Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-04-26

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 III 1912 than III
1907 there were S37 less deaths in
1912.
With 10000 more men employed III
1917 than in 1911, there were 3j9 less
deaths in 1872.
Frederick w. Horton, mining cnsln-
Ger Of the bureau, who compiled the
death statistics Slows by comparisOr
with other years that explosions q
coal dust and gas, tic prra. mcndcc% oi
the miner, are gradually growing los
in number and in ,i,cir toll OF lie, due.
he believes to the a'tyc educational
campaign Of the burcai.
The percentage Of d:rlils rom other
cause, that the bureau has not e! NJ
ycstiyatcd. shows no ,rc'l M2tc:lal de-
crcasc>, i, i, claimed.
"Tlrc facts disclosed offer nl;sput-
able evidences tending toward safety
in mining arc actually improving AID
that coal is now being mined with less
danger to the miner than eve before
SAID Mr.. Horton today IN discussing
the situation. ".AlthOu9h the improve
men, is greater in 1912 than in any pre-
vious year for whioh accurate Stats
tics are available. partly due, perhaps,
to exceptionally mild weather during
the last few months Of the year, dccrcas
ing the likelihood Of disastrous coal
dust explosions, there has been an an
Mual Improvement for number OF
years. This Improvement has been
brough, about by Il combination of
causes. the principal one Of which has
been the more efficient and effective
mine inspection on the part OF the
state mining departments and state
mine inspectors ttruoghut the country,
supplemented by greater care upon the
part OF both the operators and the
The educational work OF the
bureau OF mines has kept both the
operator and the miner alive to the
various dangers and has shown what
precautions should be taken to avoid
them. The bureau is therefore gratiticd
with the Improvement shown. particu-
larry as the greatest Improvement re-
lates to dangers concerning which the
has been conducting special in
designations and giving the results to
the industry.
".Altl1ougl there has been al annual
tons since 1907, and a particularly not
Improvement in mine safety condl-
able one in 1912, a still greater de-
crease in the death rate can be effected.
Whether or not this will be made in
1913 depends largely on the care exer-
ciscd by the operators, superintendent
iorcn1cn and all others in authority,
and by the miners themselves
Mr.. Horton reviews the last seven
teen years of coal mining and finds
that 1861 miners have lost their lives
in that time. In order to indicate the
economic los to the nation through this
loss 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,
III it be assumed for statistical pu'
poses that each life is worth at least
$j,ONN, then the total loss occasioncd by
the fatal accidents to miners in tho
United States during the last seven
teen years reaches the sum OF $lGS,O0O,
600"
Using this same method of calcula-
ton. Mr.. Horton finds the loss through
fatal and non-fatal accidents i'll 1911
was Sl~4,l42,ooo.