Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-12-05
MINE RESCUE WORK
BY GOVERNMENT
AGENTS
Startling Death Rate Among
Underground Workers Re-
SponSibIe for Inauguration of
Humanitarian Work

The mine rescue station represents
one OF the most recent efforts made
by the government to reduce the
number OF fatal accidents in mines,
and IL is but one feature of a general
study OF the causes of mine disasters
now being undertaken by the geolog-
ical survey at the mine accident sta
ton in PittsburS. Pa.
This Humanitarian work was start
ed in July. 1908, by authorization OF
congress, which appropriated s15O.OO0
for this purpose. after four explosions
in coal mines in December, 1907. cost
ing 700 lives. These disasters startled
the entire country and led to a gem
eral inquiry into the death rates
among miners in the United States.
Stastics gathered by the United States
geological survey showed 2,06I min
ers killed and $500 injured in the
coal mines in 1906, and 3,125 killed
and $500 injured in 1907. The death
rate for 1907 was 4.S6 for every 1000
men employed. In 1908, 2.450 men
We're Killed. ar $50 in every 1000 en-
pioyed. a reduction OF 675 in the
number of deaths from 1907. Euro
pean coal producing countries show
death rates in mining as low as / in
every l,000 men employed ana not
more than =. In other words. for
every man killed ir European coal
mines from two 10 four are killed in
the mines OF the United States. Since
1899 more than 10000 miners have
been Killed in the United states. The
lower death rate in European coun-
tries Is due to the establishment of
government testing stations for the
investigation of problems relating TO
safety in mining, including the use OF
explosives. /
The principal work at the P%ittsbure
station consists OF testing explosives
to determine their safety when fired /
in the presence of explosive gas or
coal dust, and much progress has al
ready been made in this work. 1t is
the purpose of the government to con-
the tests of explosives NTH GER
tain of them can be recommended 10
state mining bureaus. coal mine own
ana miners a. reasonably safe.
The principal mine rescue station
a. Wv NNANAAA - N4AhAAFN at ltlSlui Esf
la the center OF the greatest coal field
In the world. A second station has
established at the University of
Illinois 10 take care of Investigations
In Illinois Indiana. Michigan. Iowa.
northern Missouri and western Ken
lucky Another station has been
established at Knoxville. Tenn, to
cover Alabama. Tennessee. Virginia.
Kentucky. Georgia and
southern West Virginia. other sta
lions will be established AT or near thu
centers of accidents. Perhaps
one viii be located AT Ration. y. NJ.
10 take care of the work In New Mex
Colorado. Utah. Wyoming. ana
Montana. \ station has also been
suggested At salt Lake CITY. which {
Nin be central Tor the Utah fields and
accessible 70 the Montana and the I
Washington fields. The coal fields OF !
oklahoma, Arkansas and southwest
I'm Missouri are 10 be covered 10y a -
near South McAIester. Okla. /.
Government mining engineers thor !
'ughly trained in the use OF rescue 7,
apparatus have been assigned to the F,
already established and are :,
AZ a moments notice To go to !,
ny disaster In their district. When
"a explosion occurs In q coal mine.
he establishing OF the ventilating
urrent ~ often delayed several hours,
nd many lives have been lost appar- p
nuy because rescuers have been un- :
HE To advance beyond the area ~
here the mine was ventilated in or O
find persons who had suffered "
@ physical injury from the explosion 4
mt who were slowly diving from in "a
OF poisonous and non-Hfe- $
lpporting gases. With a properly =
quipped rescue corns wearing oxy- n
en- helmets many lives may be saved :
the car reach the mine q
thin two or three hours after the :
xplosion. such il the record al =
In foreign countries which are A'
Quipped with similar rescue appar- =
and az mines in the United states ~
here the apparatus has been brought !,
ITO action within a few hours after
le explosion. Several coal-operatinV "
nmpanles have realized the advan-..
.ges Of such safety appliances and
installed them az some place =,
invcnient 10 their mineS Equipped :,
ith the oxygen helmets. which per- :
it artificial breathing the r~escuers =
- enabled To- enter a mine at once.Is
though il is filled with noxious IN
III irreparahle gases or with smoke. Ia