AN EXPLOSIVE EXAMINED.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 259, 30 October 1914, Page 2

AN EXPLOSIVE EXAMINED.

THE NATTJBE OF MONOBEI* POWDER. SUBMITTED TO ARBITRATION. J he Arbitration Court that was set up to decide between tho Mines Department and the Taupiri Coal Mines. Ltd.. on the question of whether or not monobel powder was a safe explosive to use in the Huntly mines- was continued this inornin<;. His [ionor Mr. Justice Cooper pntsidi'd, and with him were Dr. McLaurin (Government Analyst) and Professor EasterHeld (of Victoria College), ac assessors. Mr. .1. <J. Martin appeared for the .Mines Department and Mr. 0. J. Tanks for the Taupiri Minea, Ltd.

Yesterday afternoon the evidence of .\tr. Frank Reed (Governmf.nt Inspecting Engineer of Mine?) was concluded. He contended that wherever safety lamps were necessary permitted explosives were necessary. The one would bo absurd without the othe.r, and it had never been suggested at or since the inquiry that safety lamps were riot necessary at IlnntJy. An unauthorised explosive was a naked light in an aggravated form. The chief danger was the "blowu-out shot. ,, which raised dust, and probably would iliiiite it. It had been the most prolific cause of explosions. The Briiuncr disaster in ISOli was so caused.

He Was cross-examined at length k>' r - ('. ■!. Timk.N. He said that the Inspector of Mines had found inflammable gas in the Extended mine last July. The explosion in Ralph's mine had not bivn caused by the ij.se of explosives. He considered a-half of one per cent or pan as being indicative of danger. In p,irc air it took

.Vii per cent of nro-dump to explode, bin in >i dusty mine it was an altogether different matter. In a dusty mine'an explosion where there was a mixture of dust ;ind even of half of one per cent or less of fire-damp was dangerou.-. The origin oi die explosion v.n- not, of course, due i.. the itr< damp. Witness wu., of opinion ih.it the Kuendi'd mine was "v Mrv and .iu-ix mine.- m.cli as wii* referred '" '» llu , Kiigli-h regulation. In Km:hind in 111! I, nmnobel -was recorded a> having umong-t the highest number of accidents thai Here ,tjn- to explosive*. In NVw Zeal.in,l n,,. n . \ T oro sum,, mines where safely lamps were nscd. and where gunpowder wa.- u.-ed a- an explosive. They were. however. >-\, er-din-lv vet. mine-, and the dv.-i. which \v.i, |ircsein\ in minimum iruantitic. was not lii-l.lv in-rtammablr.

When the bearin- of the fiian w.i h r< mimic! thi- altornoon Mr X ('. Martin intimated for the Minister of SUnrs that he |iropo-c,j to lent- In, ,■,!.,. whore j. ■>».i~ after liie evidence p;ivon by the Knfr.nrer for Mines iMr l'rank Ueed). Thai nidrnw »a, to show- the arbitrators mi what tho rase for the Mines Departmc: rcsu.,l. and to . all hall a dozen vutno<siM would m>l. jltrr (►peninj; the ra.-e tor the Taupiri loal Mines. Ltd.. Mr Junk- generally traverse 1 the ri»|iiircninrts of the Kn-li-h Aft. and diM-ILs>e,l 1|,,. ,lTe. t r.f its uioiiDiPd application v, New Zealand i-iial mine-.. He said '.hsit permitted exploßivp? wore not . onipirJsorv in all linjrlish niinos. llr th.it all tho .n----ciimstai- must !>■• taken into affount lioforo the pri-sence of a certain small per.entasre ot gas could really he held to be dangerous "ilh any but the permitted p\plo*ivfti. I h'- ilicfiiiiv is proeee-lin <z.