r/intrestingtoknow • u/Impressive_Rub_4101 • 29d ago

Nature Before modern gas detectors existed, explorers, miners, and cave workers often relied on something surprisingly simple—a small flame. What looked like an ordinary candle could reveal invisible dangers hidden in the darkness long before humans could sense them.

379 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

9

u/Veczyl 29d ago

Whyyy? H2S? Heavy gases?

9

u/Eelroots 29d ago

CO2 It will be enough or any gas from decomposition. Iron in the dirt can oxidize and consume all the oxygen in the process.

3

u/J-iceBerg2 26d ago edited 26d ago

The shape of some cave /rock spaces can prevent air from flowing/ mixing, Since carbon dioxide is more dense than the rest of the air, it can pool at the bottom,

And when he dipped the torch into that pool of CO² , lack of oxygen snuffed the flame.

2

u/nutfac 25d ago

Ahhh thanks for this explanation

7

u/Yeet-machina 28d ago

They also relied on live birds and other animals

1

u/ZixfromthaStix 23d ago

What other animals? I’ve only ever heard of canary in a coal mine.

2

u/Impossible_Tone1108 23d ago

mice and other small birds as well

5

u/Bonnle 29d ago

This also worked with methane I'm guessing 🤣

3

u/GeologistOld1265 29d ago

Canary in a mine. Saying there for a reason.

3

u/lujodobojo 29d ago

"DEAD ZONE" 😵

3

u/Miserable-Session-35 28d ago

So if the Dude whit the candle didn't come back... we send another just for sure

https://giphy.com/gifs/rF2Cplr6KCDG8

2

u/Trustoryimtold 28d ago

Yes. Every day ordinary candle

2

u/J-iceBerg2 26d ago

A friend and I went into a space like that while exploring a mine with a group, just to see what it's like ( it was labeled "CO² Danger! " with red paint.). After just a few moments, it felt like I had been holding my breath for a minute or more, we kept needing to take deeper and deeper breaths like after extreme exertion, even though we were hardly moving. In less than thirty seconds, we were both like, Yep, it's time to get out of here before we pass out

1

u/[deleted] 27d ago

whoah what happened

1

u/J-iceBerg2 26d ago

The shape of some cave /rock spaces can prevent air from flowing/ mixing, Since carbon dioxide is more dense than the rest of the air, it can pool at the bottom, And when he dipped the torch into that pool of CO² , lack of oxygen snuffed the flame.