The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1919-12-06

K1I1CSss5 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-aid 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
> Gay there was holiday for the miners of the
pittsburgh district and thousands witnessed the
awarding OF the prizes to the winners.
x addition to the usual prizes for these con-
4. testa the Joseph A Holmes Safety association an
organization created In 1916 in honor of the men,
DRY The first director for the purpose of giving
recognition to persons who had performed meri-
torlous ana heroic deeds In the saving of human
life In the mining and metallurgical industry or
who had developed some safety appliance to fur
Their the saving of life In those industries made
Its first awards. DR.. Van H. Manning president
OF the association, announced the list of recipients
Of diplomas and medals and recited the deeds for
NJ which te6E were presented. The committee on
aWafdS1had recommended that u gold medals be
!. s&rded, all for heroic deeds performed by miners
<seoa and metal mines in efforts to save the lives
Of fellow wOrkmen.
Speaking of the accident conditions generally in
the mining industries and of the outlook, Dr. Van
H. 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
mines? 1t is difficult to say, as there are so
many varying factors involved l may say, how
ever, that II 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 rate since the
bureau was created you will find that 5000 less
miners have been killed. In other words had the
oid 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
life-saving methods and the greater understand
1ncs Of the causes of accidents this saving of
1000 human beings will be increased as the years
roll on until we can show several times 5000 lives
saved
1T is indeed glorious record of human nror
resS Five thousand lives scvedi Perhaps 1000
less widows. AT least 5000 children who still
have fathers Take away all the other manifold
duties of the bureau Of mines and this one accom-
piishneet verify of all its costa TO the govern
ment since its establishment and for years To
come
\ 90 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
Few well-meaping men and companies and welded
tnem into great national movement for greater
safety In the mines. 1t at once gained the CO.
operation of the miners, the mine operators tbe
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 #,
auspices great national irst-aid and mine-rescue
meet at Pittsburgh, which was attended by % 600
miners. The slogan of that meet was safety first,
and that was the time that the slogan since inter-
nationally famous first became national battle
cry Tor TINS humanitarian movement Not only
was safety first Immediately adopted by the
mining companies hut waS nix fal,or
the railroads and by industrial plants of the
country. Safety organizations appeared every-
where. Determined campaigns We're fought to re-
duce the number Of deaths and injuries In quite
a number of mills and factories and railroads
there was reduction in the fatalities of moro
than 90 per cent. Further Improvement was slow.
er, but the original gains were made and added to-
"Just how many thousands of lives were savad
may never be known, for there are no statistics
that adequately cover Industrial accidents but we
90 know that the bureau of mines and its asso-
ciated agencies started movement that not only
spread throughout the entire United States hut
1t also reached the other countries of the world
with an equally good effect. And it all started
with the modest mine safety we held in Pitts
burgh in 1911.
"Since that time the bureau has gone its way
its methods, Interesting the miner in his
own safety and that Of his fellow man: doing
what it could to point out to the owners of the
nineS the dangerous places tnat could be avoided
md making recommendations as the result of its
experiments looking toward still greater safety.
To-day the bureau Of mines maintains I'm every
mining field of the country mine rescue car fully
equipped with modern lifesaving apparatus that
responds to disasters and assists In the rescue
work. In the meanwhile 1t visits the mines in its
district and gives the miners training in both
nine rescue and first aid to the injured. As a re-
nit there are several thousand miners throughout
he country who are expert in the use Of the oxy-