West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-07-29


WASHINGTON. July % While hun
drcds OF thousands OF men are being
slaughtered i'm the great Europcau
war. and when the ingenuity of man
IN foreign countries is taxed To the
utmost To devise yet more frightful on
gines for killing men. it is i'm striking
contrast that the United states govern
ment announces through the bureau OF
mines that preparations are being
made 10 hold in San Francisco great
national demonstration in the saving
OF human life and In alleviating the
sufferings OF those who are injured
in the pursuits OF peaceful industry.
The third national mine safety meet
in behalf OF the Pacific exposition
grounds, September % and "A. under
the auspices OF the bureau OF mines.
the American Mine Safety association
and the California Metal Producers as
socation. During the week the Amer
lean Institute of Mining Engineers. an
organization of 5000 members. and the
American Mining Congress. national
body OF several thousand members.
will hold their annual meetings at
the exposition and will Join i'm the
safety demonstration which promises
to have as spectators the largest gath
ering of mining men ever assembled
in the United States
1t is expected that more than fftv
teams of miners from all over the
United States trained i'm rescue and
irst-aid work, will be present TO com
pete in the several events. Gold med
ais are to be awarded by the American
Mine Safety association for Interstate
supremacy in rescue and first aid
work and silver and bronze medals by
the American Red Cross society to
teams that make creditable showings.
In addition there will be special med
ais and prizes to be competed for by
groups of states, such as the South
western states. the Rocky Mountain
states the Pacific coast states and the
Southern states.
Already miners all over the country
are preparing for the great national
meet Both rescue and first-aid teams
are I'm training in many mining com
munities and certain states and groups
of states arc holding elimination con
tests so that they may be represented
at San Francisco by the strongest pos
sible teams. Six Southwestern states,
Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas,
Missouri and Iowa have already held
state meets and they are now prepar-
ing to hold an interstate meet in Kan
sas City. The Southwestern Interstate
Coal Operators association is manag-
ing this interstate meet and expects to
have 10000 persons present. The win
ming team at Kansas City is to be Civ
en- $1,000 as prize to defray its ex-
penses to San Francisco and return.
The annual meeting o the American
Mine Safety association will be held
at Birmingham, Ala. September 4, and
this will be the occasion OF the South
ern interstate contest i'm first aid and
mine rescue, the winning team to be
sent to San Francisco. One Of the big
coal mining companies i'm Illinois and
another i'm the Pocahontas field OF
West Virginia have already made ar
rangements to send teams TO compete
i'm the events The Homestake Mining
! company, Of Lead. South Dakota. will
also send an individual team. IL is
further expected that there will be
three teams each from the states OF
Colorado, Montana. Wyoming. Utah
| and New Mexico, five each from the
States OF Arizona, Nevada and Wash
ingtOn. and a dozen teams from Cali
fornia. Where a state is represented
by more than one team, there will be
elimination contests on the first day
OF the meet, September %. and the
winners Of these contests will meet
the eastern teams the next day for in
terstate supremacy
That the miners have a problem on
their hands is seen i'm the death sta
tstics for the mines In the year
| 1913, the last year for which stats
| tics are available for all the mines and
allied Industries, 3,7G2 men were kill
ed and 177OOO injured This includes
coal mines, metal mines, quarrics. ore
dressing plants and smelling plants
In the last ten years. I'm the coal
mines alone. there have been 10000
! deaths a fatality rate OF three and
thrcc-quarters men in every 900 en-
ploycd, and more than million men
| Injured