The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-12-02
WHAT COAL COST
Ii Hun,a 1--we; . fore Reaching tie
Consumer.
MANI HiN1RS KILLED
Statistics Show Th4t Over Thirty
Thousand Have Perished in the
Last Twenty Years, Which Is Four
Times as Many Us Were killed
in Europe.

in Europe.
The mine-rescue station represents
one of the most recent efforts made
by the government to reduce the
number Of fatal acct tents in mines
and it Is but one feature OF gen
eral study of the causes OF mine
isasters now being undertaken by
the Geological Survey at the mine
accidents station in Pittsburg, Pa
This humanitarian work was
started in July, 1908, by authoriza'
ton of congress, which appropriate
ed Sl50,o00 for this purpose, after
four explosions in coal mines In De
cember, 1907, costing TOO lives
These disasters startled the entire
country and led to general inquiry
into the death rates among miners
in the United States.
Statistics gathered by the United
States Geological Survey shows
2,Oo1 miners killed and 4,20o IL.
jured In the coal mines in 1906
and 3.125 killed and $500 injured
in 1907. The death rate for 1902
was 4.S6 for every 1000 men en-
ployed. In 1908, 2,450 men were
killed. or $50 in every 1000 en-
ployed. q reduction of 675 in the
number Of deaths from 1907.
European coal-prolucing countries
show death rates in mining as low
as / In every 1000 men employe /
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 more 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. .L-,- -.
The principal work. at the Pitts
burg sation consists of testing ex-
plosives to determine their safety
when fired 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.
ice to go to any disaster in their
district. When an explosion occurs
in coal mine. the re-estabhshing of
the ventilating, current Is often de-
layed several hours, and many lives
have been lost apparently because
'lcSSuclo nave UCSa uudUlS " oo-
vance 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 were slowly dying from inhal-
,tion Of poisonous and non-life-sup-
porting gases.
With a properly equipped rescue
corps wearing oxygen helmets many
lives may be saved If the rescuers
can reach the mine within two or
three hours after the explosion. Such
is the record at mines in foreign
countries which are equipped with
similar rescue apparatus has been
brought into action within few
hours after the explosion. Sever
al coal-operating companies lave
realized the advantage of such safety
appliances and have installed them
1t some place convenient to their
mines. Equipped with the oxygen
helmets, which permit artificial
breathing, the rescuers are enabled
o enter mine at once, even though
it Is filled with noXious and ire