidence beyond the fact that an explosion had occurred. The Coal-Dust theory was advanced to account for the disasters, but the absence of an explosion in non-gaseous mines up to 1S93, presented a great difficulty to its acceptance, which was emphasized by the last Royal Commission upon Accidents in Mines in their well-known conclusion, that were coal-dust the principal agent in coal-mine explosions, these disasters would be of more than daily occurrence.

The subject received new point and direction in November, 1893, by an explosion at the non-gaseous mines at Camerton, in Somersetshire, which was proved to have been caused by the gases evolved from coal dust ; but it was the only disaster of this character that had occurred in non-gaseous mines, and therefore afforded an insufficient foundation for raising the question, as to what difference existed between explosions in gaseous and non-gaseous mines. After a lapse of fifteen months, an important development of the question arose in a second explosion in a non-gaseous mine, at Timsbury, PRE FA CE. VI in Somersetshire, and another opportunity was presented for investigating the phenomena of an explosion, not complicated by the presence ot fire damp. This second explosion provided the occasion for reviewing the facts observed, and the thoughts advanced in the Camerton Colliery disaster ; and for preparing records of their fundamental features, so that a further effort may be made to elucidate their cause and rationale.

By the courtesy of Mr. F. R. Foot, the Agent and Manager, I was enabled to make several inspections of the Timsbury Collieries shortly after the explosion, and observed the close correspondence of its phenomena with those of the Camerton Colliery Explosion. Further investigation left no room to doubt, that the explanations I advanced of the Camerton Colliery Explosion were confirmed, and that records of the phenomena of the two disasters, would form an important body of evidence, for investigating colliery explosions generally. After completing these evidences, I compared them with the records of the phenomena of explosions in gaseous mines, and found that there was an identity in their important features, which demanded for its explanation an identical explosive agent ; and as the gases that caused the explosions in the non-gaseous mines proved upon investigation to have been derived from coal-dust, it appeared that the gases which caused the explosions in gaseous mines, must have had a similar origin.

Upon subjecting this conclusion to fuller examination, it became obvious that fire-damp could not have been appreciably present in the numerous explosions, the records of which I had examined. Having arrived at conclusions of such importance to Colliery enterprise, I am venturing to offer a second work upon the subject of these mining calamities, for the purpose of making known the evidences upon which those conclusions have been reached. The explosion at the Timsbury Colliery will be first investigated, and the correlation of its phenomena with that observed in the explosion at the Camerton Colliery, established. This body of evidence will then be employed as a foundation for examining the records of explosions in gaseous mines, and for considering the identities in the phenomena of the two classes of explosions.

PRE FA CE. VII I have much pleasure in expressing my obligations to the proprietors of the Timsbury Collieries, and to Messrs. Rees-Mogg and Davy, their Solicitors, for the loan of plans and sections of the Mine from which Plate I. has been prepared, and for other information upon the explosion which they placed at my disposal. DONALD M. D. STUART. Bristol, August 2.2nd, 1895. CONTENTS. PAGES Preface v-vn

Introduction

. The Explosion in a Non-Gaseous Mine — Conclusions of the Royal Commis sion — The Albion Colliery Disaster — Second Explosion in Non-Gaseous Mines — Timsbury Colliery Explosion i-3 DESCRIPTION OF THE TIMSBURY COLLIERIES. The Coal Measures — Faults — Method of Working — Goaves — Freedom from Fire-Damp — Workings traversed by the Explosion — Ventilation — Conditions of Dryness and Dampness - - - - - - - 4-10 THE EXPLOSION.

The Operations in Progress — Men engaged — First indications of the Disaster — Discovery of the Bodies — Condition of the Workings — The Communication — Peter's Incline — First Exhibition of Explosive Violence — No. i Explosion — Wyatt's Incline, No. 2 Explosion — Parnell's Incline, No. 3 Explosion — Parfitt's Level, No. 4 Explosion — Trams in Little Seam Siding — Carter's Incline, No. 5 Explosion — No. 6 Explosion — Termination of the Disaster in Parfitt's Level — Barnes' Incline, No. 7 Explosion — Termination in Barnes' Road — The Communication, No. 8 Explosion — Thermal Effects in Displacement of Timber — Gullick's Junction, No. 9 Explosion — Gullick's Incline, No. 10 Explosion — Pitman's Junction, No. 11 Ex plosion — Pitman's Incline, No. 12 Explosion — Termination in the Level — Fallen Timber in the Communication — Stables, Horses Singed — Junction for Upper Conygre Downcast Shaft and Little Slyving Seam, No. 13 Explosion — Upcast Shaft, No. 14 Explosion — North Branch Junction Slyving Seam, No. 15 Explosion — Slyving Seam Workings, No. 16 Explosion — Termination in Slyving Seam — North Branch, No. 17 Explosion — Junction Top Little Seam, No. 18 Explosion — Termination in North Branch — Regulator Door— Phenomena at Upcast Shaft — Smoke and Dust — Damage to Winding Engine — Large Volume of Vitiated Air — Field of Gas Distillation — Summary of Explosions — Coked Residues and their Distribution — Deposition of Carbon — Its Origin and Extent — Atmosphere of the Workings after the Disaster — Suspended Carbon — Lights Burned — Physiological Effects — Condensed Water Vapour 11-36 THE ORIGIN AND INITIATION OF THE DISASTER.

Ordinary Method of Seeking the Origin of Disasters — Directions of Force — General Character of Exhibitions of Violence — The Terminations of Phenomena, Points of Origin of Enquiry — Operations near Centres of Explosions — Origin Exterior to the Explosive Ignitions — Terminal Side of Disaster at Upper Conygre — Terminations at Upper Conygre — Explosions Traced to their Origin — No. 1, The Initial Explosion — Condition of the Communication — Carter's Body — Food Bag — CONTENTS.

X PAGES Coked Residues of Coal — The Shot — Carbon on the Walls — Powder Canister and Clothes — No Disruptive Effects Lower Conygre Side of Peter's Incline — Origin of Chemical Actions between Regulator Door and Peter's Incline — Origin of Disaster at the Shot — Description of the Hole — Lines of Ruptured Strata — Chemical Actions instituted by Heat in the Products of the Shot — Quantity of Explosive in Canister — In the Hole — Interval between Charging the Hole and the Disaster — Carter's Movements — His Extra Precautions for Personal Safety- Anticipation of Blown-out Shot — Excessive Charge of Explosive — Nature of supposed Tamping — Reason for Overcharging the Hole — Evidence in Ruptured Ground — Overcharged Hole — Correspondence with Camerton Shot — Quantity of Explosive Due to the Hole — Heat Generated — Quantity Available — Condition of the Coal-Dust — Communication Watered — Ventilating Current — Low External Temperature — Aqueous Vapour in Air at different Temperatures — Increased Motive Column — Increased Ventilation — Evaporation of Moisture — Condition of Coal-Dust — Available Heat — Origin of Distillation — Chemical Actions to No. i Explosion- Condition of Coal-Dust in the Mine — Development of the Disaster — Failure of the Activities towards Lower Conygre — The Conditions that Prevailed — Watered Floor — Air saturated with Water Vapour — Exhaustion of Heat — Antagon istic Conditions — Effect of Wet Surfaces and Aqueous Vapour 37-5° THE RATIONALE OF THE DISASTER.

Effects of Heat on Coal-Dust— Distillation— Coked Residues of Coal— Coal- Dust on Floor Distilled — Coal undergoing Distillation in Parfitt's Level — Gaseous Hydrocarbons Evolved — Their supposed Combustion — The Deposition of Car bon — Flame of Hydrocarbons — Absence of its Effects — Disconnected Disruptions and Products of Combustion opposed to Flame — Carbon not Oxidized — Coke at Carter's Incline— Comminuted Coke on Tram — Perfect Distillation — Contrast of Coked Residues and the Comminuted Coke — Elevation of Temperature in the Educts— Difference in the Carbon and Coked Residues— Their Origin in different Bodies— Adequate Source of the Carbon— Its Production— Oxidation of Hydro gen—Inadequate Oxygen to Oxidize the Carbon— Elevation of Temperature- Dissociation of Hydrocarbons— Origin of the Carbon— Illustrated by Industrial Process— Diamond Black— Necessity of Heat— Quantity Available— Work to be Done— Computation of Demands— Coal-Dust on the Floor for Distillation- Gas Yielded— Gas in No. 1 Explosion— Computation— Air for Oxidation, Com putation—Demands of Heat— Heat at Disposal Inadequate— Supplementary Sources— How Obtained— Oxidation of Hydrogen — Heat Generated — Adequate Supplies— Confirmation of Hypothesis— Evidence of Oxidation of Hydrogen- Accretive Deposits of Carbon— Condensed Water Vapour — Temperature of Disso ciation— Free Hydrogen— Initial Explosion —Heat Generated— Propagation — Irregular Intervals— Explosions in Large Areas— Variations in Disruptions—Con dition of Air Currents— Failures in Propagation— Elements in the Explosive Cycle— Oxygen the Absent Element— Terminations of Explosive Phenomena- Heat Essential to the Distillation— Oxidation the Source of Heat— Absence of Carbon Dioxide— Oxidation in the Educts— Oxidation of Hydrogen— Phenomena Interpreted — Rationale of the Disaster 51-69 CORRELATIONS OF EXPLOSIONS IN GASEOUS AND NON-GASEOUS MINES.

Correlation of Camerton and Timsbury Colliery Explosions— Progress of Coal-Dust Theory— The Albion Colliery Disaster— Theories of its Origin- Evidence of Direction of Force— Supposed Double Blast— Local Exhibitions of Violence— Mutilation and Non-Mutilation of Bodies— Local Explosions— Fire- Damp not present— Volatile Constituents of Coal— Residues of Coked Coal— CONTENTS.

XI PAGES Sphere of Distillation — Partial Oxidation in Educts — Carbon Separated — Effluent Smoke — Terminations of Phenomena — Fall in Cilfynydd Level — Theory of Fire- Damp — Ventilating Current — Difficulties in the Theory — Cause of the Fall — Shot- Firing in Grover's Level — Explosives used — Heat Generated — Residues of Coked Coal in the Vicinity — Undisturbed Road — Gas Generating Space — Origin of the Disaster — Correlation with Camerton and Timsbury Colliery Explosions — Identical in Origin and Rationale — Malago Vale Colliery Explosion, 1891 — Its Origin — Causes of Death — After-Damp and the Lights — Undisturbed Road — Bodies not Mutilated at the Origin — Exhibitions of Violence — Mutilation of Bodies — Fire- Damp at the Origin — Subsequent Gas, from Coal-Dust — Residues of Coked Coal — Gas Distillation — Partial Oxidation in Educts — Propagation — Origin in Inexplosive Ignition of Fire-Damp — Explosion, 1895 — Origin in Shot-Firing — Men Burnt — Survivors — After-Damp and the Lights — Question of Fire-Damp — After-Damp identical with that in Previous Explosion — Identical Gases Oxidized — Correlation with Explosions at Camerton and Timsbury Collieries — Llanerch Colliery Explo sion — Fire-Damp at Origin — Undisturbed Road — Residues of Coked Coal — Gas Distillation — Effluent Smoke — Separate Disruptions — Mutilation of Bodies — Death by After-Damp — Correlation of Disaster with the Malago Vale Colliery Explosion — identity of Phenomena in Gaseous and Non-Gaseous Mines — The Oxidation of Gases — Hydrogen — Analyses of Fire-Damp — Explosive Mixture of Methane — Products of Oxidation — Carbon Dioxide — Constitution of Black-Damp — Atmos pheres fatal to Combustion — Physiological Effects — Extinctive Gases — Carbon Dioxide — After-damp and Lights — Mr.

J. Dickenson's Evidence — Durham Explo sions — Clifton Hall Colliery Explosion — Llanerch Colliery Explosion — Spring Hill Mines — Carbon Dioxide in the Products of Methane — Effects of Atmospheres containing Carbon Dioxide — On Lights — Physiological Effects — After-Damp not a Product of Fire-Damp — Fire-Damp not Oxidized in the Large Explosions — Hydro gen the Explosive Gas — Derived from Coal-Dust — Evidence of Gas Distillation in Gaseous Mines — Residues of Coked Coal — Deposits of Carbon — Carbon-laden Gases — Effluent Smoke — Production of Hydrogen — Quantity of Coal-Dust in Mines — Coal-Dust the Source of Gas in Gaseous and Non-Gaseous Mines — Incep tion of Explosions — Undisturbed Road — Gas-generating Spaces — Spaces between Propagated Explosions — Thermal Effects — Explosive Violence — Separate Explo sions at Usworth Colliery — Alltofts Colliery — Elemore Colliery — Undisturbed Road between Explosions — Local Explosions in Gaseous Mines — Loci of Explosions in Large Areas — Terminations of Explosions at Coal Faces — Antecedent to the Faces — Causes of Cessations of Explosive Phenomena — Wet Spaces — Atmospheric Conditions — Ventilation at Seaham Colliery — At Albion Colliery — Propagations Compared — Conditions and Quantities of Air — Absence of Explosions in Coal Faces — Failure of Oxygen — Identity in the Inception and Rationale of Explosions in Gaseous and Non-Gaseous Mines - - 70-1 19 CONCLUSION.

The Views of the Royal Commission, 1879 — A Mistaken View of Explo sions — Absence of Fire-Damp Proved — Objections to Coal-Dust Theory disappear — Ventilation of Gaseous and Non-Gaseous Mines — Effects of Large Currents and High Velocities — Increase of Ventilation at Timsbury and Camerton Collieries — Explosions Followed — Potential Danger of Coal-Dust — Adequate Volatile Matters in South Wales Coal for Explosions — The Use of Explosives — Heat the Element of Danger — The Water Jacket — Conditions of Coal-Dust for Distillation — Expenditure of Energy of High Explosives and Mining Powder — Heat Energy in Mining Powder — In Nitro-Glycerine — Comparative Resources for Distillation — Surrender of their Energy — Mr. H. Hall's Experiments, 1893 — Phenomena Observed — Conditions of the Experiments — Different Behaviour of the CONTENTS.

XII 1 PAGES Explosives — Their Effects in the Dust Cloud — The Causes — Conditions of Shot- Firing in Mines — Comparison of Mining Powder and High Explosives — Conclusions from Experiments Insecure — The Danger with Explosives — The Remedy — Watering — Dampness at Camerton, Timsbury and Llanerch Collieries — Potentiality of Heat in Chemical Actions — Distinction between Heat of Inception and Propa gation — Disasters from Shot-Firing Preventable — Precautions — Difference in Conditions of Heat from Fire-Damp and Explosives — Volume of Fire-Damp an Unknown Quantity — Exclusion of Naked Lights from Gaseous Mines — Necessity of Hygroscopical Records — Evaporative Effects of Currents an Element in Ventilation — Investigation Concluded ------ 120-132