Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-05-17
1850 MEN DEAD
/. IN COAL MINES
LAST YEAR
Out Of Total Of ree-ouarters
Of a Million Men Employed
According to Report Of the
Bureau of Mines.

Washington. ID. C.. May l6.--Twen.
ty-three hundred and sixty men were
killed IN the caal mines Of the United
states last year out OF total OF three
quarters OF million employed In the
Industry. according 20 "A statement H.
sued today by the United states bur
eau OF mines. The death rate Was
3.i5 In every one thousand men elu-
ploycd
The bureau further makes the
statement that the number Of men
killed was the least since 1905, that
the death rate WAS the smallest since
1899 and that the number OF tons Of
coat taken from the ground In proper
ton 10 the number Of men killed was
the greatest on record.
The statistics show that with 10000
more miners employed Ia 1919 than
IN 1897 there were S3f less deaths
In 1919.
WIN 10000 more men employed In
1919 than IN 1911. there were 35s less
deaths Ia 1912.
Frederick w Horton. mining on
elneers OF the bureau who complied
the death statistics shows by compar-
isons With other years that explosions
0f coal dut gas. the great mcnacos OF
the miners. are gradually growing less
in number and their toll Of life. due,
ne believes, 10 the active educational
cam pulBn 81 the bureau.
The percentage Of deaths from
other causes that the bureau has not
yet investigated shows no such ma
tcrial decreases. II rs claimed.
The facts disclosed Offer indisput-
able evidence that conditions tending
toward safety Ia mining are actually
Improving and that road ~ now being
mined with iess danger 20 the miner
than ever before" said Mr.. Horton to-
day ia discussing the situation. AL
though the Improvement "a greater IN
1919 than Ia any previous year Tor
which accurate statistics are available,
partly due. perhaps to exceptionally
mild weather during the last few
months OF The year. decreasing the
likelihood of disastrous coal dust eX-
ploslons. there has been an annual
Improvement for a number of years
This Improvement has been brought
0out by combination ~ causes, the
PRINCIPAL one OF which has been the
more efficient and effective mine In
specti0n on the part OF the state min
ing departments and state mine IN
spectors throughout the country. sup
plement I'd by greater care upon the
part of both the operators aud the
miners The educational work OF the
bureau of mines has kept both the
operator and the miner alive 10 the
T
precautions should be taken TO AVOID
them. The bureau h therefore graf
ined with the Improvement shown,
particularly as the greatest improves
men' relates To dangers concerning
which the bureau has been conduct
ing special Investigations and Swing
the results to tho industry
Although there has been an an
nual Improvement in mine safety con-
ditions since 1897. and particularly
notable one ia 1919. a stiil greater de-
crease In the death rate can be et-
fected. whether or not this VIII be
made In 1919 depends largely on the
care exercised by the operators. SUI
periutendents. foremen and all others
in authority. and by the miners as
Well"
Mr. Horton reviews the last seven
teen years Of coal mining and finds
that 33,GI7 miners have lost their
lives in that time. In order To indi-
cate the economic loss to the nation
through this sacrifice of life. be takes
the basis a. the insurance companies
that "a human iifc Us worth at least
So .OOO and draws some Interesting
conclusions He says. III u be gssum.
cd for statistical purposes that each
lifc h worth al least $1,000. then tho
total loss accustomed 10y the fatal ac-
cidents 20 miners in the United States
during the last seventeen years
reaches the sum Of Sl6s. OO0. Geo"
Using this same method OF caicula-
ton, MIR Horton finds that the loss
through fatal aud non-fatal accidents
i'm Igft WAS Nf4.f4gOn0