IC 6690 An International Viewpoint on Safeguarding Electrical Equipment Used in Gassy Mines

Electrical apparatus and circuits began to be used in mines about 50 years ago. A search of the literature on mining reveals that in 1882, umping was being done by electricity in some aines of England. One account tells of a small electric locomotive being used in 1882 "to drive eight corves loaded with coal" in a mine near Dresden. In an account of his visit to some English mines, en American in 1892 mentions that he saw underground electric signals, lights, pumps, hoists, and one revolving- cutter-bar 19wall mining machine,. Among the carl electrical installa- tions in the United States was an electric locomotive in the Lykens Valley Coal Co. mine at Lykens Valley, Pa., in 1887. In 1889 the Sperry electric coal digger was being tried out. Tarce mining machines were placed in the Prospect mine, East Palestine, Ohio, in 1890. An electrical pumping plant was put in oneration during 1892 in the Woodward mine of the Delaware, Lacka- rahma & Western Railroad Co. Thus we Almost coincident with the proposed use of this new servant in under- ground workings, came the thought of making it safe in gassy mines. find an account of a design for a protected stationary electric mine lamp proposed by Edison in 1831. Enclosed-type motors rere developed in the United States and shiped to English collieries about 1903. From those early beginnings there has been continuous progress until to-day one finds hundreds of pieces of specially designed electrical apparatus distributed in American coal mines and in mines of nearly all important coal-producing countries. Along with introduction of this equipment grew the idea of the necessi- ty of government aid, in standardization. In most coal-mining countries to- day the governments either directly or indirectly have a considerable in- fluence in guiding the design of electrical equipment intended for use in Pasay mine