The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-12-23
MICHIGAN IN
HONOR COLUMN
Has Made Remarkable Progress
In Reducing Mine Fatalities

Washington, Dee. 23.-ln IA review
Of the work accomplished In the cam
paign To reduce the number of deaths
in the mines Of the United States.
the federal bureau of mines today
placed the states of Michigan and
Minnesota In the honorable mention
column.
The report. which deals with fatal
tiles in the metal mines Of the coun-
try for 1912. shows that Michigan has
reduced its total Of deaths i'm the cop
per and iron mines from l3i in 1871
To ninety-six in 1912; that Minnesota
has reduced its total deaths in the
iron mines from seventy-six To fifty i'm
the same period. The death rate for
every 1000 men employed i'm Michigan
was "a in 1911 ana 3.26 in 1912: and
in Minnesota 4.59 in 1871 and 800 in
1912
The thirty-eight less lives lost in
Michigan represents one miner saved
for every thousand employed and the
twenty-siX less lives lost i'm Minnesota
represent one and one half miners
''ved for every 900 at work
THE decrease in Michigan and
Minnesota i'm years time are the
most remarkable we have encountered
50 far said Or. Joseph \. Holmes. the
of the bureau today and
We're largely due To an active safety
during the last three years
IL is indeed gratifying To note that the
Lake superior mine operators are
meeting with such marked success
within so short time 1t shows what
may be done i'm other states if special
efforts are made To safeguard all en-
gagged in the mining industry
II do not wish 10 be understood as
agreeing thai the death rates i'm Mich
iean ana Minnesota are as low as they
should he, or as low as they will
vcntually become. hut | do say that
these two states i'm the year have
made more real progress toward the
desired goal than others i'm the union.
either in metal mining or coal mining,
owners in these states for their activ-
ty in behalf Of safety.
Cooperative Spirit Noted.
From the very start, the bureau of
mines has noted the friendly coop
'rativc spirit between the operators.
he miners, the state inspectors and |
he bureau of mines. The aggressive. !
progressive spirit manifested by all |
persons concerned the desire upon tho |
part of the operators ana the men To |
earn about the work of the bureau /,
along safety lines, the enthusiastic. |
>indly greeting of the men of our
.cScue cars, the eageTnesS Of the !
miners 10 take the prescribed rescue |
tnd first -aid training. all these were |
noticeable to bring warm |
omments from the employees of the |
bureau And the result has been 50
fruitful in so many less funerals, so
many less widows made and so many
hildrcn who have their fathers left
% them. If these were a lesson To the
'ntirc mining industry FOR the year
ust closing, ! would point to the re-
narkablc record made by Michigan
ma Minnesota"
The bureaus report on metal mine
accidents i'm the United States i'm
ol2, shows 6Gl men killed, 4,5O2 SER
Gusly injured ana 2G,232 men slightly
injured out Of Il total number of l69,-
90 men employed. The figures show
decrease of thirty-four deaths from
1911, despite the fact that Alaska
With twenty-one fatalities is included Il
or the first time i'm the 1912 report. \
rhe death rate for 1912 was 39l for Il