The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1919-07-03
Bureau of Mines--C Celebration in Connec-
ton With Opening Of Great Pitts
burg Experimental Station


peace time stride and, better equipped
than ever will begin its manifold I'M
dertakings that concern so closely /
many phases Of our industrial life.
During the last two years and more
the bureau, under the urge OF conflict |
has discovered many amazing things
and put us in the way OF applying
these effectively in aiding US to help
win the war.
To commemorate the resumption OF
its normal conditions under particu-
larry favorable circumstances ana
likewise to emphasize the magnitude OF
its well earned importance, the bu-
reau is going to hold celebration In
Pittsburg from September 20 TO Octo-
her 4. when its recently completed
group of laboratory buildings at the
Pittsburg experiment station Will be
dedicated formally.
Bureau Only Nine Years Old.
More than million dollars has been
spent-4well spent-in creating special
facilities by which the government
scientists will carry on their epoch
making Investigations, To appreciate
what has already been accomplished
and thus sense something Of the po-
tentialities Of the new laboratories, we
should look over the span OF nine years
to the time when the bureau OF mines
had its beginning, says the New YORK
Sun.
The bureau was established by con-
gress in 1910 for the purpose OF
conducting scientific and technologic
Investigations and concerning mining
and the preparation and the utilization
Of mineral substances with a view TO
the increase of health, safety and Ell
ficiency in the mineral enterprises For
eight years the bureau paid especial
attention to the various problems that
became Of outstanding importance ar
ter we declared war on Germany
AS Van Fl. Manning, the able and
energetic director OF the bureau OF
mines. has explained in his last annual
report:
among these problems are those
relating to poisonous and explosive
gases such as are found in mines, the
devising Of means to protect men
working in noxious atmospheres, the
training of men In mine rescue and
first aid methods, the utilization OF
coal with great efficiency, the devel-
opment Of ways to utilizeS domestic
minerals to replace minerals that here
tofore have been imported, the pre-
yention of waste in the production
the transportation and the utilization
OF petroleum and natural gas, and the
development of processes whereby de-
posts of minerals now unworked may
become available as sources or supply
Of Great Aid to Army.
with the experience acquired, the
organization that had been built up
and its wide knowledge of mining
milling and metallurgical practice
throughout the United States the bu-
reau was in position to conduct many
special Investigations that had mill
tary Importance and to cooperate with
the various agencies that were par
ticiapting in the. great task of con
verting the United States from a
country engaged in peaceful industry
to one seeking to throw its over
whelming strength into war for the
preservation of democracy"
Just how necessary 1t was that a
bureau of mines should be called into
being is made clear by an extract
from the annual report of the bureau
for 1913--the year when new or
ganic act greatly enlarged the scope
of this subdivision of the department
of commerce. To quote:
There Is no exact measure OF the
losses from mine accidents and MIN
eral waste, but we may use an ap-
proximate. If the increasing rate OF
coal mine fatalities during 1905, 1906
and 1907, the three years prior to the
beginning of this work, had continu-
ed throughout the four subsequent
years since congress began mine ex-
DlOSlUu INV tSllShtAoHSi SiS iiNA'SN' ~
fatalities would have been at least
1000 greater than they have actually
been. At approximately the average
compensation paid per man in fatal
mine accidents in the last few years
this would represent a national loss
of $12,000,00 in the four years. on
the same basis, the 10000 men killed
during the last 10 years in the mines
of the United States would mean a
loss of more than $l00,0OO,O0O in ma
tional productiveness. If it is remem-
bered that for every fatal accident
there are at least three to five serious
ncn-fatal accidents and ~ lesser ac-
cidents which incapacitate for one or
more days it will be seen that the ac-
tual national loss would have been
much larger"
100000 Men Under Ground.
Six years ago our mining industry
employed about 100000 men who
worked underground and more than
100000 who labored in connection
with the various metallurgical and
mineral industries above ground. This
force has been greatly increased in the
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