The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-25
WILL WORK ON
MINE ACCIDENTS
Federal Bureau of Mines Lacks
Funds for More Extended
Effort.
MORE MONEY MUST
COME FROM CONGRESS-
Some Interesting Points Which
the Bureau Will Proceed
TO Work Out.

The act establishing q bureau o. HlneS
in the department Of the Interior. ap-
proved May l6. 1910. became effective
July /. AS originally approved. the Law
contemplated the transfer of the enure
technoIoglc branch OF the United States
geological survey. the naine accident in
vestigatlons fuel Investigations. struc-
tural materials Investigations. the entire
personnel. property and equipment, 10
the bureau OF mines but the suncry civll
appropriation act approved June %,
amended the law 10 such an extent tnat
the structural materials Investigations,
including the personnel and equipment
for these Investigations went 10 the
bureau OF standards, department OF COM
merce and labor
Carving out the spirit and intent OF
the Law so amended. the secretary OF the
interior has transferred 10 tho bureau
of mines the Investigation or mine eccl-
dents and fuels. together with the per-
sonnet and equipment Of these !nVesu-
cations and has transferred 10 the
bureau OF standards and structural ma
ter!als investigations and the employees
OF the technologic branch OF the survey
engaged in these Investigations The
fully equipped testing station at Pitts
burg also goes TO the bureau OF mines
The bureau OF mines therefore in
cludes the mine accidents and fuel In
vestlgations for which an appropriation
OF $40. 900 was made by congress. The
total appropriations for the bureau. in
Guiding salaries. rent aud expenses OF
removal amount 10 s502. 200.
The work Of the bureau OF mines for
the first year will be a continuation and
expansion OF the work carried on by the
technologic branch OF the geological sur
vey. The law IN itself provides for va
riety Of other problems that properly be-
long 10 the bureau Of mines and which
should eventually be undertaken, such
as methods OF mining and metallursical
ss---s lac will Il.
ferred for the most part until congress
gives additional authorization In the
shape OF adequate appropriations The
spirit Of the DEBATES in congress both
on the bureau OF mines legislation and
on the appropriation Items emphasized
the desire TO regard the mine accidents
Investigations as urgent and this vii!
be the feature Of the work
In ali. $4,000 vas appropriated for
mine accident investigations. OF this
sum under the general plans approved
by the secretary Of the Interior. sl2OcOO
is TO be spent On the rescue stations.
$4,000 for housing nine stations. $4,000
for equipplns eight new stations. and
Si0.o 900 for additional equipment for flve
existing stations The allotment for the
investigation OF explosives Is $4,000: for
electricity IN mining, $4,000: appliances
for preventing mine accidents, $4,000; ex-
animation and codlfication OF mining
laws. $4,000: and other technoloEic In
vestigations. ore treatment, etc, SO.
NtN- lls- 6D6AsLlll7 dE4'i --SNAs-- U
the Goals. liguites. ores, and other min
eraI fuel substances belonging 70 OF for
the use o. the United States, 100000 was
appropriated. % this amount. $4,000
will be spent in the chemical and physical
investigation Of fuels: $4,000 in the in
sPectlon OF government fuel purchase;
S22.O0o in fuel efficiency investigations.
$4,000 in Ignite and peat Investigations;
and $4,000 IN briquetting Investigations.
The mine accident Investigations. which
have been transferred from the geological
survey TO the bureau Of mines were nrst
authorized In the legislature appropIla-
tIon act OF May D. 1905 Carrying fog this
purpose an appropriation Of Jo.0o0. This
was followed by a similar appropriation
carried in the act for the sundry civil
expenses OF the government for 1910 =
mine experiment station was established
ir Plttsburg during 1e0s. al which, since
that time. Investigations OF explosives.
coal gas dust. electricity and other pos
sihle causes OF mine explosions have been
continually under way. The mining engi-
neering field force Of the geological sur
vey has already made decided progress in
the study Of underground mining coadi-
tons and methods.
Practically all Of the coal mines IN
which mine explosions have occurred dur
Ing the last two years have been care
fully exa mined. the gases. coke and dust
have been anaiyzed at the laboratory ~
Ptttsburg and every effort has been made
to determine the explosibility Of various
mixtures OF gas and air in the presence
OF shots of different types of explosives.
Considera BILE progress has also been made
in the investigation OF explosives used in
coal mining. and the conditions under
which they may be used with least risk
Manufacturers have submitted many eX-
piosiveS for test at the station and a con-
siderable portion Of them passed and have
been classified among the perm isss ole eI-
plosives- The Investigations and educa
ticnal work IN connection with the use o;
artificial breathing and other types o.
mine rescue equipment. the so-called
oxygen helmets. have not only been use
ful in developing more satisfactory use
OF such equipment In the examination ot
mine explosions. bur also better methods
for using this equipment in mine rescue
work
The fuel iHvestiga tions under the geo
logical survey and which are transferred
to the bureau n! mines have already re-
suited IN a better realization throughout
the countr- rs 20 the value Of fuels. One
result Of this work & that nearly all OF
the fuel noE purchased by the fedora
government IL bought on specifications
and subject 20 test by the fuel division
or purchased after exa miuation made oi
the coal supplied by the mines from which
cnsI - delivered N the government.