The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-04-06
GOLD MINING
AS OCCUPATION
IS DANGEROUS
MORE MEN ARE KILLED IN THIS
WORK THAN IN DIGGING COAL,
ACCORDING TO THE UNITED
STATES BUREAU OF MINES.
SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL.

soFEClAL III 1t1Ef JOORTN AL.
Washington, April 5.-Contrary to
general belief, mining for gold. silver.
copper, iron and other metals is q
more hazardous occupation in the
United States than digging coal With
great disasters occurring at intervals
in the coal mines and killing 100 or
more men at a time, the impression
has prevailed that no other branch OF
the industry contained so much danger
and such a high rate of fatalities, but
the United States Bureau of Mines
comes forth with the statement that
the metal mines In 1911. killed more
than four men in every 1000 employed
to be exact, 4.19. while the death rate
in the coal mines for the same year
was S.73 IN every 1000 men. The
greater proportion of deaths in the
metal mines is all the more striking
when it Is understood that in the
metal mines there is entire absence
of the gas and dust that cause ex-
plosion IN coal mines.
The bureau also makes the state
ment that the American death rate
in the metal mines is only exceeded
by three other countries, Mexico. Peru
and the Transvaa1. It compares this
country's record OF 4.19 men killed in
every 1000 employed with Great
Britain's record Of 1.64, Germany's of
1923 and Frances S.16.
Degrees of Danger.
This is the first time in the history
of the United States that any attempt
has been made to show the relative
degree of danger in the metal mines.
The statistics just issued show that
165. 979 men were employed in these
mines and that 6s5 were killed. The
men seriously injured numbered 4, 169.
or 25 in every 1000 employed, and the
men slightly injured 22,40s, or 135 in
every ], 900 employed. In addition, 297
women were made widows and 500
children were left fatherless.
Albert H. Fay, mining engineer OF
the bureau, who collected the statistics
gives as one reason for the greater
death rate in metal mining the fact
that the majority of states have es-
tablished systematic coal mine in
spection, which tends to reduce the ac-
cidents, while, in many of the states
where metal mining is carried on there
is no inspection whatever
ION account of the large disasters
that occur in the coal Mines says
MIR. Fay, land the prominence given
to them by the newspapers, coal min
ing is usually considered more hazard
Gus than metal mining. The metal
mines as n rule do not claim their
death toll in disasters that involve
many men,"
The statistics gathered by the bu-
reau show that in the copper mines,
more than FIVE men we're killed in
every 1000 men; in the iron mines,
more than four were killed in every
1000: in the lead and zinc mines the
death rate was nearly three and one
half men; ard In the miscellaneous
metal mines, the death rate was nearly
four.
The number of deaths of miners in
certain states was as follows: Arizona,
seventy; California, thirty eight; Col
orado; fortv-three; Idaho, twenty
three; Michigan, 1874; Minnesota, sew
enty-six; Missouri, thirty eight; Mon
tana, sixty-two; Nevada, fifty; New
Jersey, twenty-three; and Utah, forty
nine.
The death in the metal mines added
to those in the coal mines makes
total Of 3,414 men killed during 1911 in
mining or s.s1 in every 1000 employed