Bisbee daily review., 1914-12-13
MINES, MINING COPPER STOCKS AND COPPER
SAVING OF LIVES
 IN U. s, MINES IS
 MATTER OF REPORT
Stoppage of Millions of Dollars
 Of Mineral Waste and Invent
 ory of Wastes Also Included in Annual Mines Bureau Report.


 Annual Mines Bureau Report.
 WASHINGTON. Dec. 12 The say ing of human fife in the mines the stepping of millions Of dollars of waste Of mineral resources of the country, and an inventory of the wastes that are continuing are given important consideration r Che fourth annual repori of Dr Joseph Holmes Director of ttc United States BureaI of Mines made public today.
 According to Dr. Holmes, the bu- reau has recorded its most notable achievement in the rescue Of more than one hundred entomDed miners at different disasters. and the rescue of many more miners by volunteers who had been trained in life-sayiug work by the bureau The bureaus influence has further resulted in the establishment of rescue and frst-aid stations at huudreGs of mines throughout the country. and the Di- rector makes the statement that the trained rescuers connected with these stations will in the future save the . lives of many men The tota number of miners trained by the bureau has now reached 2L975
 Despite the efforts of the Bureau of Mines, Director Holmes declares that the loss of life is far greater than it should De with the natural l hazards Of the industry. and makes plea for mere extended inyestiga. tiCns on the part of the government "The humanitarian motives for under. taking such investigations are ob- vious," says the Director "A suf- . ficient economic reasons ls that dur l ing the past year more than $500 men were killed and more than 100,- coo injured iu the mining and metal lurgical industries of the country. 1 Oue-han of these fatalities and three ! fourths of the injuries may be re- garded as easily prcventable The money loss from the accidents may be estimated at not less than l2.OOo.. l 600 a year, and this loss must he ul. 1 timatey paid by the consumers of mineral products throuchout the country"
 The necessity for a more eXten7.yp use of safety appliances in the mines is shown by the statement that in the last five years, through lack of such appliances, more than 5000 men have been killed in the mines and nearly 2O.000 seriously injured.
 The Director comments upon the fact that in Kansas Oklahoma, Indi ana and Iowa many Of the men em- ployed in the mines Co set off the explosives have lost their lives. and recommends that the shots should be- fired electrically from outside the mine "ln many districts" says the Director the methods ol shot-Gring employed are still SO extremely haz- ardous that only the most reckless men are willing to act as shot frers."
 As showing the interest outside the Bureau of Mines in the nfe-saving campaign in the mines, Dr. Holmes declares that the states are already expending in their work more than the Federal Government in an it's in- vestigations in behalf of mine safety. He gives as an Illustration Pennsyl- vania with a yearly expenditure of S2l5,00O. He also cites that twelve in- dividua. mining companies have res cuo cars which is four more than are operated by the Bureau of Mines.
 In discussing the causes of mne disasters, Director Holmes says: Not only have men been killed or injured from what are believed to be unnecessary electrical accidents in mining. but indirectly tletrical appar- aus has been responsible for mine explosions and mine fires that have extensively destroyed both fife and property
 "The improper use of explosives , and the use of improper explosives have directly or indirectly caused a large share of the fatal accidents and serious injuries to the men. But fully as serious as the kning or injurirg of several thousand men from this cause during the past five years has been the injury to the health of the miners from poisonous gases given off by the improper explosives used
 Each day poor ventilation and re-. sulting bad air iniure the health of [ thousands Of miners In most Of the metatmining states the statutory pro. visions arc incomplete and made. quate, and there is the greatest dis parity between them as to what con. . sttutes sufficient veBtilatlQn to kscp D mine air-pure in fact no adequate
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