Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-09-26

The thirteenth annual session OF the
American Mining congress opens today In
Los Angeles. Cal. Many prominent public
men will be there. i'm addition to the usual
contingent OF mining authorities who at
tend these annual congresses. Numerous
important questions will come up for con
sideration, one OF the most interesting
of which relates to the safety OF miners.
other matters to be discussed arc the new
Bureau of Mines. conservation as applied
to mining, workmen-s compensation, min
ing investments. the oil industry, uniform
mining legislation, and the increased use
Of silver The mining congress has &C
cumulated such a large amount OF mining
literature that IL has been thought wise
TO establish permanent headquarters. Such
headquarters have been opened at Den
YER
Great progress has been made in mining
conditions since the last meeting OF the
congress The national government has
authorized the establishment of a bureau
Of mines and many Of the states have en-
barked upon a program of legislation look
to the proper safeguarding Of miners. Hi
nois, the first to take up mine rescue
work, has appropriated $4,000 for the pur-
posce of carrying forward this great hu-
manitarian activity. Thirty thousand dol
lars OF this sum is to be used for the
construction of station buildings, N2,SOO
! for their equipment and $500 is to be re-
served for contingencies. In the appropri-
atoms for the work allotted TO the federal
| bureau OF mines $4,000 is to be used In
equipping new rescue stations and $4,000
for additional equipment in stations al
ready established. Another $4,000 is made
| GIah for he gtt1 Of exDlOgiNpg
in mines $4,000 for the study OF electricity
| as applied to mining and $500 for expert
ments with devices for preventing mine
accidents.
| Several rescue stations for miners already
have been established by the federal gov
| eminent. One of these is at Huntington,
wv Va. in the center of the West Virginia
mining district; another at Birmingham,
! Ala. In the heart of the Alabama coal re-
| gion; another at Wilkes Barre, Pa, con-
tiguous to the many big mines in that sec
ton others at Billings, Mont. and in
Utah have been planned and soon will be
in operation. What a fire department Is
to a big city. the fire rescue stations
in the mining district ts to the
mines of that section. There Is al
ways an emergency force ready to move al
an instant's notice. carrying with il such
efforts in rescuing imprisoned and en-
tombed miners When the force is not OF
dutr II will be occupied in conducting
training school at the rescue station Here
the miners who are detailed to attend thu
school will be taught the lessons of pro
lection from mining dangers and lay thu
foundation for imparting this knowledge e
all miners engaged within the district
The recent great catastrophe at Cherry
ILL.,, where many miners lost their lives
may prove to have been blessing in dis
guise. A number of miners were cut off ii
small chamber. They closed the openin
leading to the main part of the mine an
were thus able to keep alive for many days
and were finally rescued. This has lie
mining engineers to make careful stud
of the possibility of constructing refug
chambers in all actively worked mines.
is estimatd that by an outlay Of $4,000
sufficient number of such chambers coul
be constructed to make the average min
safe for the miner. If this idea shall prov,
under actual test, to be satisfactory, it
: certain that the government will eventual
= enact a law requiring the establishment {
such havens OF refuge. just as It has re
quired air-brakes and automatic coupler
" on the railroads.
:. At Birmingham Ala. the Crittende
Home association, organized for the car
. of disabled miners and of the widows an
orphans of those who have lost the
. lives in mining accidents, is preparing I
erect a home at cost OF from $4,000
:, 100000. Each miner in the district is
contribute 81 to the project at the outse
and TO pay 81 a year thereafter for III
y, assurance that IL he is permanently II
= jured in a mine accident he will be care
: for. or II killed, his family will be locke
after In addition TO this. each cOmpan
- employing miners is TO be requested
contribute 81 for each miner employs
!, and a like amount during each succeedin
!, year. In addition TO this 1t is aimed to e
tablish q pension fund by which those WI
:, grow old In the service will be provided 70
!. The importance OF the mining industi
= in the United States is shown by the IA
that 65 per cent Of all the traffic on Il
= railroads of the country originated in 1
~ mines. There are more than ZOO 900 mine
employed and the total annual produ