The canary in the coal mine meaning

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Most of us see bright-feathered, warbling canaries as pets, yet these tiny birds were not always just household companions. In the nineteenth century they were used as exceptional risk predictors in mines. This was because they were particularly sensitive to carbon monoxide, a substance which led to numerous mining accidents in the aftermath of industrialisation. Thus, oddly, an increasing reliance on fossil fuels induced a new rapport with nature and animals. Risk management in mines became a major source of concern during the nineteenth century.

The canary in the coal mine meaning

Throughout much of the 20th century, chirping canaries were staples of the coal mining industry. As coal miners descended into the earth—entering a harsh environment often home to poisonous gases like carbon monoxide—they would bring the yellow birds along as safety mechanisms. Because carbon monoxide is clear and odorless, miners needed a method for detecting a leak before it killed them. In December , Britain officially outlawed the usage of canaries in the coal mines. At the time, it was the latest of many changes in the British mining industry, which was a source of great strife in the country through the s. The last one retired in He concluded that carbon monoxide buildup was to blame, and he proposed using sentinel species in mines: animals more sensitive to poisonous gases than humans, which can be monitored to measure gas levels. His research on carbon monoxide led him to recommend using birds or mice. So, how did canaries land the gig? Not only are they small and portable, but canaries also breathe a lot. They need immense quantities of oxygen to enable their flight and to fly at heights that would give humans altitude sickness. They would exhibit symptoms of poisoning long before gas levels became critical among the workers, giving the men more time to evacuate. And some in the industry made attempts to care for the canary in the coal mine. A container of metal and glass was built to allow the trapped canary to breathe outside air through a vent. Once the canary fell—presumably due to gas poisoning—a miner would seal the cage and open a valve allowing oxygen to flow into the container from a tank attached to its top, while workers evacuated the area.

What is carbon monoxide? Haldane designed a special cage, pictured below, to protect the canaries.

Franklin Colliery Robert J. Grant Springhill No. Thomas Edison and the Chignecto coal mine. Howe in the Storr Pits. Dominion No.

The phrase a , or the , canary in a , or the , coal mine denotes an early indicator of potential danger or failure. It refers to the former practice of taking live canaries into coal mines to test for the presence of toxic gases, particularly carbon monoxide, the illness or death of the canaries serving as an indication that such gases were present. The earliest mention of this practice that I have found is from the Yorkshire Telegraph and Star Sheffield, Yorkshire, England of Friday 21 st December , which gave an account of the inquest that had been held the previous day at Ouston, near Chester-le-Street, on the four victims of an explosion at Arpeth pit:. Blackett, a mining expert, said that along with the Mines Inspector he made an attempt to reach the scene of the explosion, taking with him a canary in a cage, a safety lamp, and an electric hand lamp. They were well equipped to explore the workings with safety. Upon reaching a point beyond which it had hitherto been impossible to penetrate, they got a competent man to test the place with a safety lamp, and finding only a small bluecap, he took a deep breath, and with the electric lamp and the bird he made a rapid advance, left the bird , and retired. Returning with the safety lamp, and finding the bird on its perch, he advanced again and again in the same way, until he and the inspector came to the place where a body was lying. He saw at once that the man had died from after-damp, and was not burned. Still advancing in this way, they presently came to a stentor where another man had been working.

The canary in the coal mine meaning

Log In. My Account. When exposed to toxic gases, canaries suffer ill effects and die sooner than humans do. If the canaries became sick or died, this was a sign that something was seriously amiss and that the miners needed to get out. The practice was phased out, at least in the U. The canary is not prophetic until it is brought in the coalmine, so the metaphor works especially well if the prophetic thing is small, innocent, and not prophetic under normal circumstances.

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Read more. Click on the arrows to change the translation direction. Canary in a Coal Mine When we say something is a canary in a coal mine, it means it is an early warning of danger. Traditional Chinese images. Share with the World Tell everybody about Wonderopolis and its wonders. There were about canaries in British coal mines at that time. Henry Whitney and the Dominion Coal Company. Next Question. Japanese English to Japanese. English confusables. About the Author Amelie is a doctoral student in History of Science, Medicine and Technology at the University of Oxford, researching the construction of scientific knowledge on toxic colours and the management of industrial hazards in France and Britain between Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. Collins English Dictionary.

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Then, talk with a family member about how you can keep each other safe. It can also quickly build up in the body, which made it essential to find ways to swiftly detect its presence in the air. Cottam Settlement Allan Mine. With the use of poisonous gas in warfare in the twentieth century, the canary became a highly valued asset on the battlefield. Stellarton, Mount William. Even if canaries are no longer used in mines, their sensitivity to poisonous gases remains valued in a number of different contexts today. However, even these lamps were not as sensitive to CO as canaries. Mandarin Chinese characters. English to Traditional. Lighting Strike in Westville. Follow us. English collocations. The chief danger to such parties arises, of course, from carbon-monoxide, which cannot be detected by the ordinary evidence of the senses, as it is odourless and will support combustion.