The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-12-16
MINES BUREAU WORK
OUTLINED BY FISHER
Experiments With Fuels and
Safety Appliances Have
Been Satisfactory.
Special 10 Tho Tribune.

Special 10 Tho Tribune.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 15.-In his repol
made public today, Secretary Fisher {
he interior department discusses IN
work Of the bureau Of mines, as fol
ows:
The Investigations conducted by the
bureau during the past year have been
confined mainly to two groups: The
study OF fuels belonging 10 or used
by the government, and inquiry Into
the causes of accidents In mines and
the most feasible means OF prevent
Ing such accidents.
The first OF these groups OF In
vestigations, FOR the conduct OF which
congress made an appropriation OF
100000, has bad 90 do primarily
with the purchase. for the use OF TIN
government, OF coal aSGregatinS IN
cost about SS.0O0,000. the most efrl-
Client methods of using this coal Mt
the various heating, power and light
ing plants of the government and on
board government ships. and the SAT-
est and most efficient methods OF
storing coal Tor the government at
army posts, In tho course Of these
Investigations a large number of
steaminS tests were made with diff
ferent Goals and, In addition, moro
than l1.500 samples OF coal were an
alyzed In the laboratories OF the bu-
reau. Investigations relating both TO
the efficient storage OF coal and to
the causes and prevention OF spon-
taneous combustion of coal stored in
bins or in the bunl5crs OF ships were
continued, Ill co-opera ton with tho
navy department. at the navy yards
at Key West, Norfolk and Ports
mouth. and, in cooperation with the
Panama Railroad company. on the
isthmus Of Panama.
In addition to these inv estigations
OF coal. the bureau has tested and
analyzed large number of samples
of fuel oil In order 10 determine the
suitability of the oils they represent
ed for use as fuel on naval vessels
or at government power plants
The Investigations into the causes
and means OF prevention OF mine ac-
cidents were continued and extended
during the year, but as yet haVo not
progressed to the needs of the coal
mining industry, The causes OF mino
explosions and the means OF limit
ing or preventing such explosions,
methods OF rendering safer the uso OF
explosives and electricity in mines.
and the reduction of risk from falls
Of roof, from mine fires. and from
mine cars and locomotives were the
more important matters investiea ted.
In carrying on these Investigations
the engineers OF the bureau carried
on laboratory experiments, eN3ullNcu
coal mines in many states, and. at
n small experimental mine near Pitts
burg, Pa. made tests to determine
under working conditions how gas and
dust explosions are caused and how
such explosions may be limited or
prevented.
IN order 10 provide facilities for
exploring mines Immediately after
disasters. while the mines are fun
Of poisonous explosive gases, SO that
eXamina ton may be made while the
evidence OF a disaster Is still fresh,
the bureau maintains six safety sta
tons. one each at PittsDurg, Pa;
Knoxville, Tenn; Birmingham, Ala:
McAlestcr, okla. Urbana. Ill. and
Seattle, Wash, and operates seven
mine safety cars. These cars.
equipped as far as practicable with
mlne-rescue and fire-flshting appar-
atus, have headquarters az follows.
One each at Billings. Mont: Trini-
dad, Colo: Evansville. Ind, Hunt
ineton. ". Va. PittSburg, Pa;
Wikesbarre, Pa, and one at Rock
Springs. Wyo., and salt Lake City.
Utah Each one of these cars moves
from point to point, carrying a min
ing engineer and two experimental
miners.
The progress made during the year
toward greater safety in mining has
been decidedly gratifying. The bu
reau continues 10 win the hearty CO.
operation of mine workers, mine own
ers. state mine inspectors and manu-
facturers OF explosives and mine
continent.