Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-02
CLEAR, CRISP AND CLEAN
MINING FATALITIES

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n the list of casualties of this class.
IA Although the New Mexico disaster
did not approximate those of West Vir-
ginia or Pennsylvania, so far as loss Of
life was concerned, it was Of sufficient
gravity to direct attention once more
to the great menace to life accompany
ing carelessness or neglect in the
operation OF these subterranean indus
tries.
Several hundred men have gone to
their death in coal mines in America
during the past month or so. During
the years from 1890 to 1906 inclusive
the total number killed underground in
this industry was 22,S4o. The highest
death rate prior to the year which
ended Tuesday was reached in 1905,
when 2097 deaths from this cause were
officially reported to the federal gov
eminent. In 1906 the number was POSI-.
The month Of December, 1907, probably
will be found to hold the record for
the year, il not for all years
Aside from the increase in the num-
Der of deaths naturally following the
greater development Of the industry
and the opening of new mines there
are other reasons for the lengthening
list of casualties. First and greatest,
according TO eminent authorities, is the
lack of proper regulations for coal
mine operation throughout the country.
Next doubtless comes the non-enforce-
ment of laws already on the statute
books. Those precautions which were
regarded as sufficient when the mining
was done nearer the surface, where
ventilation was relatively easy, will not
suffice under conditions where the lower
strata are worked. Then, too, explo-
sives have been used without enough
information as to the care to be exer-
cised in their employment Soon after
the catastrophe at Monongah, w. Va,
about a. month ago, charges were made
by writer's in a number of eastern
papers that the companies operating
the mines in the Allegheny fields were
criminally negligent by reason of their
having failed to take the most ordinary
precautions to insure the safety Of
their employees. Whether this charge
is well grounded or not investigation
viii prove.
America has something to learn from
the old world in the matter of safe
guarding coal miners. On the European
continent the output of coal has been
greater during the past ten years than
ever before, and the difficulties in the
way of reaching the lower veins have
increased. Nevertheless the death rate
shows a notable decrease. This is
largely due to the efficiency of mining
legislation for the protection of the
lives of the operators. Most of the
European governments have taken the
subject up scientifically, establishing
stations for the detailed study of the
various problems connected with this
important industry. II this country
there appears to have been conscien-
tious effort TO reduce the hazard to
human life in this direction, but If
some investigators, whcse studies neces;
sarilv have been of a more or less
superficial character, may be relied on
certain of the more important corpora
lions operating big mines in the APP
paiachIan fields have thought more Of
nroducing dividends than OF attempting
adequate protection to the lives of
their employees. The matter certainly
ia one which demands a careful In
curry; and II should be made by scien-
lists whose efforts shall not be inn
peded by politics