The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1911-05-04


was to blame came out at the hearing, but g.
nored Fire Boss Trader at No g. in which the cars
ended the rum said that twice before there had been
runaways. and each occasion fires had been
started in the coal dust but had been extnguished
before they spreda. And Blacksmith Jenkins fgur-
ing the time between the passage OF the and
the moment of explosion showed that between the
short circuit and the explosion there had been at
least remarkable coincidence.
There 362 killed in that disaster and.
If the cause had been fixed electricity the own
ers might have been forced to pay 1880 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 it was, they
got off by contributing $4,000 to be added to the
public relief fund of $l49 600 So instead OF 81 800
each cost only $5525.
Electricity also not blamed in the case of
the Mariana disaster Of November 2S 1908 when
l54 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 warn
ing that all not right in the Mariana. On Au-
gust ~, more than two months before the big
posion, there a smaller explosion which result
cd in the death of and serious injury to
two others; and Alderman A. r. Day. of MonOnga
hela, before whom the preliminary hearing took
place, found that the accident had been due to cleo
tricity. William Underwood foreman in charge of
the mine arrested on information filed by State
Mine Inspector John F. Bell on a charge of permit
ting the use of sparz-throwng 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
hat he ited Stpta has
recognized the danger of electricity It has taken
the position that it would be blocking progress to
prevent its So it has set about solving the
problem in way that will bring final relief. but
this will not prevent the death of thousands of men,
who will lose their lives account of electricity be-
tween and the time when safely devices
invented. It is impossible to fix exact number
but probably less than five hundred have
to their death through unsafe electric apparatus in
the past year the length of time the government
has been at work the problem
In March 1910. the federal department of mines
sent word to all manufacturers of electric mining
apparatus that II. II. Clark, engineer, had been
placed in charge OF the work at the Pittsburg test
ing station and was 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 electric apparatus. safety
is far of ever
But what is to be done? 1t is objected that you
can't stop nine-tenths of the mines from operating
until they are made safe And yet, If they are per
mitted to go ahead 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
If those 5000 men in one mine and v)so
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 less insiStent IT. then 1t would not be absurd
to demand immediate action in the one case it is
in tho other
But, il Is objected again, ii would interfere with
business, it would be too expensive, impossible
Money, then. has more rights than humanity Money
must be caved at any cost to men, And these 5000
must die because it would be too expensive TO save
them.
In Colorado they beginning to see the light
A whole series oil horrible disasters has forced 1t
them. The coroners jury that investigated the
Starkville explosion found 1t had been due TO cleo
trcity, and "a commission appointed by the governor
strongly urged the legislature this spring abso
lutey 70 forbid the of electricity in mines. re-
gardlCss Of the cost.
Having power to enforce the use of safety
apparatus, the department of mines is basing its
undertaking. moral suasion. With the help of
mining inspectors and new state laws ii hopes to
get results. Eventually II has reason 10 believe
1t will be ssful IL is doing similar work In
respect to explosives.