The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-03-31
WASTE
OF Minerals in United States
is Estimated TO Be at Least
$1,000, 900 a Day.
lseselAL 81 &C TELaaaAla,


A million dollars a day is the estI-
mate of the bureau OF mines OF the
loss in the United States by the
waste of minerals. It may be more,
according TO the same authority.
What IS wasted in each state IS not
given in the annual report of the
chief OF the Bureau OF Mines, but
as West Virginia is secohd in miner
| al production among the states OF the
Union, and has taken no more ad-
vanced steps than other states to
prevent the waste of its minerals, It
is apparent that the waste in that
state is very large. The waste in the
oil and gas fields OF the country 10
placed by the director of the Bureau
of Mines at more than $5O,O0O.OOO
a year, which, however, from $lo,-
100000 to $2O,000,OOO Is credited
to Oklahoma. The waste In coal
Mining is estimated at more than
% 100000 tons year. This
should average about a dollar ton,
showing a loss of quarter OF mil
Ion dollars a year from waste in the
coal mining industry alone. west
Virginia bears its full proportion OF
this loss and being second among the
states n coal production with as
great a proportion of waste as any of
must be high up in the millions OF
dollars a year.
I'm one respect at least" says
Director ]. A. Holmes. of the Bureau
of Mines, in his annual report, just
made public, 1.-The consideration OF
mineral waste has basis quite dill
ferent from the consideration of az
ricultural waste. Our crops repre-
sent an annual production from
reasonably permanent soil; our for
ests may grow again, though mucn
longer period of time IS required;
and the soils themselves may be re-
produced from the subsoil and the
rock beenath But of our mineral
we have only the one sup
ply. This supply is TO consi->z~;ie
extent destroyed in use; and at rhe
present increasing rate at which we
are using and wasting 1t our one
supply OF a number Of these re-
sources will either be exhausted or
largely depleted while the nation IS
yet in its youth The most urgent
need for investigation and reform IS
in connection with the unnecessary
waste OF OF! and natural gas that
still prevails in many parts Of the
country A few years of further de-
Ilay and this valuable source of ma
Itional wealth will have been wasted
lost The individuai
operators in causing this waste have
followed their natural bent for tenn
porary gain. The states have per-
mitted this criminal waste without
protest, fearing that interference
might retard development. VIII the
national government do the same?
or the total waste or gas In the dill
ferent oil fields of the country more
than eighty per cent is believed TO
be easily prevntable. As regards the
remaining twenty per cent 1t is pc
|lieyed that gasoline may be extracted
from much of the gas and the gas
itself burned for some useful pur-
pose. and thus the waste is stu
further. reduced. The need for en-
Ilarged investigation is further shown
by the fact that in addition to this
waste of gas, the waste of petroleum,
and especially the loss of the lighter
oils in the pumping and storage o.
petroleum, is much greater than -
ordinarily supposed Moreover the
injury caused by the hoodlng OF U,
and gas strata by underground water
s another phase OF the subject call
ing urgently for inquiry and investl-
CATION The waste or loss from this
causes a real menace to the value OF
our oil fields.
THE waste in coal mining is an
other drain on our national wealth
which calls for serious and e&tenueu
INQUIRY and Investigation. a pre-
llminary estimate, based upon linn
tied inquiry and examination. indi-
Gates an annual waste or loss, OF
coal n mining and handling of not
less than 250,OO0,OOO tons per an
rum This represents a loss from
our hest and most easily mined Goals
and those nearest our great centers
OF Industry. What is needed in con-
nectfon with this loss is a thorough
underground survey and exam ma
areas in each of the important coal
fields of the country, with view to
determining the exact conditions un-
der hch mining operations take
place aud the possibilities of adopt
ing less wasteful methods. With this
amount of accurate information oe-
fore the public, 4 VIII then be pos
slble to obtain the adoption OF Tar
less wasteful methods of mining.
The results Of such an investigation
would also contribute largely to
greater safety n coal mining; Tor
in coal mining. the safety and waste
problems are too Intimately assocl-
alter to permit separate treatment.
Regarding the Joss OF life in min
ing accidents. Director Holmes said:
''lt the increasing rate of coal mine
fatalities during 1905, 1905 ana
1907, the three years prior TO the
beginning of this work, hau conl Ll.
ned throughout the four subsequent
years since Congress began these
mlne-explosIon invest cations, the
number Of fatalities would have been
at least 1000 more than they nave
octuaIiy been The report states
that 10000 men have been killed
during the last ten years in the
Il Il