Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-07-02
BIG LIFE SAYING EXHIBIT
Bureau of Mines to Give Demonstra-
ton of Methods in Pittsburg.
PRESIDENT TAFT WILL ATTEND
Trained First Ala Bescue Corps from
Many Mines VIII Take Part I'm
Contests--Red Cross TO
Cooperate.
(From a staff correspondent


(From a Staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON. July 1-(special. lin the
line with its efforts to reduce the number
of deaths In the coal mines of the United
states the bureau of mines will hold a
national miners life saving demonstration,
on Saturday, September 16, in Arsenal park,
Pittsburg, Pa. President Taft, Secretary
of the Interior Fisher and DR.. Joseph A.
Holmes, director of the bureau of mines
will attend and speak to the miners. Tho
bureau Of mines will have the cooperation
of the Pittsburg Coal Operators associa-
ton and the American Red Cross. 1t Is
expected that between 10000 and 10000
miners will attend and that many Of the
important coal companies will send their
trained first aid and rescue corps to take
part in the exhibition. Already number of
teams have entered and are in training
for the event, which promises to be the
most important gathering of miners ever
assembled.
Arsenal park is the site Of the testing
station Of the Bureau of Mines and the
experts of the bureau are busy arrang-
ing for a unique program. The arrange
ment for the first demonstration are in
the hands of II. NJ. Wilson, engineer in
charge of the bureau of Mines Pittsburg,
Pa. :, Major Charles Lynch. medical corps,
U. S. A.. in charge Of the first aid depart
ment of the Red Cross. and DR.. M E.
Shields of Scranton. Pa. both of whom
are pioneers In this movement. are assist
ing. The first aid to the injured work will
be one of the features of the entire day.
The teams from the various coal mines will
not contest. but will give exhibitions Of
their skill in bringing injured miners from
the mines and binding the wounds and
fractures. Many of these teams have been
instructed in first aid by the surgeon of
the American Red Cross and also by the
rescue corps Of the bureau of mines.
Thousands Injured Yearly.
Between 5000 to 5000 miners are injured
each year in the United States, some SO
seriously that they die perhaps months
afterward. and others 30 MANNED that
they are cripples for life. The work OF
the first aid to the injured teams is to give
the proper emergency treatment so that
| injuries will be lessened in seriousness and
some of the fatalities perhaps avoided. In
the anthracite region of Pennsylvania the
| first aid work has been highly developed
| through the good work Of the American
Red Cross and many livAs have been saved
| through the prompt and efficient work OF
| the members of the various corps. This
movement has become so popular In the
i anthracite region that annual field contests
between the teams are held each year In
! the presence of thousands of spectators.
| Prizes are given to the winners by the
| American Red Cross and the operators Join
in with contributions OF badges and cups
| Following the example of the anthracite
region and directly as the result of the
instructions in first aid to the injured
and in the helmet rescue work being in
troduced in all parts of the United States
by the rescue cars and stations of the
bureau of mines teams have recently beer
organized in the bituminous mining dis
trlcts throughout the country. The mem
bers of these teams are eager to show
their skill and win talSe part ~ the ex
hibition. IN
| Explosions I'm Miniature.
In addition to the exhibition by the frs
aid teams the miners will witness gas an(
coal dust explosions in miniature which
will be staged in the great explosives gal
lery of the bureau of mines. In Arsena
park there will also be a temporary CALLER!
which will resemble a coal mine. Thi
will be placed at the bottom OF a natura
amphitheater. giving clear view to thou
sands of persons. There will be ga
explosion in this play mine: miners vii
be entombed and one of the government
rescue corps in oxygen helmets will entei
and save the men. One side OF the NINA
ture mine will be open ita entire length II
order that the onlooxers NAV witness
everything that happens in an under
ground horror except the loss OF life. TIT
famous oxygen helmets that members o.
the rescue CORPS of tho bureau wear ant
which have been instrumental in SAVING
a number of lives will be on exhibition ant
explained to the miners The oxygel
revlving apparatus which automaticall!
takes the poisonous gases from the lung
of an asphyxiated miner and fills then
with OXYGEN will also be demonstrated
This apparatus has already brought bacl
to consciousness a number of miners giveI
w as dead.