The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1919-10-31


UW1EyWSNu country took part The program
of three days arranged by
the bureau of mines in co-opera-
ton with the Pittsburgh chamber of commerce.
One of the biggest features of these ceremonies
was the nationwide frst-ad and mine rescue con-
test held during the last two days. About 100
teams from the coal and metal mining companies
throughout the country entered the lists The last
day there was holiday for the miners of the
Pittsburgh district and thousands Witnessed the
awarding of the prizes to the winners
In addition to the usual prizes for these con-
tests the Joseph A. Holmes Safety association an
organization created in 1916 in honor of the mem
DRY OF the first director for the purpose of giving
recognition to persons who had performed mer-
torlous and heroic deeds in the saving Of human
life in the mining and metaurgcal industry,
who had developed some safety appliance to fur
Their the saving of life in those industries made
its first awards. DR.. Van II. Manning president
OF the association, announced the list recipients
or diplomas and medals and rected the deeds for
which they We're presented The committee on
awards had recommended that II gold medals be
awarded all for heroic deeds performed by miners
In coal and metal mines in efforts the lives
of fellow workmen.
Speaking of the accident conditions generally in
the mining industries and of the outlook, DR.. Van
II. Manning director Of the bureau Of Mines says:
Il am often asked, What has the bureau Of
mines accomplished in saving of human life in the
many varying factors involved. l may say, how
ever that If you consider the prevailing average
death rate In the mines for period of years be-
fore the federal government took up this work and
compare 1t with the average fatality since the
bureau created you will find that 5000 less
miners have been killed In other words, had the
old fatality rate been maintained through the last
few years 5000 more men would have lost their
lives. 1t must also be remembered that the situa-
ton was gradually becoming worse, and who
knows that there might not have been 1000 or
5000 lives lost? We also have to take into consid-
Grafton that thanks to the many improvements In
lifesavng methods and the greater understand
ings of the causes of accidents this saving OF
1000 human beings will be increased the years
roll on until we show several times 5000 lives
saved.
ut is indeed glorious record of human prog
Five thousand lives saved Perhaps 1000
less widows! At least 1900 children who still
have fathers. Take away all the other manifold
duties of the bureau of mines and this accom-
plishment is worthy of all its costs the govern
ment since its establishment and for years to
come
Il do not mean that the bureau of mines de-
serves all the credit. 1t was however the agency
that picked up the isolated, sporadic efforts OF a
few well-meaning men and companies and welded
them into great national movement for greater
| safety in the mines. 1t at gained the CO.
| operation of the miners, the mine operators the
| state mine inspectors and others, and without
! these the bureau Of mines would have been almost
| helpless.
1T was in 1911 that the bureau held under If.
| auspices great national frsaid and mine rescue
meet at Pittsburgh, which was attended by % 900
| miners The slogan Of that meet was safety first
| and that the time that the slogan since inter
| nationally fanous, first became national battle
cry for this humanitarian movement Not only
| safety FIRST Immediately adopted BY the
mining companiGx but it also taken I'D by
the railroads and BY industrial plants of the
country. Safety organizations appeared every
where Determined campaigns were fought to re-
duce the number of deaths and INJURIES In quite
a number Of mills and factories and railroads
there q reduction in the fatalities of more
than so per cent Further improvement was slow
err, but the original gains were made and added to-
"Just how many thousands of lives were saved
may never be known. for there nc statistics
that adequately industrial accidents but we
do know that the bureau of mines and its asso
cated agencies started movement that not only
spread throughout the entire United States but
it also reached the other countries of the world
with an equally good effect. And it all started
with the modest mine safety meet we held in Pitts
burgh In 1911.
improving its methods interesting the miner in hi.
own safety and that of his fellow man doins
what 1t could to point out to the owners of the
mines the dangerous places that could be avoided
and making recommendations the result Of IT.
experiments looking toward still greater safety
To-day the bureau of mines maintains in ever,
mining field Of the country mine rescue car full,
equipped with modern fe-saving apparatus, tina
responds to disasters and assists in the rescu,
work In the meanwhile 1t visits the mines In IL
district and gives the miners training In botl
mine rescue and first aid to the injured. As a re
suit there several thousand miners Throughout
the country who are expert in the use of the oxy