Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-01
SAYING LIVES IN MINES.

Warmth in the house during the winter
| months is SO much a part OF the average
persons life that it is
1mpOrtant only by its absence that
thought is given to the
HoCIoA' medium from which 1T Is
! usually produced-coal. Yet the coal
mining industry is one of the largest rae
tors in American business. 1t means
millions to those who own the coal mines
it means employment to thousands OF
men, and annually it means the death OF
several thousand miners. the bereave-
ment of hundreds of wives and small
helpless children.
Figures SHOW that in the year 1911
2,719 miners were killed. or :,I3 men to
every 1WD employed in the coal mines
of the United States, or that for every
l 100000 short tons of coal mined 54s
miners gave up their lives. That is what
mining coal means.
July l. 1910. The organic act creating
this bureau states that It shall make
diligent investigation of the methods of
mining, especially in relation to the safe
ty of miners. and the appliances best
adapted to prevent accidents, the possible
Improvement of conditions under which
mining operations carried on. the
treatment of ores and other mineral sub
stances, the use of explosives and cleo
tricity, the prevention of accidents and
other inquiries"
To increase the safety of the mining in
dustry today is the keynote of the work
which the bureau is carrying forward.
Less than three years old, it is not only
dominant factors of the United States
government today. factor which is fight
ing steadily to alleviate the tragedy now
almost synonymous with coal mining.
In 1907 the number of miners killed in
and about the coal mines of the United
States was 3.197. or prac-
Diminishing tcally seven men to
E.A,,:A: every 1.OOOOOO short tons
of coal mined. In 1908
the present bureau of mines had begun,
not as a bureau established by Congress,
but merely as small part of the geo.
logical survey. In that year the death
rate dropped to 2.449, or barely more
than six deaths per 100000 short tons
of coal. The next year there were 2.66e
deaths, which, however, was not actually
an increase, for the reason that a greater
amount of coal was mined, and conse-
quently more men were employed, the
rate being 80 men. In 1910 the rate
went down to $50 men. while in 1911 it
dropped to J.4S.
Statistics for the present year are avail
able for only the first eight months. Dur
ing that time there were 1,4o3 deaths.
That means that if no great disaster oc-
ours during the remainder of the year
the death rate will drop by a very per-
ITnnf1inial
september, October and part of Novem-
her show comparatively light fatalities
OF the eight months for which figures
are available April shows the fewest
other hand. March shows the greatest
number, Sol losing their lives.
OF those killed during the first eight
months Of the present year. goo, or al
most half Of the entire number. worked
in the Pennsylvania mines. Aside from
that state, the highest fatality list for
any one state in single month was
March. when seventy-five miners met
death in Oklahoma mines. For the en-
tire eight months the greatest number
CURED in West Virginia, where 273 miners
We're killed.
Comparison of these state figures with
those for 1910 and 1911. however shows
decided decrease. For
Fewer the entire year of 1910
the Pennsylvania fatal
AcC1ueAtS. tiles We're LAO, or almost
double what they were for the eight
months of 1912. West Virginia shows 800
deaths for the same year, and Oklahoma
40. Figures for 1911 show that in Penn
sylvania there We're 1 ,239 deaths; in West
Virginia $50 and in Oklahoma BIB.
In 1911 there were twenty-three coal
mine accidents in which three or more
men were killed. OF these the worst was
at Littleton, Ala at the Banner mine, In
which 12S miners lost their lives. The
total number of deaths resulting from
these twenty-three accidents was 444, or
practically one-siXth Of the number killed
during the year.
The headquarters Of the bureau of
mines is in Washington. An entire build
ing is devoted to the work. located at the
corner of Sth and G streets. The mining
experiment station is in Pittsburgh, on a
government reservation, under the control
of the QuartermaSter's department of the
army. Here the principal Investigations
and technolosic inquiries of the bureau
are carried on. A small laboratory in the
customs house building in San Francisco
is also connected with the bureau. where
investigations are carried on in fuel
oils for government use and as to injur. es
done to national forests from smelter
fumes. Six mine safety stations and seven
mine safety 0r mine rescue cars are stu
ated in the principal coal districts of the
country Joseph A. Holmes is director of
the bureau, while a force of almost 400
is employed, including executive and field
forces
More than 100000 coal miners, connect
ed with $4,000 mines, from which 800,
100000 tons of coal are
First Aid now produced yearly, rep
resent the coal industry
Aedcu1AS. of this country. The bu-
reau of mines is endeavoring to reach all
of those 100000 miners with tirst-aid in
structions. 1t is for this that the mine
safety stations and mine-rescue cars are
maintained The aim of the bureau is to
train a sufficient number of miners in
different parts of the country in first-ald,
mine-rescue and tirenghting methods, in
order that they may be easily organized
into local groups and so distributed as to
be easily accessible to all of the larger
mines. During the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1911, $1,000 Miners attended the
lectures and demOnStrdt lOnS gwen AT tHe
mine-rescue cars, ana nearly LOO miners