The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-01-17
PROGRESS
SAVING LIlES
MINERS
INSPECTION ANp VENTILATION
IN HARD COAL MINES BROUGHT
NEAR TO PERFECTION.

d b a -
4 Mine disasters like the recent on
in Tennessee, where scores OF me
lost their lives, emphasize the In
portance Of the new government b.
reau OF mines, which by investigator
and tests is constantly seeking to fin,
a remedy for present unsafe condl
tons. The bureau gives its attention
not only to mines where conditions ar,
bad but also % mines where they ar
good, in order to learn from what hai
ALREADY been accomplished. And the
bureau has found that. ifsail the mine
owners in the country had adopted
the safety appliances and life.saYins
methods that have been adopted BY
isome of the most enlightened, the
death roll would be far shorter thar
ut is.
The bureau, soon after It was es,
tablished, made thorough study O
/ the Pennsylvania anthracite mines
where protective methods have reach
ed their highest development, and is
now helping to spread through the
country many Of the Improvement
and innovations which were found
there. Notably Is this true Of the
first.ald.tothe.injured work. First.aid
In mining was originated in the an
thracite fields. and the system, per.
fected there has been made the model
for other mining sections.
Up-to.date mining companies, how
ever, realize that It is not flrst.aid
corps and rescue squads that present
the real solution Of the accident prob
lem. The real solution is not cure but
prevention. Careful inspection before
the men enter the mine, thorough ven,
tilation, safe holsts, elaborate precau'
tions against fire these were the fea'
turs in the hard coal mines in which
the government investigators took the
most interest.
Every morning in an anthracite
mine the fire bosses. go through all
gangways and chambers before work
begins. They test every corner Of
the mine to find out Il there Is dan
gerous gas anywhere, and they e&-
anime the timbering to see II these is
proper protection. against falls Of roof,
The FIRE bosses report to the FIRE
man at the bottom OF the shaft, giving
him record of what working cham.
bers, If any are unsafe. The mine
workers, coming down the shaft later.
must pass the foreman's office for as.
slgnment to their places, and no one
is allowed to, go where.danger turks.
This inspection Is really the corner.
stone OF the life,saylng system, and, It's
importance can hardly be oyerestimat.
ed. Along with it goes ventilation, for
1t is keeping the nine fulllof pure air,
and therefore clear OF gas, that re.
moves the most serious danger to the
worker. The Pennsylvania law com.
pels constant flow OF air through the
mine at a rate Of 200 cubic feet a
minute for each worker, but the an.
thracite operators provide a much
larger quantity than this in order to
have wide margin OF safety Also the
big fans ara installed in duplicate, one
being held in readiness for instant use
in case OF accident to the other.
All the companies have their rescue
corps, regularly drilled and ready to
80 to the help of their comrades at any
moment. A new oxygen helmet, the
most effective thing of the kind yet
invented, has been adopted for rescue
work through the hard coal region.
With its tanks Of oxygen, It will sup
ply air to the wearer for two hours
without replenishing. The first.aid.to-
the.injured corps subpiementthe work
OF the rescuers; they have a miniature
hospital down in the mineS and are
trained to apply ,splints and bandages,
to dress burns aud to set broken limbs
with the expertness Of real doctors.
Altogether, the llfe,saylng methods
in the hard coal fields have been
brought as near to perfection as mon.
ey and expert knowledge permit. The
chief Of the Pennsylvania department
Of mines has said in his official report
that the great majority Of accidents in
the Anthracite mines are now either
unavoidable or are caused by careless
ness or disobedlence OF rules on the
part of the workers themselves.