The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1911-06-08


sVLlFo N ms N0N o- sc5I 1fe II 20 y nJtsSoT
To blame came out at the hearing. but ig-
nOrcd. Fire Boss Trader at No G. In which the cars
ended the said that twice before there had been
runaNayS, and each occasion nres had been
started IN the coal dust but had been extlnEuished
before they sprcda. And Blacksmith jenkins. hgur-
ing the time between the passage Of the cars and
the moment Of explosion. showed that between tho
short circuit and the explosion there had been at
least a remarkable coincidence
There were 3s2 men killed In that disaster and.
70 sbe cause had been nxcd on electricity. the own
'era might have eeen forced to pay $500 n man.
tze the owners of the Cherry Hill mine who faced
public opinion outraged a, the thought Of men be-
ing sealed alive In a burning mine. As n was they
got on by contributing $4,000 TO be added TO the
public relief fund Of $4,000. So instead Of 81 500
each man cost only t552S.
Electricity was also not blamed In the case OF
the Mariana disaster Of November ss. 1908. when
i5t men lost their lives but after the public inter
est had blown over. the OF electricity was aban
doned the suggestion OF the department Of mines
and compressed air replaced In its stead This
might appear to Indicate guilty knowledss Of the
real cause
As n matter Of fact the Of the mine. the
Pittsburg. Buffalo Company. had alrtad had warn
ing that all vas not right In the Mariana. On Au.
gust u. more than two months before the big en-
posion. there a smaller explosion which result
ed In the death Of one man and serious injury to
two others: and Alderman A. Y. Day. OF MonOuga-
hela. before whom the preliminary hearing took
place found that the accident had been due TO cleo
tricity William Underwood. foreman In chaT-e Of
the mine arrested on Information nled b. state
Mine Inspector John p Bell. on a charge Of permit
ting "the Of spaTk.thrOWing machinery in that
part Of the mine where Cnly safety lamps are al
lowed"
The Pittsburs. Buffalo Company repeatedly denied
the fact OF this accident but the report Of the II e
department Of mines for 1908 contains an account
Of the accident
Now that the United States government has
recognized the danger of electricity. Il has taken
the position that q would be blocking progress to
prevent its use. So II has set about solving the
problem in a way that will bring final relief. but
ths viii prevent the death OF thousands Of men.
who will lose their lives account OF electricity be-
tween now and the time when safely devices are
invented. II is impossible TO hx an exact number.
but probably no less than ave hundred have come
to their death through unsafe electric apparatus In
the past year. the length Of time the government
has been at work on the problem.
In March, 1910 the federal department Of mines
sent word to all manufacturers Of electric mining
apparatus that n. n. Clark. an engineer. had been
placed In charge OF the work at tho Pittsburg test
ing station and ready to stamp the seal Of gov
ernment approval all electric mining machinery
that did not spark: but nine months later he had
not yet discovered single piece Of electric appara
tus which met the requirements Just consider that
for a moment Even with all the improvements
which have been made 30 electric apparatus. safety
Il a. far on
But what Il 90 be dOner II n objected that you
can't stop ninetenths Of the mines from operating
until they made safe. And yet. n they are pea
mitted 10 go ahead as at present they absolute
" certain to Min from 5000 TO 5000 before s-fs
apparatus Is devised and installed.
Are those 5000 lives to BE- sacriheed' Is nothing
To be done meanwhile, Apparently not
n those 5000 men were In one mine and abso
lutely certain meet death there unless the elee
trie apparatus we're out the situation would b
dramatic public opinion would be aroused and sons
thing quite eMeetual would be done. The real meet
Is no less nsistenL IT. then a would not be absurt
to demand immediate action in the one case. Il Il
not IN the other.
But. Il is objected again. Il would interfere with
business. Il would be too expenGlve. impossible
Money. then has mcte rights than humanity. Monel
must be saved at any cost 10 mon And these 5.0O'
must die because Il would be too expensive to save
them.
In Colorado they beginning 20 see the light
whole series Of horrible disasters has forced
on them. The eoroner's jury that investigated tn
stnrkvIlle explosion found n had been due 10 elec
tricIty and a commission appointed By the Eoverno
strongly urged on the legislature this spring abso
lutey 20 forbid the Of electrieiy IN mines. re
gardleaa of the cost
HAVING no power 20 enlOrce ths use of safst'
apparatns. tho department Of mines b baalnG u
unaertnhing On moral snnsion- win ths help Q
mining Inspectors and new stata le@4 . hnpee a
Eet reauita Evontually. 4 has reeson % belevs
Il wili be succeoafal n Il dplnG sAuillnr wofh q
Fasnect % exploaivea