Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-06-22
From Other Viewpoints
Science and Mine Dianstcrs.
EY ALEXANDER T.. VOGELSASG.

Wrecks fires. foods and explosions have
reaped toll year after year. while sad
hand of fate which has allowed human life
and tho fruit of industry to be swept into
oblivion. Monuments of art have been erected
TO victims OF disasters and all the curativcs
known TO philanthropy have been applied gen
crousiy. But 1t was not until within the last
decade. when were confronted with the
actual figures OF the toll of disaster that we
lccame sufficiently shocked to devise a means
whereby {. great percentage OF this annual
levy OF death and ruin could be spared
In ten years in the United States 10000 min
e!s have been killed and 10000 injured. many
OF them MANNED for life. Mining, and more
especially coal mining has ALWAYS been n
hazardous industry, but record for this
sort OF ineficioncy has exceeded that of any
other country.
direct stop in the promotion of greater
safety and health in tho mining Industry was
made in 1910 by the creation of tho Bureau
OF Mines. The government first awakened the
industry to LIS needs OF Improvement through
an educational campaign followed by instruc-
lions on the causes OF explosions, fires and ac-
ctdents In the mining industry and the study
OF their prevention.
The inveStgational work OF tho bure.u cny-
crs wide range Of activities. Much valuable
information has thus been gained. An illus
tration OF this is the of rock dust barriers
developed under the direction Of the chief min
ing engineer. which coming into wide
use ;he rock dust is SO distributed in the
mine That the force OF the explosion blows it
into the air. making noninhammable mix
turc which acts as barrier to prevent the
name OF inc explosion passing beyond that
point, and thus limits and confines tho cxplo-
sion.
1t has been found that certain explosives
may be safely used in gaseous and dusty
mines and others may not, and standards have
eecn promulgated for the manufacture of per-
missiblo explosives.
Within the last few years many discoveries
and inventions made during the war have
been adopted by tho Bureau OF Mines. Hun
dreds Of casualties have resulted from want
OF instruments which would enable rescuers
TO tell the exact location Of entombed miners
and TO penetrate safely through gas fumes and
smoke and reach them when they are locate
The geophone used by sappers in their dan
Serous underground combats to locate the ex-
act position OF the enemy, not only detects
subtcrranean noises beyond the reach of hui
man ear; but it tells the exact direction from
which the sound is coming Noises can be
heard twelve hundred feet away.
One OF the great problems OF the coal miner
is that Of underground illumination The
open oil flame. which haa been so widely
used In tho past years. has contributed to
innumerabie gas or coal-dnst fires Recently
great improvements have been made in the
safety lamp and In electric lamps
Each year tho United States Is giving In
crcasing attention to tho efficient devotion
ment OF It's mineral wealth and to the i'm
provement OF the working conditions OF Its
citizens employed-tn tho mining and metal,