The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-03-23
THE HA s KIN LIE II TIE r
RESCIJING MINERS
! Frederlc .. Haskin.

- By EEedel
a few weeks ago newspapers all
over the country recounted the res
cue by the trained force OF the Unit
ed states Bureau or Mines of forty
seven miners, who had been entomDed
| by an explosion in the mines OF the
New River and Pocahontas Console
dated Coal Companies Of West Virgin
Ia.
To the casual reader. the details or
the New River disaster We're much
like those of the numerous others
tEaL frequently take place. There
was terrific explosion from some
unknown cause. which filled the mine
with poisonous gases, destroyed Its.
ventiiating system and buried alive,
l64 men. Forty-seyen OF these may
seem 70 the average reader rathr-
small percentage TO save. In point
OF fact, that any Of the miners were
.brough out of that poison chamber
alive IS little short OF a miracle, and
what is more important, it is tri-.
umph OF modern mine rescue methods
which is Of the utmost significance
both from humanitarian and from
an industrial point of view
The death toll taken by our mining
industries constitutes one Of the most
serious industrial problems i'll the
United states. Hundreds of miners
every year lose their lives. and only a
small percentage OF the accidents are
due either to their own carelessness.
or to that Of their employers. "A coal,
mine is an underground labyrinth.
often miles in extent, filed with rnys-
.terlous and deadly forces. Many or
the explosions and fires are never adj
equately explained. The miners ne
cessariiy risk their lives in their daily
work.
For many years the Bureau Of
Mines has been perfecting methods
and apparatus for rescue work in coal
mines. 1t has brought from Ger
many and other European countries
the latest types of oxygen tanks and
breathing apparatus. 1t has sent its
demonstration cars all over the
country, teaching miners how to res
cue and resuscltate their entombed
comrades. Above all, it has sought
to establish an orderly and effective
method of procedure to be used at all
disasters.
In the case of most mine explosions
the immeiate result has been some
thing close TO panic. Minrs have
thing close to a panic. Miners have
rushed into the aid of their comrades
without proper preparation and have.
often lost their own lives. Such a
case occurred at Hannibal. Wy, not
many years ago when an explosion
occurred in small mine where six.
ten men We're at work. Forty others
rushed to their assistance and all OF
hon T. I,,tix
sion. Their bones are sealed up in
the mine today.
All the teachings and efforts of the
United States Bureau of Mines have
been directed toEovercome these pre-
lcipitate methods and to go about tbs
work of rescue in an orderly and sci
entitic way At the New River dis
aster these methods We're put into
force almost without hitch It is
probable that every man was saved
who possibly could have been saved,
land it was conclusively dem onstrated
that courage, combined with scientific
imethods, can greatly reduce the NOR
tally at mining disasters.
In all OF the disasters at which ex-
Derts Of the bureau Of mines have
T been present since the bureau was
iorganized, only one hundred men
who had been entombed were brought
out alive. That forty-seven should
have been so rescued in single small
disaster shows how effective the meth
DDS Of the bureau have become.
When WORD OF. the explo sion at New
River went humming over the wires.
the nearest rescue car of the bureau
Eof mines was several hundred miles
away. Furthermore. It had to trav-
erse three different railroads in order
TO reach the scene. Everything else
was side-tracked by the railroad com
pan1es, however, and the rescue. car
rushed to the spot, reaching it at
ABOUT dark Of the day the explosion
occurred. There were seven trained
government men in the car. and from
the United States Coal and Coke Com
pany. not far away. ten miners who
had been trained by the bureau of
mines for rescue work were brought
TO the scene, making a force Of seven-
teen men in all who were quipped
with oxygen tanks and breathing ap-
fparatus.
Upon reaching the mine. the rescue
men did not rush in In the first
place. 1t is useless to rush into coal
mine unless you are familiar with it:
and in the second place. it is neces-
sary to be very careful how you rush
at all when your life depends,upon n
few cubic inches OF oxygen strapped to-
your. back. The frst move or the res
cue crew was to get a blue print dia-
gram, or map. Of the mine and to
study it until they had memorized it
in detail. For a coal mine after an
Explosion IS about one hundred times
as confusing as the most confusing
city in the world with all its street
lights out.
Having learned the lay OF the mine
In detail the little force was divided
into three crews. and toeach OF. these.
was added a. certain nnmher of men