Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1912-04-20
MINERS WELFARE
CAUSE Of TAFT
Bureau Of Mines Marks Great
Step Forward.
SAVES HUNDREDS OF LIVES
Discovery Of Danger ~ Coal Dust In
Notwithstanding Of Kxpiosivss
Made eafer-0ovarnmont'o
Experimental Coal
Mine.

The saving Of many lives annually
the lives Of miners throughout the
United Statss-will be one OF the
splendid results that will follow the
establishment Of tho bureau Of mines,
one Of the great achievements In the
interest Of labor By the administrator
Of President TAFT. The formation OF
this bureau 10 likewise . notabls
achievement, and will prove far-reach-
ing In Its effects to = 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 Tor An in
vestigation to determine what could
be done in the way Of handling the
high explosives. ~ well ~ to improve
the conditions under which the men
worked.
Spurrsd on by President TAFT, N
act creating the bureau Of mines was
passed by congress and became sfIse-
tive on July l. 1910. John A. Holmes
Of the United States geological sud.
vey, was appointed ~ the frst direct.
or. Mr. Holmes was rsputsd and Ger.
titled to bs the best trained man for
the place obtainabls 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 10 successfully for
nearly two years.
In the year 1907. the most disastrous
of all years In the American coal
mine, 1925 miners lost their lives.
This represented lSe men killed
for every 1000 employed. In coal
mines in Europe less than two miners
are killed out Of every 1000 employ.
ed As 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 1t was in 1907.
One OF the notable achievements Of
the bureau Of mines was the demon.
stration Of the fact that GOAL dust in
a bituminous mine IL more dangerous
and deadly than gas. 1t has been the
belief, heretofore, that gas or flrs
damp was the greatest menace to the
miners. and little attention was given
to the accumulation Of coal dust. The
bureau OF mines proved to the salts.
faction Of the miners a. we'll a. opera.
tors that coal dust would explode, and.
unlike fire damp, carried no warning
with 1t. The keeping Of dusty mines
wet, as recommended by the bureau Of
mines, was found to reduce materially
the chances Of an explosion Of coal
dust.
Good Work 81 Bureau.
The number Of deaths In the mines
has been greatly reduced ~ Z result
of the testing Of explosives under the
direction Of the bureau Of mines. In
the year 1908 the coal lines in the
United States used two million pounds
OF short flame explosives, and At pres.
ent nearly seven times that quantity
is being used with greater safety, due
to the cooperation Of tie coal opera
tors and the bureau Of minea.
The establishment Of an expert
mental coal mine 1T Brucstown, Pa,
twelve miles from Pittsburs, 10 still
another notable achievement Of the
bureau Of mines. It places the United
States In advance OF other nations
with respect to this research and a.
perimental work In mines. Numerous
tests are made At this experimental
mine, from which many sxcellsnt ~
suits are obtained.
Still another important work which
is conducted under the auspices Of the
bureau Of mines II the rescue Of eu.
tombed miners. Since the creation Of
the bureau many hundreds Of lives
have been saved. AT the big mining
disaster in Ohio one OF the rescue
corps Of the bureau Of mines arrived
at the scene thirty-two hours after
the disaster. Three men were res
cued who had been given up a. dead
and allowed to remain In the mine.
At another time one man was found
alive among $50 dead, and today hs ID
the sole survivor Of that terrible q.
tastrophe-due to the splendid work OF
the rescue corps.
Before the bureau Of mines was
made possible by the interest Of
President Taft. which WAS followed
by the necessary legislation for it, -
tablishment, there WAS no organised
effort in saving the lives Of sntombed
miners. Time and again, men have
sacrificed their lives in vain attempts
to rescue their companions. This un,
necessary sacrifice Of life has beeo
stopped by the cooperation Of the
state authorities with the federal res.
cuers attached to the bureau ot mines.
An investigation Of the fuel resources
of the United States II also beine
made with view Of checking the
waste, and increasing the eficisncy