The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-12-08
b Human Lives Before Reaching the
Consumer.
MANY MINERS KILLED
Statistics Show That Over Thirty
Thousand Have Pcri>hed in the
Last Twenty Years. Which is -Four
Times rs Many as We're Killed
in Europe.

The m!ae--escuc station represents
one OF the most recent efforts made
oy tho government 20 reduce TIE
number OF tata, accidents iu mines.
and !t is but one feature Of gen
e:al study 0; the causes OF mine
disasters COW being undertaken by
tho Geological Survey at the mine
accidents station In P!tts5uTg. Pa.
This humanitarian work was
started in July. 1905. b. authorize
ton OF congress. which app7opr!at-
ed sI.o.0o6 70. this purpose. after
four explosions il coal min"s in De-
cen,be.. is0.. costing 100 lives.
These disasters startled th- entire
coun,-v and l..d 10 z general inquiry
into the death rates among miners
in the United States.
Statistics gathered By the United
States Geological! Survey shows
2.00I miners killed and $500 in.
! ju.ed in the coal mines in 1896,
and 3.l.5 killed and $500 injured
IL 1907. The death rate for 1907
| was ass for every 1000 men EN-.
| ployed. In 1908. 1850 men were
killed. o. $50 in every 1000 EN-
ployed. q reduction Of 615 !E the
number OF deaths from 1907.
European cosl-2goduc!nS count.ie:
show death rates in mining az low
as / in every 1000 men employed
and not more than .. In Other
words 70. every man killed II
| Europe coal mines from two 70 fou.
are killed 10 the mines o! tho Uni;
ed States. Since 1889 more thar
10000 miners have been killed !!
the United States. Tho lowe. deati
rate IN European countries IS du'
TO the establishment OF eovernmen
testing stations for the ;nvestiga
ton OF problems relating to sGfet.
IN mining. including the use Of ex
plosives.
I The principal work at the Pitts
burg sation consists Of testing ex
plos;ves to determine their safet
when fred in the presence OF e1p!o
sive gas or coal dust. and mucl
progress has already been made |,
this work II Is the purpose OF IN
government: 20 continue IN. -es;s o
explosives until certain Of then! cal
be recommended 70 state mining bu
reaus. coal-m!ne owners. and miner
as reasonably safe.
/ Government mining engineer
thoroughly trained IN the use 0
rescue apparatus have been assign
ed 10 the stations already establish
ed and are ready at moments no
,ice 70 80 10 any disaster IN thei
dIstric'- Whom an explosion occur
tc coal mine. the re-eStab!!Shing o
The veotilat!ns current Is often dc
layed several hours. and many live
have been lost apparently bccaus
.escue-s have been unable to ad
vance beyond the area where -
mine was ventilated IN order 10 tin
persons who had suffered no physi
cal injury from the explosion. bu
who were slowly dying from inhal
alton Of poisonous and non-i!fe-snp
porting gases.
With a properly equipped !escu
corps wearing oxygen helmets mar
lives may be saved L the reScuer
can reach the min. within two o
three hours af.e. the explosion. Sue,
IS ;he record I: mines :c foreig
countries which are equipped Wit,
similar rescue apparatus has bee
brought into action within fe1
hours after the explosion. SeTe!
al coai-operating companies aav
realized the advantage Of such se:et
appliances and have installed then
at some place coaven!en: TO tnci
mines. Equipped with the osyge,
helmets. which permit a.tiicia
breathing. the reScucrs are enabled
10 enter mine at once. even though
/, is filled with noxious and IRE
spi-ab bic gases or with smoke