The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-12-23

~, workshop and railroad in tho
country.
True, there have been afety laws
IN great number in mines and facto-
RES and shops. But the Holmes idea
is different. That idea is not to try to
compel people to do certain things;
1t Is to get them to do it willingly by
" them that it is the best thing
for them to do, viewed from their own
and every other point Of view. DR..
Holmes believes that more can be ac-I
complished by educating than oy
clubbing.
Has Convincing Way.
Students Of the American have
pointed out hat that Individual en-
joys nothing more than figuring out
some way to beat a rule of action thai
has been laid down arbitrarily for
him. Tell him that he must not do a
certain thing and Immediately he falls
to work to devise a scheme for doing
hat precise thing but in a perfectly
legal fashion.
Maybe DR.. Holmes. being a pro-
found student, had this in mind when
he started his work. Anyhow he is
UNIQUE among government bureau
chiefs; he isn't always asking more
n more power to compel people to
do things. He isn't asking that the
Constitution be strained to increase
49, III average bureau
chief is Dr.. Holmes, however, is al
ways asking for authority to make in
designations, to do research work, to
get the materials for his anti-waste
campaign.
he is always prying around TO get
at the weak pot in mineral inCus-
tries that is responsible for waste.
Ihen in a matter of fact way he
spreads his evidence before the men
WhO AFRO n ond1tnn $Iot ;vI,ct~y --l
shows them where there is money and
increased efficiency for them in re-
forming their methods.
is it any Wonder that those men
are for him and for his work? IS !,
curious that they have seased their
chatter abou d~reamy-eycd scientists
in government employ?
The Holmes idea is 90 use the great
resources of his bureau to
work out practical methods for educ
ing the waste of lives and material in
the mining industry. leaving it to the
{ intelligence OF that industry to make
use Of the methods The waste ir
y mineral products in this country
through the use Of uneconomic meth.
d has been calculated at a million
dollars a day. Already the Holme!
, idea has made great inroads on tina
(, waste.
t Education, corporation, volunteer
I reforms-these comprise his work
t ing formula. 1t is proving more sue
s ~cessful THAI the OLD plan Of ciubbin,
with law. The mining industr.
{ clamor resulted in 1910 in the law 0
t Congress creating the bureau o
8 mines, of which DR.. Holmes was ap
e pointed director.
e Now the doctor has found in hi
early Investigations that, contrary t
~ IL $500
in a large measure responsible 70
coal mine accidents. Heretofore
had been believed that only gas ex
$ plosions were TO be chiefly feared.
:. In q tube of steel, erected at tn
=. Pittsburg experimental station of tn
new bureau DR.. Holmes demonstrate
to a group Of invited operators an
n miners the explosibility OF coal du:
without the presence OF gas.
-. What happens in an experiment
tube does not haOp"n in the mine,
~ commented some Of the mining mel
Then DR.. Holmes secured a real co;
h. mine sat Pittsburs ard made pract
cal experiments. In d dramatic VIZ
he proved his point.
The result in this country has bee
a. the general installation in coal min,
~ of humidifying methods whereby II
= dangerous dust is robbed of it's terro
In some instances exhaust steam
at turned into the mine for the purpos
&c in others the foo Of workings
s%prinkled frequently. The dust da1
ger has been partially eliminated ar
explosions are fewer.
When the bureau began It's wol
the use Of black powder for blastii
purposes. with its long and danseror
flame, was cOmu1On and had be-
productive of u~nnunbered f~atalitie
an Improper explosives and improp
II use OF explosives plainly were &
no cause Of many accidents.
DR.. Holmes set his bureau to NO
ia to find for the operators a number
,,t powders that could be used with
Ire reasonable degree of safety. Tiiir
a. such were found They make
q is now known as the list Of Pc
~. miSsible explosives recommended (
use in gaseous or dusty mines. No
1r three years afterward. 1900. 0
b. pounds of these permissible explosiy