Arizona republican., 1907-12-20
COAL MINE HORRORS.

near ElttSDuTs yesterday was Nne
fourth within less than four weeks.
They have all occurred. so far as il is
sur1nised how any of them occurred.
IN the same manner. There was a
lack Of precaution by somebody and
then. the crash. entombment and i'm
notation or asphyxiation.
Such accidents OF carelessness with
in mines az precipitate these calami-
ties are apparently unavoidable. The
men in the mine may therefore be said
To be not to blame. The conditions
allowed 10 exist within the mines are
popularity believed to be at the bot
tom of such horrors
Coal mine disasters were made the
subject Of an extensive investigation
some time ago by commission direct
ed by the interior department and it
was found that they were of increasing
frequency in this country. while the
number Of them through a period Of
several years had been steadily reduc-
ed in European countries. II was
found that in the coal mines Of the
United States there We're three times
as many men killed per 1000 employed
as were killed in the mines abroad.
This comparison covered a period of
seventeen years. Within that time
there We're 22,s4O fatalities in the coal
mines OF the United States and more
than half of them had occurred within
the six years preceding the investiga
ton We may add that since then.
within half a month. this grewsome list
has been heightened by more than
1000.
II was also found that the number
Of fatal accidents in 1906 was double
the number in 1ss5-that in 1906 there
were G.S61 men killed and injured, the
number Of dead being 2.O61
This increase in the loss Of life is
attributed by the report OF the COM
mission, in part TO a lack Of proper
mine regulation and in part 10 a lack
of reliable information concerning ex-
plosives used in mining and the con-
ditions under which they can be used
safely in the presence of gas and dust
so generally encountered in mines.
Notice is also taken of the fact of
the greater development of the coal
mining industry the greater depth at
tanned and the increased number Of
men employed But this is a condi-
ton in European countries as well as
in our own. In the face of the fact
that the output OF coal there is much
greater than il was ten years ago and
has been growing year by year. the
number Of deaths per 1000 has de-
creased.
The report followed SO closely by the
disasters at Monongah, Naomi YO-
iande and Darr ought to bring about a
serious effort to take measures TO ar
rest this awful sacrifice of human life
The report sets forth the opinion
that the better condition which pre-
walls in European coal mines is the
result Of a more rigid regulation OF
mines and suggests legislation on tie
subject by this country. Chpugn such
legislation would do M harm il is ut
certain that it wouIl ID mucn si,.d.
Il is incomprehenshle that coal mine
owners should requi q legislation 90
compel them to take every l. ssible
precadtion against these calamities
which not only cause appalling sla"gh-
ter but which ar" accompanied by so
great financial loss
The tr ,uble probab.- los n the
shifting character y he f)roes I'm
pioyed in American coal mines-,nen
of various Mathematics constantly
coming and going of hem new
CT remaining in one rhine .ors enough
10 acqusint themselves with It's recu-
lisrities In European mines, pctahly
those Of Wales, men have been en-
ployed in them or in the immediate
vicinity from boyhood and rrc &C.
scendants OF men who for generations
had been miners in the same Inrslify
This is a difference Of conditions in
European and American coal mines
which could not be removed by legi;-
lstion. That would have TO be jpnc
by the mine owners