The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-12-14


resentlng different mining companies
and by teams representing miners or
CARNATIONS In different states.
The additional safety stations to be
provided under the terms of the act OF
act approved by congress in 1915 will
enable training to be given In districts
where such training and proper facili-
ties have long been requested.
The bureaus engineers have been
highly successful in developing devices
for preventing dust explosions in coal
mines. Dusts from hundreds Of mines
in different coal fields have been stud
led and their relative inflammabllity
has been determined. In addition, the
dust harmless have been tested at the
experimental coal mine.
Since the bureau was created 1t has
kept careful statistics of the number
of men killed in coal mines. metal
mines and quarries throughout the
country. These statistics now cover
period Of five years and show in the
first year, 1911, a total Of 3539 killed
: in all of the coal and metal mines and
quarries of the United States, with a
death rate OF 1852 for every 1000 en-
ployed There has been a steady de-
crease not only in the number of men
killed but also in the death rate. For
the yeaR 1916, there were 1910 men
killed with a death rate of but 3.01 for
each 1000 employed.
The greatest progress has been
made in coal mining. The statistics
for the year 1915 show these import
ant conclusions. The actual number
of men killed was the lowest in the
y last eight years The death rate for
each 1000 men employed was the low
est in the last 16 years The number
of tons of coal produced for each min
er killed was the largest in the entire
history of coal mining in the United
States.
While the year 1916 was the safest
ever known in coal mining in the
United States, the figures for the first
eight months of 1916 indicate that the
1915 record will be eclipsed. For these
eight months of this year there are 70
less fatalities than for the same
, months of 1915, reduction of 5 per
, cent from the record of that year. The
. United States today mines 40 per cent
Of the worlds output of coal, or as
combined; and its coal mines employ
more than three quarters of million
men.
Recognizing the need of reliable fig
, eral industries, as a basis for deter
mining the hazards and the rules and
regulations needed for safety, the bur-
, eau complies and publishes annually
, accident statistics for coke ovens ore
dressing plants, and smelters as we'll
as quarries. Under a cooperative ar
, ragnement with all state coal mine in
spectors 1t publishes monthly report
of coal mine fatalities, showing their
. number, cause and distribution by
states. Recently the bureau published
a compilation of all coal mine fatali-
ties (over 50,000) reported by state
mine inspectors since the beginning of
inspection by each state the figures
! covering the mining of more than SO
! per cent of all the coal produced in the
United States since 1907.
. More Efficient Methods.
) Investigations of the problems of
= miscellaneous mineral technology in
5 clude safety and efficiency in the pre-
= paration and use of the minor metals
: in the arts. In these investigations
! especial attention has been given to
9 the possibility of eliminating some of
: the great waste that takes place and,
5 incidentally, to increasing the efficien-
cy of manufacturing processes and the
l substitution of domestic for imported
I products. These investigations have
, already demonstrated the extent and
: variety of the losses occasioned by
I methods in current use.
ne leluSpdT, mica anu kaOIln re-
! sources of the Appalachian region, and
the kaolin resources of the coastal
plain region of Georgia and South
Carolina have been studied with ref
( erence to the needs of American pot
: ters. The results show that American
feldspar is equal if not superior, to
: that obtainable elsewhere, that many
; of the kaolin deposits of the southern
Appalachian region yield china clay
that is remarkably white and equal in
! quality to any imported, and that by
simple and inexpensive treatment
: under careful control the immense de-
posits of kaolin in the southern part
of the Atlantic coastal plain may be
| made available for china and other
white ware.
An investigation of the fuller's
! earth industry of the country has been
| instrumental in bringing about a
, great increase in the production and
utilization of domestic earth during
the last few years.
In cooperation with the American
institute of Metals and the chemical
department of Cornell university, the