The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-12-22
GOVERNMENT AGENCY
SAVES LIVES OF MINERS
strenuous Part Played During the
War BY Bureaus 0f
Mines.

WASHINGTON Dec. 81 How great
governmental agency engaged In saw
ing the lives of miners and promoting
the welfare OF the industry, at the
call to arms was instantly turned into
an engine of death and destruction
to enemies. In detailed in the annual
report OF the bureau OF mines. depart
ment OF the interior, by Van. II. Man.
ming, the director.
The report, which closes with the
fiscal year June 80. while the United
States was still At war. tells OF the
strenuous part played by the bureau
of mines in assisting to build up the
terrifying machine Of death that
would not have been felt with its
following spring. With the cessa-
ton OF war the Germans. II il said.
will never be able to realize what tho
full force OF Americas military
might would have been, or the many
devices and methods that were the
result Of American ingenuity. for the
sswsr Department. If keeping tase best
Ut these profound secret.
Al the same time great good for
he future peaceful pursuit of in
rIustry in this country and for he say
.hg instead of killing OF men has
| com" out of this welter Of death
dealing experiments. il the claim of
the bureau nj mines. Certain expert
menis with delicate instruments
known as microphones and geo
phones, in order TO detect the direc-
ton and the distance of enemy mining
work in tunneling and the loca-
where placed. has disclosed that these
same instruments can be of use in
determining the location Of men en-
tom bed in mines following disaster.
II is expected that. IL the men have
the presence OF mind te make even q
slight, noise the rescuers listening
with these devices will be able at
once 10 locate the men and begin the
rescue work Men thus entoIhbed
have been known to live for ii week
or longer under such circumsta noes,
the r>ecuers being unable to find
them Other men haze died before
they could he. located. The bureau
wl}l "utl4p it's rescue cars as soon as
possible with these devices.
ne S'.F experience OF the bureau
is going 10 help peace Industries in
still another direction. The coal ex-
pcrts eager 80 do their share in win,
ming the war, were assigned to yhe
testing OF boilers to be used in the
shi ps OF the Emergency Fleet cor
poration. Speed and the saving OF
coal were demanded. The result was
that the experts so changed the de-
sign Of the boilers that the coal here.
tofore necessary 10 send the ships
along for six miles was sufficient to
carry them seven miles. This great
saving VIII be available in peace
times
Early In The war every experiment
station OF The bureau in the mining
districts of the country AT once closed
its peace activities and marshalled
for war. The entire bureau and its
men ANA equipment were offered to
the two services. Especially press
ing scientific pro blems. were allotted
10 the different stations. and where
the bureau did moi have all the men
necessary. IL turned over its iabora :
tories and equipment TO the men as.
signed By the war and navy depart
ments. In this way central-control
laboratory for the testing OF materials
Of war was established 1t the Pitts
burg station Of the bureau by the
ordnance department Steel for can
non, material for cartridges and other
materials used by the ordnance were
here tested for flaws and weaknesses.
The war department was determined
that no soldier, in the emergency Of
battle, would be able to say that. his
gun tailed him because OF faulty ma
tcrial
Tire war department next seized
upon The opportunity OF using The
bureaus explosives station and bonf9-
proof a few miles from Pittsburg and
there many important. yet necret
tests into the action OF new and dead
~ explosives. were made under the
supervision OF tie bureaus and
armies experts Information OF the
greatest importance to the war-mak-
ing powers was obtained.
Early In February, 1917. when war
between the United States and the
central powers seemed inevitable. the
bureau offered III services In the study
80 POISONOUS gases and gas-masks to
tbs war department which was ac-