The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-05-23
DESTRUCTIVE
Of LIFE AND
]. PROPERTY
Failure 10 Appreciate Tho
Seriousness OIL Nine
Fires


New York. May 29--Fallure 10 ap
preciate the seriousness OF mine
fires and lack of adequate tire pre-
tcc.ion have resulted in the loss Of
hundreds OF lives aud the destrnc
ton OF millions OF dollars worth oi
property In the last few years, ac
cording to statement made at the
annual meeting Of the National Fire
Protection association this morning
by Herberdt NJ. Wilson, chief engln.
eer Of the Federal bureau OF mines,
Mr. Wilson went farther and declar-
cd thai two OF the most serious dis
asters IN coal mines in the last two
years one Al Cherry, Ill.,. in which
a62 lives were lost and the other at
the Pancoast mine, near Scranton,
Pa, In which seventy four lives were
lost. originated from trivial causes
and ought 10 nave been quickly ex.
tinguished without the sacrifice Of
human life.
The contact of several bales Of
hay with a blazing torch or an open
miners lamp, said Mr.. Wilson, did
cause the Cherry mine disaster with
Its great loss OF life and total cost
OF one million dollars, OF which $50
900 day was spent IN direct fire
fighting for several days.
@Fbe fire In the Pancoast mlne
killed seventy-tour miners, left forty.
five widows and 1877 depenGent or
phans This fire is known to have
started IN an underground room pre-
sumably from some oll.soaked waste.
The fire was not thought serious
until II had been burning for two
hours. This delay was, in large mea.
sure. responsible for the great loss
of life
Besides the loss OF lofe, fires the
fires have cost much tn money. AT
Deadwood s. D., $l,o00,OO0 has
bee nspenl in fighting fire In a
metal nine Today fires are raging
in coal and metal mines IN various
parts OF the country Some OF them
have gotten byond control, and have
been burning for many years. devour-
ing hundreds Of thousands OF tons OF
coal and miles OF mino galleries. One
mine fire near Carbondale, Pa. mas
burned out such a vast area OF am
thraeite coal In the last ten years M
to result IN subsistence OF the surface
and destruction OF surface property.
Near Summit Hill, Pa, a fire which
has been burning fifty-one years is
estimated TO have destroyed $25,0O0,-
000 worth of coal. Near Jobs. Ohio,
tract of coal valued at several mill
lion dollars has been burning since
1884 In some OF the deeper metal
mines ct Butte. Mont. fires have
been burning In the old mine timbers
since 1889 In the Comstock vein
in Nevada thousands of feet OF tnn.
nels which had been opened and tim-
bered at great expense are being
burned out
The mining engineers of the bur
eau o fmines have made careful
study Of fires In mines, and have
reached the conclusion that The m
PRODUCTION of comparatively inexpen-
slye fire-lightiDg appliances, the adop
ton OF proper regulations and instltu
ton Of reasonable system of fire
drills may minimize fires and cou-
fine others TO . brief period OF time
with little damage TO life aud prop
erty. The engineers of this bureau
have had much success in combating
niue fires through the use OF the
oxygen helmet This II an appara.
tus that entirely protects the heads,
and through which air Is furnished
artifieially, thus enabling the wearer
TO explore the vicinity OF fire IN.
der conditions Of smoke ana gas that
would render his approach otherwise
impossible. by the use OF such an
apparatus number OF fires have
been promptly extlnguished which
would doubtless have spread aud per
haps extended beyond control Chem.
istry through the quick analysis or
gases At frequent Intervals IN the
neighborhood OF the fire has prOveu
a most useful adjunct to the neces.
sity OF providing at each mine ample
storage Of water properly conveyed
In protected pipes TO possible danger
points, the deslrability Of using larg.
er amounts OF fire proof material III
place Of wooden mine timberiug or
wooden doors the proper disposal
of waste fireproof mau.ways and air
shafts aud the use OF fire proof ma
terial as far as possible nall sur.
face structures within fifty to too
feet Of the main opening 10 the
mine