The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-10-25
Underground Mine Sanitation
CDR A. ]. LAMA U. S. Bureau of Mines)


mentioned. 1t generally conveys an
idea of the process of cleaning up
trash, food refuse and maintenance OF
proper toilet facilities. Making under
ground places healthful and the re-
moval or mitigation of conditions tina!
threaten the life and welfare of the
miner imply great deal more than
the cleaning up of what are properly
classed as nuisances but do not In
themselves menace life. Underground
sanitation has for it's sphere the elm
nation of certain conditions and pro-
cesses that are intimately connected
with mining; conditions directly detri-
mental to human life, which, unfor-
tunately, are largely considered as In
separable from mining. 1t Is probable
that in spite of the utmost care and
effort there will always be an incl
dent hazard to the mining industry;
there is no good reason why there
should be distinct health hazard,
and the prevalence of miners con-
sumption is an evidence of the gem
eral low price at which we hold human
life.
The Effects Of Hard Rock Dust.
Health conditions that menace hu-
man life underground are largely
within the domain of the metal mine
rather than that of the coal mine.
Foremost in the ranks of offenders
against mine sanitation is hard rock
dust. l believe it may be safely as
serted that for every man killed or
disabled by injury In hard rock mines,
there have been rs victims of hard
rock dust. The history of hard rock
mining districts throughout the world
Is predominantly overshadowed by the
specter of miners consumption aud,
unfortunately, the relationship between
cause and effect is not as evident In
disease as in injury
Miners consumption, be it under
stood is disease Of the lungs, me-
chanically produced by the inhalation
Of particles of silieeous dust, which re-
search has shown to be so small that
they average but three to five microns
in diameter. The structural changes
produced in the lungs by the action OF
siliceous dust causes shortness #
breath on exertion with gradual dis
abling of the miner. The injury to the
lung tissue predisposes to tuberculo-
Sis SO that the victim of rock dust
finally succumbs to the latter disease,
usually leaving an impoverished ADD
often an infected family. Miners con
sumption has been recognized FOR CEN
turtles, but it remained for the ma =
chine drill to elevate 1t to the position
of one of the foremost underground
occupational diseases. This does not
mean that only the machine man gets
the miners consumption, the shoveler
the timber repairer, the loader or 9TH
ers who move the broken ground, may
also be exposed to the inhalation OF
siliceous dust | have seen cases Of
miners consumption in millmen wno
had never worked underground. Gen.
orally speaking, the more silica in the
dust, the more harmful 1t is: the flinty
dust in the sheet ground mines of
southwestern Missouri for instance,
with a silica content well over SO per
cent being among the most harmful
When dust Is once in the mine air, be-
lief in the protection OF miners by res
pirators or other devices is fallacious;
no respirator can be comfortably worn
by workingmen and eliminate dust
particles less than five microns in dia-
meter. The remedy lies in laying the
dust by the proper use of water in
drilling and sprinkling. In this coun-
try indiscrimnate dry drilling Is reg
ulated but little by law: many states
have laws on the statute books, but
they do not actually stop dry drilling,
England, South Africa. Australia and
British Columbia have enacted laws
which enforce severe penalties for dry
drilling in hard rock mines; possibly
in some places the law is not strictly
enforced. but at least an effort is
made, Blasting, chambering holes,
loading ore out of chutes and shovel
ing may all cause much dust under
certain conditions, and the elimina-
ton of this by proper springling is law
in other countries. A recent investi
cation of the prevalence of miners
consumption among the sheet ground
miners in the Joplin district in 1915,
indicated that about 35 per cent of
them were affected, which is about the
same conclusion arrived at after the
examination of many thousands of
miners on the Rand, In other large
hard rock camps in this country it
would appear that the percentage is
also large. Suppose, however. we put
1t as low as 5 per cent; an industry
showing per cent of the workers af-
fllcted with an occupational disease
reveals conditions that should not he
allowed to prevail indefinitely; but it
would appear that the situation is not
improving, and this is tr,e
where mines are getting
larger and deeper.
Methods Of AIIayins the Dust Evil.
The elimination of injurious dust.
then, is of prime Importance for mine
1t can be secured, first, by
doing away with dry drilling. Two
may be resorted to: The use