The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-04-21
Bureau Of Mines Marks Great
Step Forward.
SAVES HUNDREDS OF LIVES
Discovery Of Danger Of Coal Dust Inn
Notwithstanding OF Explosives
Made -0overnment's
Experimental Coal

splendid results that will follow tho
establishment Of the bureau Of mines.
one of the great achievements in the
interest Of labor by the administration
OF President Taft. The formation OF
this bureau Is likewise q notable
achievement. and will prove far-reach-
Ing in its effects to a class Of wage
earners which has been In great need
OF some practical relief.
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 moth
ing was done to check the terrible loss
OF life. THERE was also need for an In
vestigation to determine what could
be done in the way OF handling the
high explosives, as we'll as to improve
the conditions under which the men
worked.
Spurred on by President Taft. an
act creating the bureau OF mines was
passed by congress and became efHec.
tive on July l. 1910. John A. Holmes
OF the United States geological sud.
ivey. was appointed az the frst direct.
or. Mr.. Holmes was reputed and GER
tined to be the bess trained man for
the place obtainable in the United
States. The chief experimental sta
ton was established In Pittsburg,
where the Investigations OF the prob.
lens entrusted 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
mine. 3.125 miners lost their lives,
This represented 4.S6 men killed
for every 1000 employed. In coal
mines In Europe less than two miners
are killed out OF every 1000 employ.
ed. AS a result Of the work conducted
by the bureau Of mines, and the wise
use OF an appropriation OF $3.50, 900
made by congress. the death rate has
already been reduced to practically
one-half Of what it was In 1907.
One of the notable achievements ~
the bureau Of mines was the demon.
stration OF the fact that coal dust In
a bituminous mine Is more dangerous
and deadly than gas. It has been the
belief, heretofore. that gas or firo
damp was the greatest menace to tho
miners, 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 nre damp. carried no warning
with It. The keeping OF dusty mines
vet, as recommended by the bureau ~
mines, was found to reduce materially
the chances OF an explosion OF coal
dust.
Good Work Of eureau.
The number Of deaths in the mines
has been greatly reduced as resuIt
OF the testing OF explosives under ~.
direction of the bureau OF mines n
the year 1903 the coal lines IN tha
United States used two million pound.
OF short flame explosives. and at pres.
ent nearly seven times that quantity
is beinS used with greater safety. dpe
to the cooperation Of the coal oner..
tors and the bureau of mines.
The establishment of an arner,.
mental coal mine at Brucetown pa
twelve miles from Pittsburr. ia .tii,
another notable achievement Of the
bureau OF mines. 1t places the un,ted
States in advance Of other nations
with respect to this research and er
! periraental work In mines. Numeron.
tests are made at this experimental
mine, from which many excellent "a
suits are obtained.
Still another important work which
is conducted under the auspices OF the
bureau Of mines Is the rescue OF an
! tombed miners. Since the creation !,
the bureau many hundreds OF live,
have been saved. At the blk mimi,
disaster in Ohio one OF the rescue
corps of the bureau OF mines arrives
at the scene thirty-two hours afte,
the disaster. Three men were res
4 cued who had been given up AZ dead
and allowed to remain In the mina
At another time one man was fornd
alive among $50 dead, and TO-DAY he !.
the sole survivor OF that terrible no
tastrophe-due to nhe splendid work !,
the rescue corps.
Before the bureau OF mines ".
i made possible by the interest !,
1 President Taft, which was foI,owad
by the necessary legislation for ita o.
Enlistment. there was no organize
effort In saving the lives Of entomhed
miners. Time and again. men hav,
sacrificed their lives in vain attem ~,
to rescue their companions. This I'm
necessary sacrifice OF life has been
stopped by the cooperation OF M
state authorities with the federal res
cuers attached to the bureau OF minaa
An Investigation Of the fuel resources
Of the United States Is also helms
made with a view Of checking ths
waste. and increasing the eficienc,
with which fuel IL used. This latte,
phare Of the work is part OF the
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