Mohave County miner., 1916-12-02
PLEA Is MADE FOR
 PREPAREDNESS AT
 MINES OF COUNTRY


 of preparedness at coal and metal mines, so that if a disaster comes and imprisons many miners the officials may have a definite plan for action in saving life, is outlined in a report just issued by the bureau of mines of the department of the interior and which is being sent to practically all the mines in the United States.
 The bureau of mines has aided in rescue work at many mine explosions and has been instrumental in saving the lives of many men, but in all most every instance where there has been a great disaster the bureaus of ficials say they have found great con fusion prevailing with much valuable time vested before a proper rescue organization could be effected. There has also been a serious absence of the equipment necessary for the recovery of the men entombed. Lack of such preparedness, the bureau says, no doubt has often resulted in an un- necessary loss of life among the inn prisoned men and also among the rescue force.
 Since the bureau began its rescue work it has endeavored to guide in the formation of competent rescue organizations at mine disasters, but has been greatly hampered because of the different methods in practice in different parts of the country. Based on it's experience at many mine disasters, the bureau has now formu- lated a code which it is felt should be in the hands of every responsible official at a mine. This code pro- vides for an organization at each mine that would become automatical- ly active the moment there is a dis aster. It also gives list of the nec- essary materials to have on hand at all times and outlines the most inn portant duties for these organizations turing such emergencies.
 At times there has been some lit tie misunderstanding as to just what part the bureau of mines is expected to take in rescue work" said Van H. Manning, director of the bureau.
 "This manual is intended to define the duties of the descuers and to bring about a better understanding between the men engaged in rescue work as to the functions of the bureau. It has been a popular mo- tion that the rescuers of the bureau wearing heavy oxygen-rescue appa- ratus should carry the dead from the mine and there has been some little disappointment at the refusal of the rescuers to take part in this work. It has been my policy that the rescuers should seek to save live men and give them assistance and should not be called upon except in special emerg- encies to carry bodies and then only for a short distance. The entire strength of the men, thus handicapped by the heavy apparatus, should be expended in saving life.
 Disasters do not come frequently to individual mines and there has been natural feeling that they will never come. Consequently very lit tie thought is given to what should be done when such a catastrophe does come. The result has been very little preparedness and considerable con fusion, especially when some of the best men in the employ of the com pany are imprisoned or killed. This | manual is intended to give the opera tors and superintendents and other officials of the mines some idea of the character of organization that shoud be normally in force at a mine every day it is working, and ex- plains how this organization may be turned into an effective rescue force when a disaster comes. It is an eff fort on the part of the bureau to save the maximum possible number of men imprisoned in a mine and at the same time safeguard the lives of the rescuers, many of whom have been sacrificed in the past. The bureau does not like to think of dis asters happening; at the same time it believes in preparedness when they do come. If the suggestions in this little book succeed in saving the life of single miner, the bureau will be repaid for its efforts along this line"
 Danger Signal