The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-12-26

WHICH ANY One
CAN UNDERSTAND u | |.
WELL WRITTEN AND
INTERESTING STORY
From Pittsburg Dispatch.

From Pittsburg Dispatch. ~.
Employed by the Dispatch to nvesti-
gate the cause OF recent mine tllsaf.
tiers in the Pittsburg district, J. L.
Dixon. E. ~. whose reputation as an
expert Is known throughout the coun.
try, has visited Naomi and the Monon-
gah mines. where over four hundred
men were killed. He has inspected
the Darr Mine. near Jacobs Creek, Pa,
Is familiar with Its workings, machin.
cry and safety devices.
He assigns cause for NIL sncb dis
asters and recommends precautions
which, II adopted, might prove beneii.
cial to operators and miners as we'll.
Engineer Dixon thus sets forts his
conclusions:
Quite recently coal mine explosions
sent a thrill Or horror through the civ.
ilized world: nearly 400 men and boys
lost their lives. hundreds OF widows
were made and more than a thousand
children are fatherless. One OF the
explosions was at the Naomi mine,
Pennsylvania, the other ut Mononguh
NV. Va. Already the intense excite,
inent has died away. the adjoining
mines are working rs usual and tho
mines where the disasters occurred
are being prepared to resume opera
ttfons, and as the operators. mine AM,
/ State officials, mining journals and
newspapers claim that every method
OF safety was used, that nothing was
left undone. no expense spared 10 Sc
icUre the safety of mine and men. 1t Is
therefore reasonable to conclude that
the same methods which obtained be.
fore the late dreadful disasters will
again be put into force. Since the
sane conditions exist IN the mines
there Is no reason why the same NV.
full holocaust may not be re-enacted.
We are told In the case OF the West
Virginia mine that 1t was considered
the safest and the best equipped mine
OF all those owned by the great Fair.
mont Coal Company. This company
is noted for the splendid modern equip.
ment OF its mines. for the high eff.
cheney, practical experience and tech
nical skill Of Its engineers and mine
officials.
To Better Mines In Country.
In this particular mine or mines
they had a highly efficient and magnili-
cent system Of ventilation. having con.
crete stoppings. iron and concrete
overcasts, split air system and SPLEEN
did fans, there probably was no bet
ter In the country. II this Is true. and
know It to be so, and 1t was consid-
cred one Of the very safest of mines,
It makes one contemplate with hor
ror the mspcakable danger TO which
thousands of our fellow men are daily
subjected. for II they are working
where precautions for their safety are
not SO great and where the natural
danger is greater we may naturally
expect that the past will prove pro-
phetiC of the future,
Now let us look this condition
souarely In the face without any eva.
sion; let us try, to get ut the truth of
the matter. VIZ, whether It Is neces-
sary that So many victims should be Of
ferei up rs sacrifices on the altar OF
the country's industry and prosperity:
whcthcr or not there Is some effectHal
method or methods which. II put in
force, will prevent the reclSFcnce of
these dreadful explosions. with their
attendant horrors. firmly believe
that. so far at least as coal dust ex'
plosions are concerned, and very large
Iy 50 far rs gas explosions are con-
cernel, they can be almost, II noC
wholly, prevented. There are scores
II might say, without eyaggeration.
hmndreds--nt mines where the same
or worse conditions exist as existed
in the mines which recently exploded;
the same mining methods are pursued,
the same system OF ventilation, same
haulage, same mining machinery and
came mining regalatons-an eXplo-
sion is potentially present IN all OF
them; blown.out shot, IN electric
spark, an open light may make 1t at
any time an actually, and unless
remedy II found and applied another
and another explosion will take place
in the future US In the past, only with
increasing frequency, for with deeper
mines and the introduction of modern
coal-cnttlng machinery the danger is
rapidly on the Increase.
Elemental Precautions Lacking.
Now, while 1t is admitted and ac.
knowledgcd that a large number OF
mines are equipped with up.to.aate
and efficient ventilation machinery
and with approved ventilation sys-
tens, yet | confidently affirm that in
the majority Of DIR mines, and espe-
cially in those where electric coal
cutting machinery is used, the most
elementary, the most vital and naceS.