Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1912-04-26
MINERS Welfare
CAUSE OF TAFT
Bureau Of Mines Marks Great
Step Forward
SAVES HUNDREDS OF LIVES.

Discovery Of Danger Of Coal Dust I'm
pOrtant = Handling Of Explosives
Made Safsr - Governments Expert
mental Coal Mine.
The saving OF many lives annually
the lives Of miners throughout the
United States will he one Of the splen.
did results that will follow the estab-
lishmant Of the bureau Of mines. one
Of the great achievements In the inter
est OF labor of the administration OF
President Taft
The excessive and unnecessary loss
Of life in the mines Of this country
was one Of the primary causes for the
creation OF this bureau. For years
hundreds Of miners were killed in mine
disasters. and practically nothing was
done to check the terrible loss Of life.
Spnrred on by President Taft. an
act creating the bureau OF mines was
passed by congress and became effec
tive on July /. 1910 John A. Holmes
OF the United States geological survey
was appointed as the first director
Mr. Holmes was reputed and certified
to be the hest trained man for the
place obtalnable in the United States
The chief experimental station was es-
tabllshed at Pittsburgh. where the in
vestigations Of the problems intrusted
to the bureau have been prosecuted so
successfully for nearly two years
In the year 1907. the most disastrous
of all years In the American coal mines.
3,125 miners lost their lives. This rep
resented 4.s6 Of men killed for every
1000 employed. In coal mines in Eu-
rope less than two miners are killed
out of every 1000 employed. As re-
suit of the work conducted by the bu-
reau Of mines and the wise use Of an
appropriation Of $150000 made by con
gress. the death rate has been already
reduced to practically one-half what It
was in 1907.
One Of the notable achievements of
the bureau of mines was the demon
stratlon Of the fact that coal dust In
bltuminous mine Is more dangerous
and deadly than gas. 1t had been the
belief heretofore that gas or fire damp
was the greatest menace to the min
ers, and little attention was given to
the accumulation Of coal dust. The
bureau of mines proved to the salts
faction of the miners as well as opera
tors that coal dust would explode and.
unlike fire damp. carried no warning
with 1t. The keeping of dusty mines
wet. as recommended by the bureau
Of mines, was found to reduce ma
terlally the chances of explosion Of coal
dust.
The number Of deaths in the mines
has been greatly reduced as result
of the testing OF explosives under the
direction of the bureau Of mines. In
the year 1908 the coal mines in the Unit
ed States used 100000 pounds of
short flame explosives. and at present
nearly seven times that quantity Is be-
lug used with greater safety, due to
the cooperation Of the coal operators
and the bureau of mines.
The establishment of an experimen-
tai coal mine at Brucetown, Pa,
twelve miles from Pittsburgh. is still
another notable achievement Of the
bureau Of mines. 1t places the United
States in advance Of other nations with
respect to this research and expert
mental work In mines. Numerous tests
are made at this experimental mine
from which many excellent results are
obtained.
Still another Important work which
is conducted under the auspices Of the
bureau of mines Is the rescue of en-
tombed miners. Since the creation of
the burenu many hundreds Of lives
have been saved. AT the big mining
disaster in Ohio one Of the rescue corps
Of the bureau Of mines arrived at the
scene thirty-two hours after the disas-
ter. Three men were rescued who had
been given up as dead and allowed to
remain in the mine At another time
one man was found alive among 100
dead. and today he is the sole survivor
Of that terrible catastrophe due 10 the
splendid work OF the rescue corps.
Before the bureau Of mines was
made possible by the interest Of Pres
ident Taft. which was followed By the
necessary legislation for its establish
ment. there was no organized effort in
saving the lives of entombed miners
Time and again men have sacrificed
their lives in vain attempts to rescue
their companions. This unnecessary
sacrifice Of life has been stopped by
the cooperation of the state authori
ties with the federal rescuers attached
to the bureau of mines. An inTestiga-
tion Of the fuel resources Of the Unit
cd States is also being made with a
view Of checking the waste and in
creasing the efficiency with which fuel
Is used This latter phase Of the work
Is a part of the practical conservation
policy of the Taft administration.