Show COLLIERY explosions 1 pue jue THE alarming frequency of colliery explosions plo pio albris aldris of late in various parts arts of the world suggest suggests 4 the very great necessity of steps being taken to prevent their recurrence and to render the life of the col coi collier iier liei while pursuing his vocation as safe as the lives of men engaged in any other vocation in great britain france and belgium these terri terrible blei biel accidents have occurred of late with unexampled a mr ded frequency each ane one sur surpassing passin g its predecessor in the horror distress and suffering attending it colliery explosions in britain are matters of such common occurrence as to excite no surprise and very e little comment but the loss of life in involved ived in recent accidents seems to io 0 o far exceed anything of the kind heard of formerly that where scores of human beings were bace sacrificed hundreds are losing their lives now ithe taft ft recurrence of or these terrible events almost for forces cesone one to the te conclusion that the recklessness and disregard for human libei life ilfe so characteristic of the ae age are extending to the management of of coal mines or else that the accidents with the details of which the public mind is almost constantly appalled are altogether beyond human control we fear that the former I 1 is to a great extent true A colliery explosion has been a comparatively ively rare oce occurrence arren ce in the united states but the one which has just occurred in pennsylvania is of such a terrific nature involving the destruction of so many lives and such a fearful amount of distress as to td totally eclipse 1 anything of the kind heard of before in this country six hundred women and children rendered widows and orphans almost instantaneously without the least warning is an awful thing to reflect upon and the sight around the mines at the time of the occurrence must have been of the most heart rend ing description the united states has gone far ahead 1 l of all the nations of the world in the utility of its inventions but with all the skill dc melenee lenee lence and ingenuity of which hI chour our nation can ean justly liffie ing has yet been discovered to render he the life of the miner safe something to test the safety of mines and to show as the cha eha changes of the weather are aie are indicated by ehg the barometer the increase of foul air in the underground caverns in which the miner toll sand to mark with precision and certainty the point at which safety can no lo 10 longer nger be depended dupon de upon would 6 be of immense utility Pill ty and euch such an invention baits powei power to prevent accidents dis distress tress treas and bull sull buffering dring ering and to save life would justly take rank with the first inventions of the age and would be worthy of the nation to whom the world is in debated for the steamboat and the electric teli telegraph graph or if this be a problem beyond tho the province of manig manti mans ingenuity and skill cali calu can ean not more strib stringent gent laws and regulations lations than now exist be bb adopted in relation lation to blines sons to ensure ensured on all odda occasions sims sias so far as that is within the scope of human power and anol foresight a baxt maximum m i um of safety to the underground reground delver it isto islo is to be feared that in their greed for gold those who own and control collieries colli eries erieg do net exo exi exercise felse ielse all the means at their command to ensure this tin in that reckless feckless competitive spirit for which the age is so notorious precautions indispensable to ensure a moderate lamount ja mount amount of safety may be overlooked or r i to some extent disregarded if such be the cabe case and there is little rea reason realon son 0 doubt it the necessity forthe for the passage of the most stringent laws to ensure the jhb observance of such precautions or the jhb appointment of honest competent humane men as at government supervisors f of m mines idies is very apparent if such buch a it elass class of officers is deemed necessary to test the purity of whisky and dud deher other londs of sni bpi spi spirits hits fits and ches ines bytha by iab 6 use of ti wort thousand zand sand tolt destroy themselves how uch more pressing is that n necessity in eases cases where thousands of lives may be jeopardized through the avarice and culpable neg nag act of others it is vei vel very y likely lively that many of the accidents that occur are the result of carelessness and indifference on the part of ortho the min miners erste themselves for when men are almost continually surrounded by dauger danger they become oblivious oblivion of its presence and neglect the cautions forthe irown preservation but nut sueh such a contingency also involves the necessity y of greater watchfulness and mor stringent regulations in the min management agamen t and working of the mines this 1 is a subject of the highest importance the terrible colliery explosions of the past few months furnish all the proof liec ilee necessary emary that reform in this direction is as loudly called for as in any other department of huran huian affairs the invention of an instrument to instantly detect the presence of poisonous onous air or explosive gases in milles mines of ok to ensure their more thorough and constana constant ventilation are amoia among the wants of the age we believe it is within the reach of science and art to solve the problem and while de deploring g the dreadful slaughter that has just 06 occurred at scranton Bc ranton we hope the theories erles cries tears distress and sorrow of the hundreds rendered widows and fatherless by the sad event will bethe be the indirect means of developing the powers ot of science so that with ordinary precaution all danger of a similar event maybe may be forever obviated |