The Appeal., 1911-05-06

rate whereas every other country is showing a
decrease" d, ~. .t. -> ..-..
They pointed out that the European mines are
deep and beset with many dangers we are not
troubled with, while our mines are easy and
should be safe to work, because the veins
large and thick and run horizontally And yet they
showed where kill four times as many as
France. ...~ .-.z... @
This is the condition of comparatively safe
mines Of today but, as they showed, we are now
beginning for the first time in the history of coal
mining in this country to open veins that real
~ dangerous. We are on the very threshold Of
new and far more hazardous period in coal mining,
and, unless we take active measures, we are going
to have series of mine explosions which will
appal us-even if there Americans killed
Out of the report they made has grown the
Pittsburg testing station of the department Of
mines, which is now taking up the most serious
cause of mine explos1ons-electricity. There would
be no objection to electricity under proper condl.
tons, but the difficulty with it at the present time
is that the electrical machinery sparks In a
gaseous or dusty mine, given the right conditions
and it needs only spark to kill every man In it.
1t should be used only in mines where there is no
chance of the accumulation of gas; but, in point
OF fact it has been adopted most generally by the
mine operators of the "gas belt" of Western Penn
sylvania and West Virginia. In all that country!
there is never any telling where gas will be struck
next; and the cutting machines, which work ahead
and are most likely to open gas pockets are oper-
ated by electric dynamos which are constantly "at
the face of the coal. Formerly it was the rule
and In some states the law to bore ahead and test
for gas pockets, but with the modern electric
ting machines all such precautions are out Of the
question
The case against electricity when used for pow
er, is the most serious consideration in the whole
of the coal mining situation, because it has made
coal production cheaper and, that account no
matter how many deaths it causes, it would be
extremely difficult to drive it of the dangerous
coal fields. The saving averages about three
cents ton, but here is instance of the lengths
to which operators have gone to make that miser-
able profit When the dangers from electricity
began to be understood it's use was permitted only
IN mines where open lights were safe. So the op-
orators, to dodge the law tore out their covered
lights and sent men into gaseous mines with fam
ing torches in their hats Then until some terrific
accident happened, the mine inspectors were ST.
fenced.
Perhaps blame the coal operators
for reducing the cost of production to the lowest
possible point; but when they do so at the present
tremendous cost Of human lfe It is high time they
feel the stern hand Of regulation So far. however
they have always been able to prevent the real
cause OF some Of the worst disasters being laid to
electricity. A definite cause in any event. is an
aDhorrence to them. For, II the blame can be
placed on the operating machinery Of a mine, it
opens the way to damage suits, a contingency the
coal operators are adopts at escaping
This whole situation was never better shown
than in the terrific disaster at Mononx.h No g. in
west virginia, which had the longest death list
IN the history OF American coal mining. The acct
dent occurred on December IS, 1907 Immediately
after trip Of fifteen loaded mine cars liberated
Dy tne breaking OF an iron coupling pin, had run
back twelve hundred feet on an eight per cent
grade, raising thick cloud of dust and ending bv
causing short circuit IN the electric current But
when it came to liking the cause electricity was
hardly considered 9 fact that Is particularly note