El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-07-01
Bureau OF Mines Devoted
To All Mining Interests
LIFE AND COAL SAVING THE WORK

1HE new bureau of mines. in the
department of the interior, be-
gins its existence today. The act
establishing the bureau was approved
by president Taft on May 16 Of this
year. In the creation of this bureau
the government gives tardy recognition
10 the second greatest industry of the
nation, an industry which yields to %he
nation more than two billion dollars a
year in wealth.
The work of the bureau Of mines will
be work of conservation, in that its
prime purposes are the saving Of
human lives and the prevention of ac-
tual waste and loss in the mines of the
country. The bureau Will not under
take the work of mine inspection, which
Will remain under the control of the
several states, but it will give the state
inspectors its cooperation and advice,
especially along lines suggested by sci
critic investigation
Nearly three years ago, under the
direction of the geological survey,
systematic investigation of the fuel
supply was undertaken. This investi-
cation directed attention to the waste
full methods of coal mining in this
country, and also to the great loss
of life among miners, especially those
working in coal fields. The work of
this particular investigation, which in
cluded also the testing of structural
materials, expanded so rapidly and was
so productive of beneficial results, that
new life was given to the long dor
mant demand for a federal bureau
of mines. This movement has its frui-
ton today in the establishment of the
bureau.
Miners Safety Considered.
Life saving is to be one of the chief
purposes of the bureau. There are 700,-
600 coal miners in the United States.
and 1t is a shameful fact that a greater
number OF men are killed in the mines
of the United States every year than
in the mines of any other country, a
number greater both in the aggregate
and in proportion TO the number Of
men employed Furthermore, the rec
ords show that the proportion of deaths
among coal miners has been increasing
in this country, while it mas been de-
creasing in all other countries. In con-
nectiOn with this statement it is inter-
esting to note that the United States
is the last mining nation TO establish
government bureau of mines.
The rate per 1000 of men killed at
work among American coal miners for
a period of 20 years has. been 3.13. This
denotes a steady increase from 2.52 in
1899 up TO $50 in 1908. For the past
10 years the United States showed a
UcdAn per 1UtU COSl miners OF
3-46, as compared with 2.13 in Prussia,
1.29 in Great Britain and Loo in Bel
GUM.
In Belgium. where a scientific study
OF the problems of coal mining has
been carried on for so years, the death
rate among coal miners has been de-
creased steadily, decade by decade, so
that the number of miners killed per
1000 has been decreased from 3.2S for
ha dacada in TO I
for the last decade. In the last 10
years 1854 coal miners were killed
in the United States, the death rate
being 3.46 for each 1000 employed. In
Belgium N the same period 2409 miners
were killed, a rate of Los per 1000. II
the United States had had Belgium's
death rate, 1855 lives would have
been saved in those 10 years.
Metal Miners Deaths Many.
The records of accidents in metal
and ore mines are not so complete rs
of those in the coal mines. But it is
known that. while not nearly so many
deaths occur, the death rate per 1900
is quite as high among the metal
miners of this country as among the
coal miners. For instance. in the Min
nesota iron mines the death rate per
1000 was 5.54 for three years. and in
the Missouri lead and zinc mines the |
death/rate was 3.01 for 10 years These
figures must be compared with the
record of the death rate of lis for all
metal mines in Great Britain. and Of
1.05 for all ore mines in Belgium, to
appreciate how far the American mines
lag behind in the business of safe |
guarding the lives of their employees.
The new bureau vii make scientific |
researches such as make for safety
in mining. These Investigations viii /
be used as the basis for legislation, /
both state and national, which will |
tend to reduce the loss of life. The /!
bureau has no authority TO enforce any /
that it may make, /
FOR has it the power to make regula |
tons or to compel obedience to its !
rules.
To Prevent Waste.
A great part of the work of the new |
bureau will be devoted to investig cations /
toward establishing ways and !
means of preventing waste in the mines !
Of the country. The coal production /
Of the United States now amounts TO {
approXima tely half billion tons every |
year. while the yearly waste of coal, ]