Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 281, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 November 1919 — SAFETY 5,000 LIVES FIRST SAVED [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SAFETY 5,000 LIVES FIRST SAVED

HUE new laboratories of thertoterior depart inent's bureau of mines at Pittsburgh. costing more than a million dollars, were dedicated recently with appropriate ceremonies in which the mining and in eta Uur gi cal in<lu >t r ies of the country took part. The program of three days was arranged by the bureau of mines in co-opera—-tion with the Pittsburgh chamber of commerce. One of the biggest features of these ceremonies was the nation-wide first-aid and mine-rescue contest held during the last two days. About 100 teams from the coal and metal mining companies throughout the country entered the lists. The last day there was a holiday- for the miners of the Pittsburgh district and.thousmuhj witnessed the " awarding “of the prizes~to~tlm winners. In addition to the usual prizes for these contests, the Joseph A. Holmes Safety association, an organization created in Ibid in honor of the mem- - ory of the first director for the purpose of giving recognition to -persons who had performed meritorious and heroic deeds in the saving of human life In the mining and metallurgical industry, or who had developed some safety appliance to further 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 which they were presented. The committee on awards had recommended that 12 gold medals be awarded, heroic deeds performed by miners in coal and metal mines in efforts to save the lives of fellow workmen. Speaking of the accident conditions generally tn the mining industries and of the outlook. Dr. Van H. Manning, director of the bureau of mines, says: “I am often asked, /What has the bureau of mines accomplished in saving of human life in the mines?’ It is difficult to say, as there are so many varying factors involved. I may say. however, that if you consider the prevailing average death rate in the mines for a period of years before the federal government took up this work and compare it with the average fatality rate since the bureau was created, you will find that 5,000 lets miners have been killed. In other words, had the old fatality rate been maintained through the last few years 5,000 more men would have lost their lives. It must also be remembered that the situatlon was gradually - Incoming worsts and who knows that there might not have been 7,000 or 8,000 lives lost? We also have to take into consideration that, thanks to the many improvements in life-saving methods and the greater understandings of the causes of accidents, this saving of 5,000 human beings will be increased as the years roll on until we can show several times 5,000 lives saved. "It is indeed a glorious record of human progress. Five thousand lives saved! Perhaps 2,000 less widows! At least 3.Q00 children who still have fathers. Take away all the other manifold duties of the bureau of mines and this onq accomworthy of all its costs to the government since its establishment and for years to\ come. “I do not mean that the bureau of mines deserves all the credit. It was, however, the agency that picked up the isolated, sporadic efforts of a few well-meaning mon and companies and welded them into a great national movement for greater safety in the mines. It at once gained the cooperation of the miners, the mine operators, the state mine inspectors and others, and without' these the bureau of mines would have been almost helpless. “It was in 1911 that the bureau held under Its auspices a great national first-aid and mine-rescue meet at Pittsburgh, which was attended by 22.000 miners; The slogan of that meet was first? and that was the time that the slogan, since interWreftWl*’ a h'afldnaY'Tiat't'fe’' cry for this humanitarian movement. Not only was ‘safety first’ Immediately adopted by the mining companies, hut it was also taken up by the railroads and by industrial plants of the country. ’ Safety organizations appeased everywhere. Determined campaigns wexe fought to reduce the number of deaths and injuries. In quite a number of mills and factories and railroads there was a reduction in the fatalities of more than 50 per cent. Further improvement was slow■ar, but the original gains were made and added to. “Just how many thous: nds of lives were saved may never be known, for there are no statistics that adequately cover industrial accidents, but we do know that the bureau of mines and its assodated agencies started a movement that not only spread throughout the entire United States, but it also reached the other countries of the world with an equally good effect And it all started with the modest mine safety meet we held in Pittsburgh in 191 L “Since that time the bureau has gone its way, improving 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 mines the dangerous places that could be avoided and making recommendations as the result of Its experiments looking toward still greater safety. “Today the bureau of mines maintains in every mining field of the country a mine rescue car. fully equipped with modern life-saving apparatus, that responds to disasters, and assists in the rescue work. In the meanwhile It visits-the mines in its district and gives the miners training in both mine rescue and first aid to the injured. As a result there are several thousand miners throughout the country who are expert in the use of the oxy-

gen mine rescue apparatus and who are* familiar with the most modern—metl»ds of life saving. Besides, more than 50,(XX) miners understand first-aid-to - the - injured work as well as a regular

hospital corps. All of these men have been trained by the bureau of mines. “Happily, great mine disasters have been becoming fewer and fewer as the men come to a betty understanding of the causes. Nevertheless they do happen, and one thing that the bureau has preached is that upon such a visitation there shall be a more orderly and systematic method of rescue work, for it lias been demonstrated that life can be saved in devious ways. The bureau has endeavored to tell the miners that in a great catastroptie tt ls trftvnbrttcrfor entombed miners to barricade themselves in, keeping the poisonous gases out of their working place and waiting for relief. In tills manner 42 men entombed lu a mine for four days were recently rescued, the men even being able to walk out of the mine. “We are not content to rest on the made. There are now more than a million miners in the United States, and each year more than B,(XX) are killed in accidents and a quarter of a million injured. Taking the cold, business calculation of the state compensation commissions and eliminating the sufferingmnd sorrow of 3,000 killed each year, the' economic loss from these fatalities aldne is $12,000,000 a year, for these are paying an average of $4,000 for every life lost. This is a terrible toll for one industry to pay each year. It is hard for us to realize that out of every mining camp of l.Ow men, three of them are sure to* lose their lives within 12 months. ' “Mining will always be an extra, hazardous business. But the question is, ’Have we reached , the irreducible minimum?’ No, I think not. It is * my belief that we cun cut down the present fatality rates full one-half; that we cun save each 1,500 of the 3.000 killed. “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 expvr nkne of the bureau..mining men. and both lane a keener understanding of the dangers of coal dust .and have learned how to combat them. “In the mining industry a human life is much more valuable than ever before, and I 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 humanitarian- work of the different state compensation commissions. The day of the ambulance chaser and those 'ghouls that preyed upon the widow beset with grief over the loss of her husband have happily passed away. The state now steps in and sees that the widow and the orphan are protected, and that alone is worth all the fight that we have endeavored to make. Ido not say that, the bureau of mines is responsible for these state compensations, but 1 do know that these commissions came after the mining industry started its great humansavinc drive aud tliat the disclosures of the condi- 1 tions in mining furnished the states with facts that favored the establishment of these commissions. ' , r - ‘‘Cut the mine fatalities in half.” The dedication ceremonies brought to Pittsburgh for the three days the most prominent mining and metallurgical men of the nation, not alone those interested in the safety-first movement, but also those connected with the allied industries that use the products of the mines. " The bureau of mines, in co-operation with the Pittsburgh chamber of commerce, arranged an elaborate program of .events calling for the presence of high government and state government officials besides the leading men of mining throught in the country. The first morning the new laboratories at 4800 Forbes stfeet were dedidated, Dr. Van H Manning, director of the bureau, presiding.

After invocation by Dr. S. B. McCormick, chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh, there was an address of welcome by E. V. Babcock, mayor of Pittsburgh. Responses were made by Franklin K. Lane, secretary of the interior; Horace B. Winchell, president of the American Institute of Mining and Electrical Engineers ; Jolin L. Lewis, acting president of the United Mine Workers of America, and William C. Sproul, governor of 'Pennsylvania. The formal ceremony of handing over the keys of the building by Secretary Lane to Director Manning followed.

After luncheon at the bureau of mines buildings the guests boarded special trains to the experimental mine of the bureau of mines at Bruceton, Pa., 14 miles from Pittsburgh. Upon arrival there a prearranged explosion of coal dust took place in the experimental mine as a demonstration to the visitors, and after that there was an inspection of the mine and the explosives-testlng plant, the guests returning to the city at G o'clock in the evening. At 8 o’clock there was a general meeting at Carnegie Music hall under the auspices of the pntsburgtrhliambef TTcommerce, with anaddress by Secretary Laue aud an organ recital by Dr. Charles Heinroth. A moving picture prepared by the National Coal association, The Story of Coal*” was given a first presentation. The second day the new laboratories were open for inspection by* the guests the entire day ; and at 2 o’clock the elimination contests in the National Safety First-Aid and Mine-Rescue meet were held at FOrbes- field; also the awarding of the state championships. At 5 o’clock, at Forbes field, there was a demonstration of the explosibility of coal dust and at-8 o’clock the chambea-ef-eemmerce-presented a pageant typifying the spirit of the mining industry, by the_bapd_of. the Carnegie Institute ot Technology. The third day ah 9 a. m. there was a final minerescue contest by the ten successful teams of the previous day fit Forbes field, with a presentation of the national cups and prizes. At 2 p. m. announcement of the J. A. Holmes Safety association was made by Dr. Van H. Manning. At 2:30 o’clock the final first-aid contest, participated in by the 20 best teams of the previous day, was held. At 5 o’clock there was a demonstration of a coal-dust explosion fit Forbes field, the events closing with a smoker at the chamber of commerce in which prizes were awarded and speeches made. The honorary committee in charge of the dedication of the Pittsburgh station included: George S. Oliver, president Pittsburgh chamber of commerce: John F. Herron, president city council of Pittsburgh; Harry N. Taylor, president National Coal Operators’ association ; John L. Lewis, acting president Uhited Mine Workers of America; Horace B. Winchell,- president American Institute of Mining and Electrical Engineers; Franklin K. Lane, secretary of the interior; Dr. Van H. Manning, director bureau of mines; Dr. S. B. McCormick. chancellor University of Pittsburgh; Dr. Arthur A. Hammerschlag, president Carnegie Institute of Technology; Dr. S. W. Stratton, director bureau of standards; Dr. R. F. Bacon, director Mellon institute; Seward E. Button, chief department of mines, state of Pennsylvania; Dr. D. Van Schaack. president of the National Safety council; T. A. O'Donnel. president American Petroleum institute; Mortimer E. Cooley, president American ’Society of Mechanical Engineers; Fayette S. Curtis, president American society of Civil Engineers; J. A. Capp, president American Society of Testing Materials; Dr. William H. Nichols, president American Chemical society; Calvert Townley, president American Society Electrical Engineers; G. H. Neilson, president Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania; Dr. W. D. Bancroft, president American Electro-Chemical society; R. T. Stull, president American Ceramics’ society; E. N. Zern. president Coal Mining Institute of America; James A. Angell, chairman National Research council. x