The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-12-14
WASTE Of. LIFE AND
RESOURCES IN OUR
MINES ENORMOUS
Neary All Mine Disasters Pre-
ventable, Declares Director
of Bureau Of Mines in An
nual Report.
A TON OF COAL WASTED
FOR EVERY TON N

PhhA VI Witii"us OF uoiluih OF waste
of mineral OF the country.
ana an inventory n the wastes that
are continuing are given iGs"rtant
consideration in the fourth annual
report of Dr. Joseph A. Holmes. di-
rector oi the United states bureau Of
mines, made public today
According To- Dr Holmes. the bu-
reaU has recorded its most notable
achievement Ia the rescue OF more
than one hundred ent0mbed miner
at different disasters. ana the rescue
of many more miners by volunteers
who had been trained in life saving
work by the bureau. The bureaus
influence has further resulted ia the
establishment OF rescue "a nrst-ald
stations at hundreds Of mines
throughout the country. and the di-
rector makes the Statement, that the
trained rescucrs connected with these
stations viii IN the future save the
lives ot man men. The total num-
Der of miners trained by the bureau
has now reached 2t.9s5.
Despite the efforts OF the bureau
of mines. Director Holmes declares
that the loss 81 life b. TAR greater
than h. should be with the natural
hazards OF The industry, and makes
u plea Tor lore extended iuvestiga-
lions on h pari OF the government.
The humanitarian motives Tor un-
%dcrtnking such INVESTIGATIONS are oh
Nlous. says the director. a rufn-
cicut economic reason is that durine
the past ear more than $500 men
we're Killed and more than 100 zee
injured Ia the mining and mctaiiur-
gical industries of DE country one
half OF these fatalities and three
fourths OF the injuries may be re-
gardcd as easily pr%cVcntable The
money loss from the accidents may
be estimated al not less than Si2-
0o0. 600 a year. and this loss must
be ultimately paid by the consumers
of mineral products throughout the
country"
The necessity for "A more extensive
use OF safety appliances In the mines
b. shown by tho statement that in the
laJ i've years. through lack of such
appliances. more Than $500 men
have been killed in the mines and
nearly 10000 seriously injured
u Tho director comments upou the
i fact that In Kansas, oklahoma. indl-
ANA and Iowa many OF tn" men EN-
pioy ed an the mines Go set on the
~eNplosives have lost their hNce. and
recommends that the shots shout Zoe
urcd cloctricalt from outside the
mine In many districts, says the
director. "thc methods OF shot Trims
} employed are san so extremely haz-
ardous that only the most reckless
men are willing 10 act as shot tirers
As show ug the interest outside the
bureau OF mines IN the life snNins
campaign iu Che mines. Or Holmes
declares that the states are already
%eXpending in Their work more than
the federal government 10 all It's in
-vesugations in behalf OF min safety
lie gives as an Illustration Peunsyl-
yauir with = Nearly expenditure 81
tZ18.00e He also cites thar twelve
individual mining companies have
rescue cars which h tom more than
are operated by D bureau OF mines.
In discussing the cause of mine
disasters. Director Holmes says.
Not only have men been KILLED 80
injured from what are believed TO bee
unnecessary electrical accidents in
mining. but Indirectly electrical ape
p~uratus has been responsible Tor
mine explosions aud mine fires shat
have extensively destroyed both li'
and property
The improper use uf explosive
ana the use 90 improper explosive
have directly cor indirectly caused q
large share n she fatal accidents tad
serious injuries Go the men. Hut f"iiy
as serious us me killlng 1r uriuriuT
81 sef eral thoustnd mei .r1W tnr
cuufe duriuR the past 1--WE years nos
been the injury Co the health a The
miners from poisonous gases glyen
OF hy Improper explosives used
"fach day poor ventilation and re-
sahinE bad air mJure the health of
thousands 90 miners in most cog the
metal mining states De- statutor,
protisions are incomplete and made
guate. and there b. the greatest dis
parity between them AZ to what com
s%titutes sufficient ventilation co keep
mine air pure In taet. 30 adequate
81 stern OF ventilation Is gsneraliy in
force today iu the metal mines Of The
country
The bureau boz addition 90 attempt
ing 90 prevent the explosion of cuai
dust iu mines. which has esuued in
great losz 81 nfc has been inycsti-
gaiinE methods that would stop such
explosions after they bad started.
DurllF the year four such devices
we're perfected hy George :. Rice.
the chief mining engineer Of the hu-
reau and patented Tor the benefit of
the mining industry Director Holmes
refers SO the Development Of these
devices 50 probably h most Kun
portaut part Of tho years work The
devices consist Of barriers placed On
the mines and loaded With stone
Dust The explosion strlklng these
barriers. The stone dust D. thrown
into the air aud stops HE further
~prupaEatlc9 OF the explosion. n is
fclt thar such devices would l~ocaiize
an explosion % the portlon u the
mine ia which h started. aud thus
save the men working in other parts
81 the mine.
In d accomplishments of the
year. DR. Hoimes calls attention 40
the statement 81 his engineers that,