The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-07-25
Fifty Teams of Miners
Will Show Rescue Work
Third National Safety Meet Of Its Kind Will
Be Held on San Francisco Exposition
Grounds September q and "a.

use Of the rescue apparatus ana IN hr-S
aid work. During the last four years
the bureau has thus trained more than
5000 miners, all Of whom are now
equipped to conduct rescue or hrst-aid
work.
In the short period last year during
which the crews of the bureaus cars
were able to conduct active training.
6,6st miners visited the cars and sta
lions, q, 22s attended the lectures and
demonstrations. e.sas were given mine
rescue and $3.50 hrst-aid instruction and
training.
Mine Rescue Stations.
AS result of the example set by the
Bureau of Mines, many Of the mine oper-
ators have begun a system Of opera
tons in which safety 10 considered Of
first Importance. 1t Is estimated that
10 mining companies have individually
or through the association Of two or
more companies. established seventy-six
mine-rescue stations at which there have
been installed I 200 sets of oxygen breath
ing apparatus for use In rescue work, be-
sides the auxiliary equipment for first
aid and nre-nghting work. There are
also twelve mine-rescue cars now oper-
ated by individual mining companies
about their own local properties.
Van II. Manning. acting director Of the
Bureau of Mines, declares that the work
of saving lives Of the men 10 still In its
infancy.
THE loss Of life In the different
branches OF the mining industry Is q dis
credit to the nation says Mr.. Manning.
1T calls for more extended inquiries on
the part of the Federal government and
q proper dissemination Of the results OBJ
tanned: 1t calls for more stringent police
-fetN ina hx, ~ 0fatA
and for more determined cooperative ef-
fort on the part Of both the miners and
the mine owners in the way Of making
and enforcing safety regulations.
Demonstrations Are Needed.
"A large proportion OF the men enter
ing the mines of the United States each
year come from the farms and villages
of different European countries: they
are unfamiliar with our language. our
institutions, our laws, and know little
or nothing of mining. A majority Of the
men now working in rne coal mines of
the United States speak and read but lit
tie English. 1t is, therefore, dificult to
reach these men through publications.
even when the latter are prepared in the
most simple and elementary manner.
The plan most successfully used by the
employees Of the Bureau Of Mines in
icdShAiS anu hSSiSolih8 thScc iuch 10
through giving actual working demon
stration in mine rescue, first aid and 9TH
er safety measures and methods. and the
giving Of lectures illustrated with lantern
slide pictures which contrast the safe
and the dangerous methods. In these
lectures and demonstrations. local inter-
prefers are used as the need for them
may appear.
Work Of this kind develops a new in
IL. fatN a
miners and following the movements OF
each of the rescue cars this interest on
the part Of the miners II shown In their
call for the publications which treat Of
mine safety work. So far As 1t has gone,
this educational work IL assuredly de-
veloping safer and better mining. and
the leaders among the miners express
the belief that II carried forward on
larger scale the work cannot fail to de-
velop also better citizenship among these
miners.
Expressed In Money Value.
NO one likes to estimate the p1oney
value of a human life. but at times it
becomes necessary to do this. spe,ially
in working out the economics of compen-
sation acts. 1t Is q reasonable estimate
that during the past ten years more than
81. 900 men have been killed In connection
with the accidents in the mining indus
tries of this country. It IL impossible to
estimate the number injured or who have
suffered from bad health conditions. 1t
il impossible to estimate the number of
men with health shattered through these
conditions who have had to give up their
work years before their natural time. or
the number Of dependents who have
suffered thereby.
IF it is assumed that each human life
lost is valued at 5000. II will be seen
that the deaths alone in the mines have
cost in the ten years 100000
LAS to the metal mines, metallurgicai
plants and quarrying operations, unfor-
tunately. there Is little reliable data re-
garding health conditions in the United
States; yet there are SUFFICIENT isolated
figures concerning certain districts to in
dictate that the death rate from occupa-
tional diseases is even greater than the
accident rate.
Whatever may be the value put on a
human life in arranging for a reasonable
compensation. these losses Of life and
labor are national in their extent and
character and fall ultimately upon the
general public as representing the con-
sumers Of mineral products.
1T Is important. therefore, not only
from a humanitarian standpoint. but
also from the standpoint Of economics,
that everything possible should be done
to reduce the loss OF life and labor in
the mining industry, both through pre-
vention Of accidents and through the I'M
provement Of health conditions. 1t il
also a matter of decided importance to
the public from both the standpoints
that these improvements should be
brought about at q minimum cost and
In a minimum time"