The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-05-16
AIMS TO REDUCE
MINE FATALITIES
Uncle Sam Proposes To Have Life
Saving Service To Check Number
of Horrors Underground.
BY ROBERT =. WILSON.

WASHINGTON, May 16.-American
indifference is responsible for the
needless sacrifice OF the lives OF thou
sands OF American miners each year.
According TO figures submitted To
the senate committee on mines and
mining, nearly $4,000 coal miners
alone who lost their lives during the
past ten years might have been saved
had proper mining regulations been
observed
Mortality figures regarding metal
mines have not been kept, but tho
cursory investigation made by the
United States geological survey re-
yeals the startling fact that the death
rate In American iron. copper, silver
and gold mines is even higher than
that in the coal mines.
This is new information. Metal
mine disasters attract but little notice,
owing TO the fact that II is seldom a
large number OF miners are killed IN
any one accident. But the metal mine
accidents make up In frequency what
they lack In size.
In the Iron county, Michigan, ore
mines nearly seven OF every thousand
laborers employed are killed each
year. The man who takes job In
an Iron county mine has about the
same chance OF living a year out as
the men stricken with appendicitis
has Of pulling through his illness.
He has even q poorer chance for
life than the child with diphtheria In
this day OF anti-toxine.
Science has come to the relief OF
the sick man and child American
apathy has left the miner to his fate.
He delves underground that We may
be warmed and fed and clothed, but
we have taken no thought OF him.
America Is wasteful of her natural
resources. The committee on mines
Is informed that the annual waste OF
coal IN mining is $50, 100000 tons. The
total production Is only 100000, 900
tons. That is, the mine operators
throw away one ton for every two tons
they bring TO the surface. All be-
cause It's cheaper to mine that way.
The owners OF zinc, copper, silver
and gold mines equal the coal mine
owners in prodigality In abandoning
half worked mines. One western cop
per mine daily wastes $4,000 Of copper
In the smelling process.
And no It Is estimated that Ame-i-
can mines, coal and metal together,
throw away each working day OF the
year 81 100000 OF priceless resources.
II Is TO do away with his criminal
waste OF life and resources that the
government geological experts are
proposing an American bureau OF
mines. The bill providing for the
bureau has been reported favorably
from the committee, and Is likely 10
pass.
Three years ago the technologic
branch of the geological survey took
up the work of scientific life saving
at mine disasters and the scientific
measures to prevent disasters.
Government red tape has made the
service Intellectual. The survey men,
with their oxygen helmets and other
appliances. have no legal rights In
any mine after disaster. Mines ut
present are under state supervision.
This life saving service will be un-
dertaken by the new bureau Stations
with men and apparatus to respond to
alarms will be situated In mining dis
tricts, and It is believed many lives
will be saved
Technically, at first, It will not be
a life saving service, but a govern
ment investigating service. Until the
bureau can have proper laws It must
start with the laws as they are.
The government figures show that
In the last ten years 1915 men per-
ished in coal mines.
Over 100000 men work in Ameri-
can coal mines. Great Britain. with
100000. killed in ten years 10000 men
"a little more than half the United
States total.
Belgium. with $4,000 miners, had
only 1.401 fatalities in ten years. Yet
American natural mining conditions
are much safer than those OF Europe.
European coal veins are thin and dan
gerous to mine. The mines OF Bel
gium are heavy with explosive Are
damp.
But European mine bureaus have
rigid safety lamp regulations,
have regulated the use OF explosives.
and have kent coal dust down by
Effective rescue work IN
time OF accidents has kept the death
rate low.