Show d T I v. v 1 I II I F- F lII l L i f a. a gg Jt 11 y 4 4 YN E juS r. r f ml l' l i Y IY d P UH X x 7 ere y r 2 4 r y A t w 4 1 i ww J rr t l' l Wn 0 1 ty J N URE-AU URE MIN cr HE new laboratories of the Interior interior Inter Inter- lor departments department's bureau of mines T at Pittsburgh costing more than thana a million dollars were dedicated recently with appropriate ceremonies ceremonies ceremonies cere cere- monies In which the mining and metallurgical Industries of the country took part The program of three days was arranged by bythe bythe bythe the bureau of mines in cooperation cooperation cooperation opera co tion with the Pittsburgh chamber of c commerce One of the biggest features of th these se ceremonies was the wide nation-wide first-aid first and rescue mine-rescue contest contest contest con con- test held during the last two days About teams team from the coal and metal mining companies throughout the countr country entered the lists The list last day there was a holiday for the miners of the Pittsburgh district and thousands witnessed the awarding of the prizes to the winners In addition to the usual prizes for these con con- lasts the Jo Joseph eph A A. A Holmes Safety association an organization created In 1916 UnG In honor of the memory mem memo memory ory of the first director for the purpose of giving recognition to persons who had performed meritorious meritorious meritorious meri meri- and heroic deeds in the saving of human life in the mining and metallurgical Industry or 01 who had developed some safety appliance to further further fur fur- further ther the saving of life in those Industries made Its first awards Dr Van H. H Manning president of the ass 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 all for heroic deeds performed by miners in coal and metal mines In efforts to save the lives of fellow workmen Speaking of Uhe accident conditions generally Inthe in inthe inthe the mining industries and of the outlook k Dr Van Q II Manning director of the bureau of mines says I am often asked What has the bureau of f mIn mines s accomplished in saving sa of human life In the mines It Js difficult to say as there are so many maty varying factors Involved I may say however how how- ever evet that If you consider the prevailing average den dea death th rate In the mines for a period period period-of of years years' before before before be be- fore the federal government took up this work and compare it with the too average fatality rate since the bureau was created you will find that less miners have been killed In other words had the ld fatality rate been maintained through the last few years more men would have lost their lives Jives It must also be remembered that the situation situation situation situa situa- tion was gradually becoming worse and who knows that there might not have be been n or lives lost We also have to take into consideration consideration consideration consid consid- that thanks to the many improvements In saving ife methods and the greater understandings understanding's understand understand- ins In ing's ings s o of the causes of accidents this saving of human beings will be increased as the years year roll on until we can show several times times' lives saved It is Indeed a glorious record of human ress Five thousand lives saved I Perhaps 2000 less widows l I At least children who still have fathers Take away all the other manifold duties of the bureau of mines and this one accomplIshment accomplishment accomplishment Is worthy of all its costs to the government government government govern govern- ment since its establishment and for years to comeI comeI come I do not mean that the time bureau of mines deserves deserves de de- de- de serves all the credit It wa was however the agency that picked up the Isolated sporadic efforts of a afew afew afew few well-meaning well men and companies and welded them Into a great national movement for greater safety in the mines It It at at once gained the co- co of the miners th tM the mine operators the state mine and others and without these the bureau of mines would have been almost helpless ss It was In 1811 1911 that the bureau held under its Ib auspices a great national first aid and rescue mine-rescue meet met at Pittsburgh which was attended by miners The slogan of that meet was safety first and that was the time that the slogan since Internationally Internationally internationally Inter Inter- nationally famous first became a national battle cry for this humanitarian movement Not only was safety first Immediately adopted by the mining companies but It was also taken up by bythe bythe bythe the railroads and by Industrial plants of the country Safety organizations appeared every every- where Determined campaigns were fought to reduce reduce reduce re re- re- re duce the number of deaths and Injuries In quite a number of mills and factories and railroads there was a n reduction in the fatalities of more than 50 per cent Further Improvement was slower slow slow- er but the original gains were made and added to Just how many thousands of lives were saved may never neer be known for there are no statistics that nd adequately cover Industrial accidents but we wedo wedo wedo do know that the bureau of ot mines and Its associated asso asso- agencies started a movement that not only spread throughout the entire United States but It also reached the oth other othor r countries of ot the world with an nn equally good effect And It all started with the modest mine safet safety meet we held In Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pitts Pitts- bur burgh h In 1011 Since that time the bureau has gone Its way improving its methods Interesting the miner in tn 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 sa saving life apparatus that r responds to disasters and assists In the tho rescue work In the meanwhile it visits h he mines In its district and gives the miners training in both mine rescue and first aid to the Injured As a result re re- suit sult there are several thousand miners throughout the country who are expert In the use of the ox oxy oxy- D IJ aa l r. r S r St h 3 C MH 4 M x 1 2 zaU J IDi J JE gen mine rescue apparatus apparatus an and 1 who are familiar with the most modern methods of life saving Besides more more than 50 O- O miners understand to first-aid-to the Injured work as well as asa a r regular gular a y ye N Y e J II hospital corps All of th these men emen have been trained by the bureau of mines Happily great mine disasters have been becoming becoming be be- coming fewer and fewer as the men come to a better better better bet bet- ter understanding Ing of the causes Nevertheless Ne 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 Jt has been demonstrated that life Ufe can ran be saved In devious ways The bureau has endeavored endeavored endeavored en en- to tell the tile miners that in a great catastrophe catastrophe catas catastrophe it is Is' oft often n better for for entombed miners to to barricade themselves In In- In keeping the poisonous gases out of their working place and waiting for relief In this manner 42 men entombed In 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 progress made There are now more than a B million miners in the United States and each year more than are killed in accidents and a quarter of a million injured Taking the cold business calculation calculation lation of the stile state compensation commissions and eliminating the suffering and sorrow of killed each year the economic loss from these fatalities alone is a year for these commissions are paying an average of ot fo fog every very life lost This is a terrible t toll tol ll for one industry to to pay ea each h year It is hard for us to realize that out of every mining camp of 1000 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 1 No I think not It Ismy Ismy is ismy my belief that w we en n cut down the present fatality fatalIty fatality fatal fatal- ity rates full one-half one that we can save each 1500 of the killed The causes of these fatal accidents are much better known Operators and miners are giving much more thought to the time dangers of the mines and the wide-awake wide among them have installed more modern safety devices Through the experimental ex ex- mine of the bureau mining men and m mi miners i ers both ha have havea va a a keener understanding of the dangers of coal dust and have bae learned how to combat combat com bat bill them In th the mining Industry a human life is much more valuable than ever ever before and I believe that can be said of all the Industries This Is seen In the great adv advances In safety wor work the millions of of dollars spent in safety devices and the humanitarian humanitarian work of the different state compensation commissions The day of ot the ambulance chaser and those ghouls that preyed upon the widow beset beset beset be be- set with grief over the time 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 muke I do not say suy that the bureau of mines Is responsible for these state compensations compensations compensations but 1 do know that these commissions came after the mining Industry Industry started Its great human human- saving drive and that the disclosures of ot the conditions conditions condi condl- In mining furnished the states with facts that favored the esta establishment of th these sa commis commis- Cut the mine fatalities In half The dedication ceremonies brought to Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pitts Pitts- burgh for the time three days the most prominent minIng mining min min- ing and metallurgical men of the time nation not alone those interested in the safety first movement but also those connected with the allied industries that use the products of 1 the o mines The bureau of mined mines In operation co-operation with the Pittsburgh chamber of commerce arranged an nn elaborate program of events calling for the presence presence presence pres pres- ence 01 oz high government and state government officials besides the leading men of mining ht in the country The first morning the time new laboratories laboratories laboratories labora labora- tories at nt Forbes street were dedicated Dr Van II n. Manning r of the bureau presiding After Invocation atlon by Dr S. S B B. McCormick chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh there was an address of welcome by E. E V. V Babcock mayor of Pitts Pitts- burgh Responses were made by Franklin I K Lane secretary of the Interior Horace B. B Winchell president of the American Institute Institute In In- of Mining and Electrical En s Inners John L L. Lewis acting president of the United Mine MineWorker MineWorkers MineWorkers Workers Worker of America and William William William Wil Wil- liam C. C Sproul governor of Pennsylvania The formal ceremony ceremony ceremony cere cere- mony of handing over the keys keya of the building by Secretary Lane to Director Manning l fol fol- fol- fol lowed After luncheon at the bureau of mines buildings the guests boarded special trains to the experimental expert mental mine of the bureau of mines at Bruceton Pa 14 miles from Pittsburgh Upon arrival there therea a prearranged explosion of coal coni dust took place Inthe in inthe inthe the experimental mine as a demonstration to the visitors and after that there was was an Ian Inspection of ol the mine and the testing explosives-testing plant the guests returning to the city Ity at G 6 o'clock in the eve eve- ning At 8 o'clock there was a general meeting at Carnegie Music shall hall under the auspices of th the PI Pittsburgh cha chamber ber of commerce commerce with an address address ad nd- dress by Secretary Lane and an organ recital by Dr Charles Heinroth A moving picture prepared prepared prepared pre pre- pared by the National Coal association The Story of Coal wits was given a first presentation The sec second nd day the new laboratories were open for Inspection by the guests the entire day and a at 2 o'clock o'clock the elimination contests in the National Safety First Aid and Rescue Mine-Rescue meet were held at Forbes field also the awarding of the state tate championships At 5 o'clock at Forbes field there was a II demonstration of the of coa coal dust and at 8 o'clock the chamber of commerce presented a pageant typifying the spirit of the mining Industry with music by the band of the Carnegie Institute of Technology The at 0 9 a. a m. m there was a final mine mine- I rescue c contest by the ten successful teams of ot the previous pre day at Forbes field with a presentation of the tIie national cups and prizes At 2 p p. p m m. m announcement announcement an an- of the J J. J A A. A Holmes Safety association was made by Dr Van H H. H Manning At o'clock the final first-aid first contest participated in by the 20 best teams of the previous day was held A At demonstration of ot dust coal 5 o'clock there was a a n explosion at Forbes field the events closing with will witha willa a smoker at the chamber of commerce commerce In which prizes were awarded and speeches made The honorary committee In charge of the dedication dedica- dedica tion of the Pittsburgh station included George S S. S Oliver president Pittsburgh cl chamber of commerce commerce com com- merce John F F. F Herron president city council o of Pittsburgh Harry N N. Taylor president National Coal Op Operators Operators' association John L L. L Lewis acting president United Mine Workers o of America Horace Hor Hor- Horace ace nee B. B Winchell president American Institute o of Mining and Electrical Engineers Franklin KLane K Lane secretary of the Interior Dr Van II II Manning Manning Man Man- ning director bureau of mines Dr S. S B. B chancellor University ot of Pittsburgh Dr Arthur A. A president Carnegie Institute Institute In In- of Technology Dr S S. S W W. Stratton director bureau of standards Dr II n. I F. F Bacon director Mellon Institute Seward E. E Button chief department department depart depart- ment of mines state of Pennsylvania Dr D. D Van president of ot the National Safety council I T T. T A. A ODonnA president American Petroleum Institute institute In in- l E. E Cooley president American Society of Mechanical l nl Engineers Fayette S. S Curtis Curtis Cur Cur- president American society of Civil Engineers J. J A A. Capp Cappo president American Society of Testing Materials Dr William H H. H Nichols president American Chemical I society Calvert Townley president American Society Electrical Engineers Engineer G. G H. H Neilson Nellson president En Engineers Engineers' Society o of Western Pennsylvania Dr W W. D. D Bancroft president dent American Electro Chemical society R R. R T T. Stull president American Ceramics' Ceramics society E. E N Nl Zern Tern president Coal Mining Institute of America James A. A Angell chairman National Research council |