The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1912-04-27
MINERS'WELFbRE
CAUSE OF TAFT
Bureau Of Mines Marks Gfsat
Stsp Forward.
SAVES HUNDREDS Of LIVES.
Disc overy Of Danger Of Coal Dust I'm.
pertant = Handling of Explosives
Made safec - covernment'S Expert.
mental Coal Mine.

"auS SafoT - eoNcrHfnentu Expert
mental Coal Mine.
The saving of many lives annually
the lives at miners throughout tile
United States will lie one of the splen-
did results that will follow the estab.
llshment 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 10 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. au
act creating the bureau of mines VII,
passed by congress and became efier
tive on july |, 1910 .IGhn A. Holmes
of the United States geological survey
was appointed az the FIRST director
Mr. Holmes was reputea and certified
to be the best trained man for The
place obtainable IN the United States
The chief experimental station was Is.
tabllshed at Pittsburgh, where the In
vestigatioss of the problems llrust ed
to the bureau have been pas uted 50
successfully for nearly two sc =.
In the year 1907 the most disastrous
of all years In the American coal mines.
1926 miners lost their lives. This rep,
resented 1856 Of lien killed for every
1000 employed, In coal mines in Ell,
rope less than two miners are Killed
out of every l,ooa employed. AS Il re
suit OF the work conducted by the hu
reau Of mines and the wise use OF ia
appropriation of $1,000 made by con
gress. The death rate has been alraaag
reduced 70 practically one half what 4
was ia 1907,
One of the notable achievements o.
the bureau OF mines was the demon
stration of the fact that coal dJst l.,
a btuminous mine Il more Gan eaous
and deadly than sas. II had been the
belief heretofore that PAS or Ore Callr
WAS the greatest menace TO the min
ers, aad little attention WIG given T.
the accuc llation Of coal du7t IN
bureau OF mines proved to TIE salts
faction Of the LINERS a. vet! oaeea
tors that coal dust would explode and
unlike fire damp, carried m was-lla
with t. The keeping Of dGSlN line
wet, ns recommended by the hraeae
of mines, was found 10 reduce ria
terially the chances OF explosion % Goa
dust.
The number OF deaths " TIE mine
has been greatly reduced ~ result
Of the testing Of explosives under The
direction Of The hnrGGa .. macs. II
the year 1869 the Goa! mines IL he nit
ed States used 2.012C0o pounds q
short flame explosives, and ~ lafesgu
nearly seven times that quantity Is he
ing used with lreater safety dda L
incorporation Of the coal operator
and the hufeau OF mines.
9'he establishment Of IN eyperimen
tai coal mipe at Brueetcwn Pa
twelve miles from fit;sbufSh, Is stii
another notable achievement Of tn
bureau OF mines. II places the taite'
States in advance If ether nations witl
respect 70 this research ana expert
mental wolh IN niinss NuMGraus testi
are made At this experimental rire
from which many excellent results AT,
obtained
stu Nnother important WORK which
,, Il . a., ~ n t1i
bureau Of mines is the rescue % en-
tomled miners. Since tie creation o
the bureau many hundreds Of I've
have been saved. ~ the big nintn'
disaster In Ohio one OF the rescue corp
of the bureau Of EiiAea arrived at th
scene ttirty-two hours after ibe disas
ter Three men were rescued who ha'
been given up as dead and allowed t
remain In the mine. At another tin
one man was found alive among lS
dead. aHd today he is the sole survive
of that terrible catastrophe due 10 IL
splendid work Of the rescue corps.
Before the bureau of mires W.
made possible by the interest OF Pres
ident Taft, which was followed By b
necessary legislation for IL; ESTABLISH
ment, there WAS no organized effort i
saving the lives of entonibed miners
Time and again men have sacrifice
their lives in vain attempts TO resen
their companions This unnecessar
sacrifice OF lie has been stopped b
tue cooperation Of the state author
ties with the federal rescuers attachc
to the bureau of mines. An investig;
ton of the fuel resources Of the iri
ed States is also being made with
view OF checking the waste and i
creasins the efficiency with which fa
liz used This latter phase Of lhe wor
is part of the practical conservaap
policy OF the Taft administration
Or. Wiley Supports Taft.
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