Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-12-20
ALARMING FREQUENCY OF MIN.
ING DISASTERS.

4
The news columns of The Daily
Press yesterday gave the result of
the investigation made by government
experts on the frequency of mining
disasters, and that the horrible story
was not exaggerated Is shown In the
awful horrors which are occurring
altogether too frequently. it was
| only n few weeks ago that Namoi
Pa, was the scene OF horrible ac-
c!dent and n few days later the en-
Tire country was startled by the
narrowing catastrophe In West Vir-
glnia; next came the disaster in Al
ALBANIA and yesterday Smithtown, Pa
WAS the place where scores of lives
were sacrificed. or course 1t has
been said many thousand times. but
1t Is none the less true for the repc-
tlt:on, that there bJigSs to BE- sons
way found to prevent these awful
mine disasters with such regularity
and with such frightful results. AL
ways after disaster we have II lot
of learned declarations as to tho cause
and what might have been done iii
the way of prevention II the actual
conditions that had existed In and
about the mines had been known.
No particular section of the country
seems To- be to blanc Tor tho lax
enforcement of the laws governing
mining operations us the disasters
occur all over the country. but It
would seem rs II the people who
have the mining operations In this
country under their charge had had
, enough experience and of the char
| acter that would force their atten.
tlon TO the Importance of the abso-
Lutte need of more safeguards There
are laws In nearly every state In tho
union providing for the inspection
of mines ana for various safeguards
for those who have to 30 down into
the depths of the earth in order to
earn their daily bread.
Science and Inventive genius, too,
have done their part, or ut least
great deal has been done by both OF
these agencies to imp...~ he con-
dition of affairs. and to afford some
sort of reasonable assurance that
WHOM miner goes down to his toll
he may get back 10 his family alive.
But after the entire field has been
canvassed and everything has been
taken into account. disasters such
as those that have occurred within
the past few weeks and days In
widely separated parts of the country
show that much remains to be done
that the right thing has been left
undone. The great loss which has
confronted the country within the
past few weeks, and the great sor-
| row and distress which have come
to widowed wives and orphaned chill.
dren, Is proof positive that. however
much has been DONE the right rem
edy has not been applied to very
bad state of affairs. 1t t. not posi-
BILE that these disasters are beyond
human power to prevent. There is
surely knowledge and skill possessed
i h,,
capable of coping with the problem
II rightly applied.
Mine owners and operators are OF
course, largely TO blame for the con-
ditions that cause many of the ac-
cidents. One expert tells us that at
mosphoric and climatic conditions
have u good deal to do with the ex-
plosions OF gas and uust that cause
SO many of the disasters. OF course
! 1t may be said that man cannot make,
or even alter, climatic conditions to
| SUIT himself, but men properly equip
ped with information are surely ca
pnble OF meeting these conditions
with preventative measures. AS we'll
may we say that an explosion can
not be avoided when fire and gun
powder are brought in contact. We
can, however, keep the fire away from
the explosive substance. 1t is not
impossible of course, that the work
men are themselves in measure 10
blame for some OF the disasters.