The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-12-08
WHAT COAL COST
In Human Lives Before Reaching The
Consumer.
MANY MINERS KILLED

Statistics Show That Over Thirty
Thousand Have Persisted In the
Last Twenty Years, Which Is Four
Times as Many as Were Killed
In Europe
The mine-rescue station represents
one Of the most recent efforts made
by the government 10 reduce the
number Of fatal accidents In mines,
and 1t is but one feature Of q gen
eral study Of tho causes OF mine
disasters now being undertaken By
the Geological Survey at the mine
accidents station In Pittsburg, Pa,
This humanitarian work was
started in July, 1908. by authorize
ton OF congress, which appropriate
ed $4,000 for this purpose, after
four explosions in coal mines In De-
cember, 1907. costing 700 lives
| These disasters startled the entire
country and led to a general inquiry
into the death rates among miners
in the United States.
Statistics gathered By the United
States Geological Survey shows
2,0Ol miners killed and $500 In
tured In the coal mines In 1906,
and 3.l25 killed and $500 injured
In 1907. The death rate for 1907
WAS 4.86 for every 1000 men en-
ployed. In 1908. 2.450 men were
killed, or $50 In every 1000 en-
ployed, o reduction Of 675 In the
number Of deaths from 1907.
European coal-producing countries
show death rates In mining as low
as l in every 1000 lei employed
and not more than 2. In other
words for every man killed In
Europe coal mines from two to four
are killed In the mines Of the Unit
ed States. Since 1889 than
10000 miners have been killed In
the United States. The lower death
rate in European countries Is due
to the establishment OF government
testing stations for the ~investiga-
ton of problems relating to safety
in mining. including the use of ex-
plosives.
The principal work at the Pitts
burg sation consists Of testing ex-
plosives to determine their, safety
when fred In the presence Of explo-
sive gas or coal dust. and much
progress has already been made In
this work. 1t Is the purpose Of the
government to continue the tests Of
explosives until certain Of them can
be recommended to state mining bu.
reaus, coal-mine owners, and miners
as reasonably safe
Government mining engineers
thoroughly trained In the use Of
rescue apparatus have been assign
ed to the stations already establish
ed and are ready at a moments no
tice to go to any disaster in their
district. When an explosion occurs
in q coal mine. the re-establishlng of
the v%entilating current Is often de-
layed several hours, and many lives
have been lost apparently because
rncn,,nro hot,n hnnn rnoh1a m Cd
beyond the area where the
mine was ventilated in order to find
persons who had suffered no physi-
cal injury from the explosion, but
who We're slowly dying from inhal-
alton Of poisonous and non-life-sup-
porting gases.
With q properly equipped rescue
corps wearing oxygen helmets many
lives may be saved II the rescuers
can reach the mine within two or
three hours after the explosion. Such
is the record at mines in foreign
countries which r equipped with
similar rescue apparatus has been
brought Into action within a few
hours after the explosion. Sever
al coal-operating companies have
realized the advantage OF such safety
appliances and have installed them
at some place convenient to their
mines. Equipped with the oxygen
helmets. which permit artificial
breathing. the ~rescuers are enabled
to enter q mine at once, even though
II is filed with n~oxious and ire
spirable gases or with smoke.