El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-02-25
PREVENTING MINE
DISASTERS.
NEARLY 10000 MINERS KILLED IN 10 YEARS

come such grewsome thing
thar humanity may Wei shuddef
at its awful record. In the last 10 years
10000 metal miners have persisted while
at work.
In the year 1907, 1925 unfortunates
lost their lives, and the following year
2z50 were lost in the coal mines of the
United States alone This terrible
tragedy of the mines is being enacted
nearly every day.
Only a short time ago more than 300
men were roasted to death in a coal
mine at Cherry, Ill. and since then 200
more have been killed in explosions.
Seventynine were numbered on the
death roll at Pimero, Cole, and n few
days later 80 were killed in Kentucky.
Eleven were hurled into eternity at In
diana, Pa, and after that an explosion
in the Paulau mine 10 Mexico wiped
out nearly 100 more.
These disasters are coming so thick
and fast that there does not seem to be
time between explosions to bury the
dead Every time the newspapers re-
ports one of these horrors, 100000 femi-
nine hearts falter for a moment. for
the wife of the miner has every reason
to live in constant apprehension.
PitifuI Scene at Cherry.
Today, at Cherry. H., a most grew
some series of events is taking place
one hundred and eighty bodies are still
In the mine, whose shaft was sealed
weeks ago in the hope of smothering
the lire that was raging Miners and
OFFICIALS, hoping that the fire has been
extlnguished.s are preparing to bring
out the bodies The few surviving
miners, fearful that an epidemic of
disease will follow the removal of the
cOTDS6S-
ing that the bodies of the men in the
mine be destroyed by chemicals The
women, many OF them made widows
Dy their husbands being lost in this
holocaust, are pleading that the bodies
be preserved for burial.
sentiment means more to them in
their great grief than any dire conse-
quences that may follow. MANY Of
tnem feel that they have already lost
all ana that nothing worse can hap
pen.
A sad feature of this heart rendfng
tragedy is that "A babies have been horn
10 ihese women since that terrible dav
% pltful little orphans whose help
less plight calls for the deepest SYM
pathy The very suggestion that their
Iathers lives may have been lost by
carelessness Is an awful arraignment
against those who are responsible.
Wager on Lives.
y shOt flrer in a coal mine who
was getting SO day for his dangerous
work, made a demand upon the s1Der-
lntendent Of the mine for more money
You're getting more wages now than
you are entitled to- was the reply of
the superintendent.
Wages" exclaimed the shot firer
TINS company doesn't pay me wages
1t bets me SO day that 1 won't como
out OF this mine alive II / do the
company gives me SO; if 1 don't. thew
bury me-" = ''eS
seven hundred thousand coal miners
ana $4,000 metal miners daily make
bet with. the owners of the rninoc
that they will come out alive If tba1-
WIN, they get their wages for the dav.
II tney lose. the company buries them
and that is about all \ little later
| ne WIDOWS may get a few hundred dol
iars-zo or them settled the other dav
al the rate of $3.50 each.
Death Rate Abroad
There is, however, A brighter s5da
TO this dark horror of the mines Tbe
people are beginning to realize the sir
uallon and TO act accordingly. The
stage has passed and tho
Puolic rs stunned at what il has learned
otatistlcs OF mine accidents in this ana
foreign countries have been eagerly
scanned for information, and the ra-
SUITS nave been in every instance to
inc dlscredH of the United States.
me European figures show i'm marv
countries not more than one man killed
IN every 1000 employed in years time.
and In other counties less than +u-o
In the United States. in 1907 -.
live men in every 1000 EMPLOYED wer,
Killed in the coal mines. and in 1qoS
TIC rate was nearly four
someone who delves in figures ,,,o,,,..
the statement that IL the United Sta,es
mao me record of the best EuronaoD
countries. such as Belgium. Is 000 ont
of the 10000 men killed I'm tha so
mines OF this country in the last IN
Years might have been saved.
furlher investigation of the Euro-
Deah Ilgures discloses the fact tbat
ago these countries had records
= sIaceIuI as our own. The reduc-
,,On II me number OF accidents in this
most hazardous occupation began ~,
hese countries took nm So1o.' Nii.ii
nvestigation OF the causes of accidan+S
he decrease in the number of doothr
las continued until today in German,
Ilea' britain. Belgium and France the
,o"i mines are killing slightly over
me man in every 1000 employed.
Wire Disasters of 1907.
ne year 1907 witnessed four of the
most shocking mine explosions in tbe
history OF the United States. The great
- VI these was at Monongah. w. Va
- "nich "oS men were killed. A few
.dSs later there followed the explosion
u nc Darr mine i'm PennsvIvania
were lou were killed. Another M the
'"oili mine in Pennsylvania killed 81