The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1915-12-16
MINERS NOT ATAL|sTs
OBSERVE SAFETY RULES
DECREASE IN MINE ACCIDENTS
SINCE OBSERVING SAFETY
FIRST" RULES.

It's an old saying among miners that
II man gets cold feet, the best thing
he can do is to get a job on top. In
the old days miners flirted with death
In many forms and grew immune to
fear, II not to danger. 1t was drawing
the line fine to Introduce the safety
first" rules among the men without
intoxicating just little bit of spirit If
fear With less intelligent class Of
men than is employed in the Butte
mines, 1t mights have been far more
difficult--maybe impossible. Blu. the
Butte miners have learned to be care
ful without being afraid, and the re-
suit is men just to the liking % the
superintendent, the shift bosses, the
safety first forces and everybody con-
cerned.
Miners Were FataIists.
Volumes might be written about ac-
cidents that have occurred and near
accidents that were prevented by the
narrowest margin, in the mines on Tie
big hill Accidents such as the his
tory of the past would record are be-
coming less frequent, as are all acct
dents in the mines, says the Anaconda
Standard. At times men were employ
ed underground who were fata,ists;
they believed that what Is to De will
be-" and went stolidly and with UNI
concern about their work, taking risks
IL the occasion seemed to demand, and
with little effort to avoid danger. The
miner of today knows this doctrine is
false, and feels that his safety and the
protection of his family depend upon
his own foresight and caution to a
large extent Some of the narrow es-
capes Of the past, about which the
men talk when they get together and
somebody starts the conversation in a
reminiscent way, show the spirit that
prevailed. They are interesting, as
recalled by a man who was himself
formerly an underground worker.
Some Remarkable Accidents.
Il remember when a miner fell IA
floors 112 feet down chute in one
of the hill mines," he said "The man
was Jared and shaken up, but after
a couple of weeks in the hospital he
went back to work as good as ever. In
contrast to this case was that of the
miner at the. Mountain Con-, who a
few weeks ago sustained a broken
back in fall of exactly feet. 1t
seems incredible, but 1t Is true. The
unfortunate man fell with his back
across a girt, which explains how 1t
was possible to receive so serious an
injury
THE same mine was the scene
many years ago, of another remark
able occurrence, where a miner stared
death In the face, If a man ever did
There was no skip in service there,
and the cars of ore were rolled onto
the cage and hoisted to the surface
This miner pushed his car upon the
cage and failed to notice the latters
disappearance. He showed the car off
into the shaft and unable to catch
himself followed. Grabbing the
creased cable, he slid down, down,
throwing his feet about in the hope
of touching something that would stay
his flight. He, too, was lucky The
cable was running slowly and his foot
caught in the wall plates, where he
hung by one leg until he could make
his yells heard, and was recued. He
worked the shift out just the same as
though nothing had happened out of
the ordinary.
mo one was to blame for a miner
being caught in fall of rock not long
ago, unless it was himself, and that
was not proven. He was covered I'M
der many tons and his body was wedg-
ed In so that every rock in the mass
had to be moved before he was freed.
Some timbers had fallen in such
way as to form an arch over his head,
protecting him and providing an air
space A crew of men worked seven
hours to get him out, but he only lost
two shifts.
Powder Poured Down Shaft.
THE narrow escapes Of men who
handled powder are more numerous
perhaps, than from any other cause.
saw a miner run a heavily loaded |
car over a stick of powder that had !
been dropped on the track; the pow
Ter was ground beneath the wheels
put nothing happened.
mo one can say what powder will
10 under any given circumstances or
Frozen powder was once
bought to be more dangerous to
handle than that which has been thaw-
d out, but this has been disproven. /
nee saw miner pick up a stick of
liant and his light at the same time.
lie handled both carelessly, and the /,
ight set fire to the powder He drop /.
ed the stick and ran with all his
night, but his fear was unnecessary, y,
ne flame went out and again nothing
appened.
In another Butte mine a box of