The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1912-04-26

Discovery Of Danger Of Coal Dust I'm.
portant - Handling of Explosives
Made Safer - Governments Expert
mental Coal Mine.
The saving of many lives annually
the lives Of miners throughout the
United States-will be one of the splen-
did results that will follow the estab-
''--''nt OF the bureau of mines. one
| 10 great achievements in the inter-
t'cf' labor Of the administration of
resident 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.
Spurred on by President Taft. an
act creating the bureau Of mines was
passed by congress and became effec-
tive on July l, 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 best trained man for the
place obtainable In the United States.
The chief experimental station was es-
tablished 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.
1926 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. Az n re-
suit Of the work conducted by the bu-
reau Of mines and the wise use of an
appropriation of $150.O0O 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
stration of the fact that coal dust In
bituminOus 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 sati.
faction Of the miners as we'll as oper.
tors That coal dust would explode and
un.i':c 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
terielly the chances Of explosion Of coal
dust.
The number Of deaths in the miucs
has been greatly reduced as a result |
OF the testing of explosives under the |
direction o. the bureau Of mines. In |
the year 1908 the coal mines I'm the Chit |
ed States used 100000 pounds of |
short flame explosives, and at present |
nearly seven times that quantity is be-
Ing used with greater safety. due to
the cooperation Of the coal operators
and the bureau Of mines.
The establishment Of an experiment
tel coal mine ut 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-
5ombed miners. Since the creation Of
he bureau many hundreds of lives
have been saved. AT the big mining
disaster in Ohio one of the rescue corps
II the bureau OF mines arrived at the
scene thirty-two hours after the disas-
err. Three men We're rescued who had
been given up as dead and allowed to
'emain in the mine. At another time
me man was found alive among $50
lead. and today he is the sole survivor
II that terrible catastrophe due to the
plendid work Of the rescue corps.
Before the bureau OF mines was
made possible by the interest Of Pres
dent Taft, which was followed by the
necessary legislation for its establish
nent, there was no organized effort In I
aviiig the lives Of entombed miners.
time and again men have sacrificed
heir lives I'm vain attempts to rescue
heir companions. This unnecessary
acrifice Of life has been stopped by
he cooperation Of the state authori-
les with the federal rcscuers attached
D the bureau of mines. An investiga-
lon Of the fuel resources Of the Unit
d States is also being made with a
lew Of checking the waste and in
reasing the efficiency with which fuel
J used. This latter phase Of the work
part OF the practical conservation
ollcy OF the Taft administration.