The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-12
MINE EXPERTS PAY
 VISIT ID YOLANDE
Pleased With Conditions Found
 At the Camp
DELIGHTFUL DAY SPENT
Party Left Last Night for Pittsburo Where Members Will Continue investigations of Safety Con-
 ditions in Coal Mines.

The party of mine experts, including three foreign visitors, that arrived in Birmingham Saturday left for Pittsburg last night. As they are making a tour of the coal mining regions of the United States for the purpose of studying con ditions in relation to risk of life among mine workers and questions pertaining to the protection of mine property, they spent the greater part of yesterday at Yolande, where a terrible explosion in which nearly 50 lives were lost occurred last January.
 A special train of two private cars the Tennessee companys and the Sloss- Sheffield company's-was provided for tho visitors. The party left the Louisville and Nashville station at o'clock and made a quick run to Yolande a model camp, owned and operated by the Yolan- de Coal and Coke company. of which Dr. Grove is president. It is situated in Tuscaloosa county on the line of the Birmingham Mineral about 30 miles from Birmingham.
 The visitors were in charge of Erskine Ramsay, chairman of the committee ap- pointed by the Alabama Coal Operators association for escort duty, and in the party were Dr. J. A. Holmes of the United States geological survey; Dr. Carl Meisner chief of the German mining service; M. Victor Watteyne, chief of the Belgian mining service; Capt. Arthur Desbrough, chief expert of the British commission on mining explosives; J. w Paul, chief of the mining department of the state of West Virginia; F. H. Coxe, general superintendent of coal mines of the Tennessee company; Robert Hamil- ton, chief engineer of the mining depart ment of the TennesHee company; H. R. de Holl chief chemist of the mining de- partment of the Tennessee company; G. B. Grove, J. c. Patterson. State Mine Inspector J. M. Gray Assistant State Hillhouse, pr. William B. Phillips, w. P. Sullivan, general manager of the To- lande company; J. F. McMulen, mining engineer of the Yolande company; Col. H. J. Falls, Clyde Ennis and repre- sentative of The Age-Herald.
 As has been previously explained the 
 the mining districts are In this country at the invitation of the United States government. They are men of high tech nical training and their specialized work has been largely along the line of mine explosives and devices to minimize casual ties. They have been in the United States several weeks and the greater part of their time has been spent in Colorado, Utah and New Mexico, where the govern Tor of where operators adjoining these govern ment properties have had to abandon their mines on account of peculiar phy- sical conditions inviting disastrous ex- plosion.
 pr. Homles, himself one of the fore most experts on mining matters in the world, accompanies the three foreign guests on their entire American tour, and 1t is pointed out that the obser- vations and discussions of the party and their contact with local engineers, inspectors and operators, can but re- suit in practical good.
 Yesterday was perfect autumn day when all men would delight in the beauties of nature-in sky and field and wood. And the mining men aboard the train reyeled for while in landscape effects and in the hazy atmosphere; but in order to familiarize themselves with
  the scene of deadly explosion last winter, the visitors soon called for the blue prints and began study of the situation and a discussion of the acci- dent in all it's bearings.
 Arriving at Yolande, all the members of the party donned overalls and pro ceeded down the slope. They made a very thorough inspection. Under ground the party divided up. One section, in cluding Dr. Holmes. Dr. Meisner and M Watteyne,r emained in the mine nearly three hours but the others came out somewhat earlier and dis cussed mining above ground.
 Each of the visitors expressed himself well pleased with conditions in the Yo- lande mine. Members of the party were especially interested in the system of sprinkling and spraying which Dr. Grove has installed with view of keeping down the dust and thereby minimizing the lia-