The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-05-16
ITO SAFEGUARD MINERS LIVES
Government Experts Are To Take Up
the 1httaF.


WASHINGTON, May determined
endeavors to stop the az palling sacrifice
of human lives in the coal mines of the
United States are to be made at once
by the fuel division of the Geological
Survey, thus experimenting it's efforts
to lessen the waste of fuel in mining
operations.
Plans have been drawn for a unique
experimental station, at which tests of
the various dynamites and powers used
in blasting coal will be made, with
view to accurately determine their safe
ty in the presence of the deadly fire.
damp and: perhaps equally deadly coal
gas. Explosions of all sorts will be
hurled by means of a mortar into
mammoth boiler-plate cylinder which
has previously been filled with gas, and
! effects will be carefully noted. If igni-
| ion.fails after severe test, the explo-
sives will be known as 'permissible,ex-
plosives," and their use will be urged
upon the mineowners of the country.
In addition, there will be important
experiments in rescue work. One part
of station will be fitted up as a mini
allure coal mine, and miners and opera
tors will be taught the noble art of saw
ing the lives of fellowmen. tits declar-
ed that lin serious explosions in mines
hundreds Of lives could be saved were it
/ possible for the rescue party to enter
Immediately after the accidents. As
it is now, the deadly fredamp often
holds the men back for hours, while their
/ comrades are slowly being suffocated or
burned to death.
! In their Investigations so far the gov
eminent experts have found an appara-
tus in.Europe which, when worn by the
members of a rescue party, enables
them to enter any place where there is
gas. At the experimental station the
miniature.mine.will be filled with dense
smoke, ..and practical demonstrations in
the saving of life with this apparatus
will be made.
A definite location for the experiment
al station has not yet been selected, but
it is probable that the station will be in
the Pittsburg district
I'VE intend to begin the erection of
this station. within few weeks" said
j. A. Holmes, fchief of the technologic
branch of the Geological Survey.
There seems to be no end to the gas
. and coal dust explosions in mines. In
stead of.growing less, these horrors ap-
pear to be multiplying. On the first of
this month q men lost their hives in the
Whipple Mine, in Fayette county, w.
Va, by an explosion of gas. This gives
West Virginia a record of 103 lives lost
in mine explosions during the first
month of this year. On January %, 80
men were killed in the Stuart Mine, also
in Fayette county.
In 1906 the coal-mine death roll in
Pennsylvania was 500. Two hundred
and fifty died as the result of gas or dust
explosions. The others were the vic
/ Tins Of accidents. We believe that
this tremendous loss Of life is unneces-
sary, and it will be cur purpose to in
vestigate the subject in a most thorough
and practical manner. We shall not be
satisfied until we have reduced these ac-
cidents in coal mines to minimum.
From our Investigations so far, the
United States is behind Europe in safe
guarding the lives of the men in the
mines. England and Belgium have had
for years splendid experimental stations,
and in these countries there are but few
casualties in the mines. The Belgium
mines are notorious for the presence of
fire damp, yet that country has enjoyed
a wonderful immunity from these terri
BILE explosions.
CAS- result of the experiments in
England there are number of permits
sible explosives, and these must be used
by the miners in the blasting of coal,
and no others. They have also in Eng
land what is known as the limit charge,
which must not be exceeded on pain of
severe penalty.