Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-02
Stations to Be Built in Public
Buildings in Virginia and
Tennessee.
TREASURY MAKES PUBLIC
new PLAN TO SAVE LIFE
Demand for Humanitarian Project
Said by Government Agent
to Be Pathetic.

Mine rescue stations in post office
buildings in the coal regions is the latest
plan of the Treasury Department.
According to an announcement made
TO-DAY. tine department is expediting the
construction OF such stations, one at
Norton, Va, the other at Jellico, Tenn,
in the heart Of the coal mining district
of those states.
The stations will be located in the Sec
ond story Of the post offices in these
towns. and will be provided with all
equipment needed for a speedy rescue of
imprisoned miners.
If the plan is as successful as Assistant
Secretary Newton. in charge of public
buildings believes 1T will be, other post
offices in mining regions will be gwen
mine rescue equipment.
McAdoo Keenly Interested.
Assistant Secretary Newton stated to-
day that Secretary McAdoo was ketnly
interested In these undertakings and had
been striving since he took office to ex-
pedite the work of safeguarding the lives
of the coal miners
Everything possible will be DONE" said
Mr.. Newton, Ito get these buildings COM
plete6 and the rescue stations N opera
ton as quickly as possible.
A report from w. +. Field. the govern
ment agent who inspected the sites at
Norton, tells a vivid story OF conditions
he found there and the intense interest
of all classes of citizens in having the
rescue station established. Concerning
the attitude of the people and the con-
ditions he says:
The demand for a permanent station
for this purely humanitarian project is
almost pathetic, anu citizens of ali classes
in the mining districts showed deep in
tereSt in advancing project which has
for soie ga, pose the actual saving OF
life III the mines and the placing within
easy reach of those engaged in this most
dangerous calming the means o. OBTAIN
ing thorough and practical knowledge
of the whole subject-a knowledge which
will enable them to recognize and avoid
the oanoers, or to act instantly and ef-
fectively, in cases where others have
been overcome by the sudden and I'M
foreseen aprraran.e of tine deadly gases
or of cave-ins or explosions-a constant
and ever-present menace.
Minutes of Great Importance.
Where minutes frequently mean the
difference between life and death to an
imperiled man, the tremendous i'm
portance of this great work cannot be
ioverestimated. The men enter the work
in the mines with absolutely no knowl-
ie.ge Of the attendant dangers, and 1t
is practically impossible to estimate
the extent of the perils to which, by
their Ignorance of the simplest methods
20 be adopted to avoid and to meet
the dangers, these men are constantly
subjecting themselves and their fellow
workers.
Situated as it is at a point within a
radius of few miles of large num-
Der of coal operations, Norton is almost
ideally located as headquarters for
nine rescue work The rescue car, with
its trained men and apparatus, ever
ready for a call at any hour, will be
able within a few minutes to reach any
part of q district in which are employed
nearly $4,000 miners.
Five lines of railroad at Norton reach
all points where operations are going
on. and with rescue station and rescue
car fully equipped with nfe-savinE APP
paratus, and with a crew Of educated
and ready men, the dangers which con-
stant,y surround this vast army OF
workers will be reduced to the lowest
degree possible to be attained in this
most hazardous OF all callings.
There were cited many instances OF
loss of life Of which the world never
hears, which would undoubtedly have
been obviated were the necessary facil-
tiles at hand, or had there been within
reach the means of obtaining an educa-
ton and a familiarity with the subject
which would have enabled these men to
secure a complete understanding OF the
dangers to be avoided and the methods
to be adopted to meet these dangers
when they became imminent. -.
Large Families Dependent.
Further. the number Of miners actual.
ly engaged upon the work Is but a small