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Rock Dusting (Prevention of Coal Dust Explosion)
1958 - 1963

Gampun Sampu (Tanjin Bakuhatsu Boshi)
[Rock Dusting (Prevention of Coal Dust Explosion)]
21.2 x 30.2 cm Ink Painting

Fearful coal dust explosions were the most dangerous among disasters at coal pits, which turned underground slopes into infernos. We could prevent them from occurring by watering every coalface. However, the equipment for this measure was very complex, inefficient, unreliable, and expensive. Rock dusting is frequently still done now. This painting shows rock dusting in the beginning and middle of the Showa era [1926-1989].

Text at the Bottom Left
The temperature reached more than 30 degrees because of the heat of the earth if we descended into an underground slope more than 300 meters deep. Therefore, the air in the slope was very dry and the coal dust accumulated like snow, though snow is not black but white. White rock dust distributed on black coal dust looked even beautiful, but much dust flew when we stepped on it.


Translation Assisted by Mr. Nathan Johndro

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