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

Tor them 10 do 50. That was all that |
was necessary. |
frior TO the Establishment 81 ehe
bureau there was no defnite system
or rescue work in any of tn. coal
mines Of the country There were
three sets OF oxygen rescue apparatus
In the United States when the bureau
ordered one for its use. Re<Qscitation
~apparhtu was unknown. Firs, aid
to the injured did no., amount 10
much outside Of the anthracite dis
trict of Pennsylvania, where II was
highly developed.
Dr.. Holmes. AT once OF assuming
the dictatorship Of the bdreau. or
Sanized a small bu, highly exper.-
enced corps of rescue workers. This
has grown until now the bureau
maintains six mine rescue stations
II eight mine rescue cars in those of
the larger coal mines in which mine
disasters are most likely TO occur.
But this is only a part. The real
work was undertaken in those pioneer
days only three years ago. That was
IN training volunteer rescue corps at
all the great mines OF the ountry
State mine inspectors. operators and
miners cO-operated heartily. They
all wanted to learn from the experts
the best methods OF saving life.
SO the rescue force of the bureau
now is but a part OF the great rescue
force that has grown up in all coal
mining districts. While a practical
force itself, the bureaus rescue equip
nlent and personnel serve their larger
purpose in being educational.
And this is characteristic of all The
larger activities of the bureau. II
simply points the way to better things
acts as a center for organized effort.
assists in consolidating ISOLATED move
ments for Improvement, and furnishes
the Experts research and advice nee
!, eSsaTy.
A tail, alert and active man. viii
those dreamy eyes of the student tina
have deceived so many a "practica
man. DIR. Holmes has little of the or.
binary government bureau chief abou
him. There isn't a trace OF red tape
in his makeup. He is not the sort t
waste effort in the interbureau squad.
bles that often characterize depart
, mental life in Washington. He con
/ centrates on his Job.
! All his life he has done this. Borl
! in that heavily mlneraliZed State
: North Carolina, he early became in
terested in mineralogy, metalurgS
\ geology and chemistry. At Cornell
I from which university he was gradu
r ated in 1880, he devoted special at
8 tention to studies in the chemistry Q
explosives.
During his career ne has studied i
O foreign countries, as we'll as in man
parts Of the United States, method
u Of mining with special reference /
. his hobbies-the lessening of the sal
; riflce of life and the lessening of III
n waste Of resources.
From 1881 to 1891 he was profe:
sor Of geology in the University {
j North Carolina and during that ps
Rod he examined many mines in
= professional way. During ten su,
ceeding years he was State geoloSi
of North Carolina, and as such ga,
=. much attention to an investigation
quarrying metal mining and meta
lurgical operations.
8 In 1903 and 1904 he organized al
= had charge of the department
mines and ~metailurgy at he st. Lou
- Worlds Fair, and Immediately Their
: after he entered the government Sc
vice.
Is His creed is summed up in To-
to words. The prevention CT waste
re "An unSci sntifc or inefficient Ii
or of resources IS waste" he declare
It land tte most important element
X the movement for conservation is &
fact that the necessary waste OF
day may. through inquiry or resear.
he or through changes in economic co
ed ditions. econ the ~ayoidable was
nd Of tonlorFOW.