The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1911-10-12

was to blame came out at the hearing. but was ig
nored Fire Boss Trader at No. 6, in which the
ended the rum said that twice before there had been
runaways, and on each occasion fires had been
started in the coal dust, but had been extingushed
before they spreda. And Blacksmith Jenkins, fgur
ing the time between the passage of the cars and
the moment of explosion, showed that between the
short circuit and the explosion there had been at
least remarkable coincidence
There were 1862 men killed in that disaster and,
II the cause had been fixed on electricity, the
ers might have been forced to pay $1,000 man,
like the owners of the Cherry Hill mine. who faced
public opinion outraged at the thought of men be-
ing sealed alive in burning mine AS 1t was, they
got off by contributing $4,000 to be added to the
public relief fund of $4,000. So instead of 81 500
each man cost only $685.
Electricity was also not blamed in the Of
the Mariana disaster Of November %, 1908, when
154 lost their lives but after the public inter-
est had blown over the of electricity aban,
doned at the suggestion of the department Of mines
and compressed air replaced In its stead. This
might appear to indicate guilty knowledge Of the
real cause.
Pittsburg- Buffalo Company, had already had
ing that all was not right in the Mariana. On Au'
gust IL, more than two months before the big ex'
posion there was smaller explosion which result,
ed in the death of man and serious injury to
two others; and Alderman A. R. Day, of Mononga-
place found that the accident had been due to cleo
trlcity. William Underwood, foreman in charge OF
the NINE was arrested on information filed by State
Mine Inspector John F. Bell, a charge Of permit
ting "the use of sparkthrowing machinery in that
part of the mine where only safety lamps are al
lowed"
The Pittsburg-Buffalo Company repeatedly denied
the fact of this accident but the report of the state
department of mines for 1908 contains account
of the accident.
Now that the United States government has
recognized the danger Of electricity, 1t has taken
the position that 1t would be blocking progress to
prevent its USE So 1t has set about solving the
problem in way that will bring final relief but
this will not prevent the death of thousands of
who will lose their lives on account of electricity be-
tween now and the time when safely devices
h vented, 1t is impossible to fix exact number,
but probably no less than five 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 H. H. Clark an engineer, had been
placed in charge of the work at the Pittsburg test
ing station and ready to stamp the seal of gov
eminent 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 moment. Even with all the improvements
which have been made to electric apparatus safety
is as far of as ever
But what is to be done? 1t is objected that you
can't stop nine-tenths Of the mines from operating
until they made safe And yet, If they are per-
mitted to go ahead as at present they absolute
y certain TO kill from 1000 to 5000 before safe
apparatus is devised and installed.
Are those 5000 lives to be sacrificed? Is nothing
to be done meanwhile? Apparently not.
II those 5000 men we're In one mine and abso
lutely certain to meet death there unless the cleo
trio apparatus torn out, the situation would be
dramatic public opinion would be aroused, and some
thing quite effectual would be done The real need
Is no less insistent IT, then 1t would not be absurd
to demand immediate action In the case 1t 10
not in the other
But, 1t Is objected again. It would interfere with
business, it would be too expensive. impossible
Money, them has rights than humanity. Money
must be saved at any cost to men. And these 5000
must die because 1t would be too expensive to
them.
In Colorado they are beginning to see the light
A whole series of horrible disasters has forced 1t
on them. The coroner's jury that investigated the
Starkvile explosion found it had been due to cleo
tricty and commission appointed by the governor
strongly urged on the legislature this spring abso
lutely to forbid the OF electricity In mines,
CARELESS of the cost
Having no power to enforce the of safety
apparatus the department of mines is basing its
undertaking on moral suason. With the help OF
mining jaspectors and new state laws 1t hopes to
get results Eventually, 1t has reason to believe.
1t will be successful It IS doing similar work In
respect to explosives.