THE Waihi Daily Telegraph WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WAIHI WINER SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 1904.

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1066, 13 August 1904, Page 2

THE Waihi Daily Telegraph WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WAIHI WINER

SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 1904.

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RECENTLY wo stated that a coin, mission had been appointed by (lie Transvaal Chamber of Mines In ascertain a means of preventing as far as possible the occurrence of miners' phthisis, or what is commonly known as miners'complaint, The commiHsion offered prizen for the, best three suggestions. Tlio first wad £SOO and a gold medal; (he second, £250; and the third. £IOO, \Yo now loarti that tho first pwe has been awarded lo Mr .1. Hriiien, whose atomiser was found in lay 7,1 per cent of the dust in the drive where it was tested, and which was (leiiionatralfid an being tho best prac. tical suggestion of the 2211 submitted. The judges slated Ihaliii their opinion the best means of combating the disease was by the rse in drilling of a perfect water-drill, toI aether with the use of the alomisei for allaying tho dust and gases during blasting and shovelling Tie | Mining Journal, London, oilers tin | "pinion that it is in regard to super | iority of di.'si{jii in detail Unit tin • award lias been bestowed, since in principle the method adopted ol using compressed air required I'm tho drills to vaporise water is tin only one which has had the surioiit consideration of minors, Respirators aro recognised not only as liable U rapid deterioration in tit and wear but as quite impossible of enforcement, and naturally the less uiois- . lure required for watering the . hotter. Another effective plan it „ one devised by a Mr William Junes, and id as follows: At the mouth oi

the level a pince of Gin, iron pipe, provided with a side tap, islet into '. I lie ordinary liin. iron pipo for carryin},' tin 1 compressed iiir to the drill. ( li::l'u!i' blasting this in lilh'd with waitr ihiuiigh Ihi' siik' liipfi'i'in ii cialurn after tin' compressed air lui.-* , been turned oil'. Immediately after , the blast the-compreßseihair is slid- ' denly turned on. The water is thus driven along the pipe, and a mixture of finely divided water and air ' is discharged from tin; open end, which is pointed fowaids Ihe face that has just been blasted. A ventilating-pipe is also imed where the level or rise is more than a low feet from the shaft, the compressed air being further used m extract the air after the blast, The chief dilliculiy in all ijiiesiions relating to the health and safety of miners lies not in devising safety appliances but. in insuring their use. As matters stand, enterprising machinerymakers have now an opportunity of obtaining careful trials of any specialties ihey may have for dealing •villi this serious problem.