The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-04-27
1850 KILLED
IN COAL MINES
DURING YEAR
DEATH RATE WAS THE SMALL
EST KNOWN SINCE 1899, AND
THE NUMBER OF TONS or COAL
MINED THE GREATEST.

Washington. April 26.-Twenty- three
hundred and sixty men were killed In
the coal mines of the United States
last year out of a total OF three
quarters of million employed In the
industry, according to a statement
issued today by the United States Blu
reau of Mines. The death rate was
2.15 IN every one thousand men en-
pIoyed.
The bureau further makes the state
nlent that the number Of men killed
was the least since 1906, that the deaf
rate was the smallest since 1899 and
that the number Of tons OF coal taken
from the ground in proportion to the
number Of men killed was the greatest
on record.
The statistics show that with 10000
more miners employed In 1912 than In
1907. there were s37 less deaths in
1912
with 10000 more men employed In
1912 than In 1911. there were $50 less
deaths In 1912.
FredericlxW. Horton, mining eng1-
neer OF the bureau. who complied the
death statistics. shows by comparisons
with other years that explosions Of
coal dust and gas, the great menaces
less In number and In their toll OF life,
due, he believes 10 the active educa-
fionaI campaign Of the bureau.
The percentage of deaths from other
causes that the bureau has not yet
investigated, shows no such material
decreases. 1t is claimed
1.-THE facts disclosed offer indisput-
able evidence that conditions tending
toward safety in mining are actually
improving and that coal is now being
mined with less danger to the miner
than ever before" said Mr.. Horton to-
day In discussing the situation. AL
though the Improvement is greater IN
1912 than In any previous year for
which accurate statistics are avail
able. partly due. perhaps, to exception
ally mild weather during the last few
months of the year. decreasing the
likelihood Of disastrous coal dust ak
plosdons. there has been an annual Inn
provernent for q number OF years. This
improvement has been brought about
by q combination Of causes. the prin-
cipal one Of which has been the more
efficient and effective mine inspection
pertments and state mine inspectors
throughout the country. supplemented
by greater care upon the part OF both
the operators and the miners. The
educational work of the bureau OF
miners. The edu cational work OF the
bureau Of mines has kept both the OPP
orator and the miner alive to the
various dangers and has shown what
precautions should be taken to avoid
them The bureau is therefore graft
fed with the improvement shown. par
ticulariy a. the greatest improvement
relates 20 dangers concerning which
the bureau has been conducting special
investigation and giving the results to
the industry.
although there has been an annual
Improvement In mine safety conditions
since 1907. and a particularly notable
one In 1912. n still greater decrease In
the death rate can be effected.
Whether or not this win be made In
1913 depends largely on the care exer-
cised by the operators. superintendents.
foremen and all others In authority,
and by the miners as we'll"
Mr.. Horton reviews 80 las seven
teen years OF coal mining and finds
that ss.s17 miners have lost their lives
in that time. In order tc indicate the
economic loss to the nation through
this sacrifice OF life. he takes the basis
OF the insurance companies that a
human life is worth at least $1,000 and
draws some interesting conclusions
He says, IF 1t be assumed for sta
tisttcal purposes that each life is worth
at least $1,000. then the total loss oc-
casioned by the fatal accidents to
miners In the United States during
the last seventeen years aches the
sum OF $1es, 900. 00o."
Using the same method OF calcula-
ton, Mr.. Horton finds that the loss
through fatal and non-fatal accidents
In 1911 was $14,142, 900.