The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-03-15
MINE RESCUE STATION
ESTABLISH At WALLACE
PROVIDE EFFICIENT MEANS TO
SAVE LIFE AND FIGHT
MINE FIRES.

The recent fire in the Morning mine.
in which three men lost their lives
and which entailed heavy loss to the
company quickly followed by anothe.
fire in the Hercules mine under sim
liar circumstances which caused seri-
Gus loss, impressed the operators of
the district with the necessity for
more effective means for meeting such
emergencies. The mining companies
generally have given much attention
to first aid and rescue work, being
provided with helmets and other ne
cessary equipment, and some of them
have maintained we'll trained and eff
fcient crews, as evidenced by their
work in connection with the recent
fires. But these fires also demon
strated that in order to be prepared to
do effective work in combating I'M
derground fires and rescuing men en-
dangered, it is necessary to have he'll
met men at the several mines under
one directing head, whose business
would be to. give them proper train
ing. see that an adequate number were
ready for duty at all times, and es-
pecially to see that all equipment is /
kept in condition for service.
Central Mine Rescue Station
1t was with this general idea that
the Occur d'Alene Mine Owners as
ISOLATION met on March and decided /
to proceed at once to establish a CEN
trail mine rescue station at Wallace.
The companies represented in the as
sociation are the Hecla, Federal, Bun
ker Hill, Callahan, Tamarack, Hercu-
les and Hunter. On behalf of the as
ISOLATION, Thos M Owen, assistant
of the Federal company, was
authorized to wire H. Foster Balm,
director of the United States bureau
of mines. advising him of the action
taken and requesting him to assign
bureau man to take charge of the cen
trail station. The general plan of the
proposed central station had been pre-
viously outlined by Stanly A. Easton
in a letter to Director Balm.
Rescue Car Remains Here.
Under date of March Director ,
Balm wired Mr. Owen that he had in 7
structed K. T. Sparks, who had charge a
Of the rescue car and directed the i
work at the Morning and Hercules Ii
fires, to remain in the Occur d'Alene
district and assist in the establish
nent and work of the central station.
He further said that J. D. Parker, in
charge of the bureau of mines rescue
'ars and stations. will arrive in the
Occur d'Alenes in about two weeks
md confer with the Mine Owners as a
ISOLATION. and make such arrange r
nents as may be necessary regarding 7
he length of Mr.. Sparks service and c
,ther matters in which the bureau v
nay be of assistance. Mr.. Balm also t
said that the bureau has a steel un- t
Ter framed wooden mine rescue car 5
which could be turned over to the as d
if so desired, and that this n
an be taken up with Mr.. Parker. s
Training Begins. b
Mr.. Sparks is preparing a list OF h
which will be necessary to il
,quip the central rescue station. He {
las received a wire from Mr.. Parker, n
Who was in Salt Lake City saving n
hat he would go TO Globe, Ariz., and ],
rom there come to Wallace, arriving v
lere about March 27 In the mean n
ime Mr. Sparks is arranging to train t.
rews at the Tamarack and Callahan, C
nd later at the Morning and Hunter, p
nd will keep mine rescue car No. t.
n the district until this work is ac- g
c.
b