The  Chairman  :  Not  any  fatal  poisoning  P

Mr.  Clark  :  No,  and  I  think  if  roburite  is  deleterious  or
does  effect  the  health  of  the  workmen  it  would  have  been
seen  before  now,  because  there  are  all  kinds  of  constitutions
amongst  the  colliers,  and  if  the  fumes  are  of  that  harmful
character  they  are  stated  to  be  they  would  have  had  some
effect  on  delicate  men.
Dr.  Hannah  said  the  point  about  explosives  producing
carbonic  oxide  was  a  purely  scientific  one,  and  was  referable
to  the  amount  of  heat  generated  by  the  explosive.  Some
explosives  were  very  much  higher  and  generated  more  heat
than  others,  and  he  thought  gunpowder  was  one  of  the
lower  forms,  giving  less  heat.  It  was  a  chemical  and
scientific  question  altogether,  and  he  could  not  answer  it,
but  he  believed  that  some  carbonic  oxide  was  given  off
directly  from  gimpowder — a  small  quantity — and  many
other  gases,  sulphurous  acid  and  others,  which  were  very
irritating  to  the  respiratory  tract.
Mr.  Saint  asked  if  any  of  the  members  had  experience  of
the  use  of  roburite  where  a  blown-out  shot  had  been  pro-
duced and  whether  any  flame  had  been  noticed.
The  Chairman  :  And  producing  flame  P

Mr.  Saint  :  A  blown-out  shot  producing  flame.
Mr.  Clark  said  he  had  not  heard  of  a  blown-out  shot
taking  place  at  the  Park  Lane  Collieries,  and  he  could  not
answer  the  question.
Mr.  Saint  thought  perhaps  in  the  recent  experiments  a


320

hole  might  have  been  charged  for  the  purpose  of  producing
a  blown-out  shot.
Mr.  Ci.AKK :  That  might  have  been  done,  but  I  am  not
aware  of  it.
