The Cairo bulletin., 1908-12-18
GREAT WASTE,
IN RESOURCES
u. s. GEOLOGIC SURVEY SHOW
ONE BILLION FEET NATURAL
GAS LOST DAILY.
KILLED AND INJURED
In Mineral Mines Numbered 10000
Last Year--E ghteen Million
Barrels Oil Used in Loco.
motives.

Washington, Dec IA report jus
issued by John l.. Cochrane, Technt
logic Branch t. S. Geological Surve
gives the following facts:
The waste of mineral products il
the United States amounts TO $1,000
000 per day in value
The waste of natural gas amount
to ,0O0. 100000 cubic feet per day. o
more than enough to light all the cit
les Of the United States having NOR,
than 100000 population.
These statements were made b,
Senator Flint of California at the re
cent meeting of the National Conser
walton Commission in Washington y
c., in his report on the mineral sec
ton of the Commission.
Senator Flint called attention tc
the large waste of material and the
large loss of life which characterizes
the mineral Industries in all parts o!
The country, which he said was de
plorable
The enormous waste in coal mining
is equivalent TO about onehalf of the
total product mined. or for the year
1907 about 24O000,000 tons said Sen
ator Flint. with an entire waste of
all mineral products approXimaling
$l000,000 per day and with the min,
eral production of the United States
during the past year amounting to
$1,000 000, 600, this waste is equivalent
10 more than one-siXth the value of
the total production
"fhe seriousness of this loss is
more clearly appreciated when it IS
remembered that our production and
consumption are increasing much
more rapidly than is the population of
the country; that the mineral sup
plies for future use are limited in
quantity and cannot be reproduced
No new supplies are being created to
take the place of those being with.
drawn from the earth and either used
or wasted When once these SUP
plies are exhausted, the exhaustion Is
complete and permanent OF the in
CrcasinE rate Of consumption which
has characterized the industry dur
ing the past few years. the available
supplies of certain of our more i'm.
portant resources, like the coal and
iron, will be early in the next century
50 nearly approaching exhaustion as
to bring real hardship TO the nation.
Loss Of Life.
But more serious even than this
waste Of materials is the excessive
loss Of life In our mining operations
We are grieyed TO find that during the |
past year In coal mines alone more
than 5000 men We're killed and more
than 1000 injured; and our distress |
is increased rather than diminished |
90 find that the number of men Kill !
ed in the United States for each /. |
eco men employed IN the mines is |
from two to four times as great as il |
Is in other coal mining countries.
The seriousness of this problem |
IS shown when the fundamental facts
are brought TO the front that these
mineral resources have required I'M.
told ages for their accumulation: ina;
no human being has contributed 90
ward this accumulation or has in
creased the intrinsic value Of these
resources; and that hence their pres
emf owners. whether acquiring them
through discovery or purchase. have
10 right 10 waste or destroy that
which is necessary TO the wealth Of |,
ihc nation. which they did not ere
ate aud which they cannot replace.
The coal supplies Of the United
States. which occpy an aggregata
area of 100000 square miles. are es
timated 10 contain about 100000
600 600 tons Of coal available for min
ing under existing conditions. The
boundaries Of these coal fields are al
ready 50 well known that the discoy.
ery Of deposits outside these bound
aries is not likely 10 equal per cent
If the total known supplies.
Rate Of Consumption.
The estimates Of our iron ore sup H.
'fl p HArffa HIN'N Nh'a - .li' WI tNtlI .
every available source. indicate that /.
lf tha high grade ores we have in
light available for use under pres
-nt economic conditions 5.S4S111 600
Ions. Of which nearly twothirls are
located in the Lake Superior district
IN addition to this. the final estimate 4.
sf Iow grade iron ores. those not r.
AVAILABLE for use under existing con n
iliions. shoUs thar ther are about -. H.
...a eco Ho1 tens distributed through IL
lut the iron producing districts. A. n
DE present increasing rate 81 con e
sumption 20 Is estimated that the high lo
.radc iron 0res uill have been largely
Consumed b. The middle OF The pres
ut century. while The supplies n (