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

hospital corps. All of these men have been trained
by the bureau of mines.
Happily, great mine disasters have been be-
coming fewer and fewer the come to bet
ter understanding of the causes. Nevertheless they
do happen, and thing that the bureau has
preached is that upon such visitation there shall
be a more orderly and systematic method of rescue
work, for 1t has been demonstrated that life can
be saved In devious ways The bureau has en-
deavored to tell the miners that in great catas
trophe it is often better for entombed miners to
barricade themselves in keeping the poisonous
gases out of their working place and waiting for
relief In this manner AZ men entombed in mine
for four days were recently rescued, the
being able to walk out of the mine.
I'VE not content to rest the progress
made There now more than million miners
in the United States, and each year more than
5000 killed in accidents and a quarter of a
million injured. Taking the cold business cacu-
lation of the state compensation commissions and
eliminating the suffering and of 5000 killed
each year, the economic loss from these fatalities
alone is $12OOO,0O0 year, for these commissions
are paying average of 81 600 for every life lost.
This is terrible toll for industry to pay each
year. 1t is hard for to realize that out OF
every mining camp of 1000 men, three of them
sure to lose their lives within u months.
Mining will always be an extra hazardous
business. But the question is, Have reached
the rreducible minimum No. think not 1t is
my belief that cut down the present fatal
ity rates full one-half that each 800
of the 1000 killed
1.-THE causes of these fatal accidents are much
better known. Operators and miners are giving
much more thought to the dangers of the mines
and the wide-awake among them have installed
more modern safety devices. Through the ex-
detrimental mine of the bureau mining and
miners both have keener understanding of the
dangers of coal dust and have learned how to COM
bat them.
ssJ, t,a mil nj ipdu ct hnmo 70 to
more valuable than ever before and l believe
that can be said of all the industries This is seen
in the great advances in safety work, the millions
of dollars spent in safety devices and the human-
tartan work of the different state compensation
commissions. The day of the ambulance chaser
and those ghouls that preyed upon the widow be-
set with grief the loss of her husband have
happily passed away. The state steps in and
sees that the widow and the orphan protected
and that alone Is worth all the fight that we have
endeavored to make. l do not say that the bureau
of mines is responsible for these state compensa-
tons but do know that these commissions came
after the mining industry started its great human
saving drive and that the disclosures of the condi-
lions in mining furnished the states with facts
that favored the establishment of these commits
sions.
"Cut the mine fatalities in half"
The dedication ceremonies brought to Pitts
burgh for the three days the most prominent min
ing and metalurgicaI men of the nation. not alone
those interested in the safety-frst movement, but
also those connected with the allied industries that
use the products of the mines
The bureau of mines. In cooperation with the
Pittsburgh chamber of commerce. arranged an
elaborate program of events calling for the pres
ence of high government and state government
officials besides the leading men of mining through
in the country. The first morning the new labora
tories at $500 Forbes street dedicated. DR.
Van H. Manning, director of the bureau, presiding