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Show , RAYING LlVEcT Disasters In soft coal mines, In j9a , the last three or four yearB, caused hundreds of men to lose their lives The rapid succession of these disasters dis-asters aroused public interest to such an extent that congress, at its last session, created a bureau of mines. The principal purpose of this hureau Is to bring about such Improvement? In mining conditions and mining practice as will tend to B decrease the risk of death and injury. in-jury. A director has been appointed, appoint-ed, and under him are a corps of assistants ready to attack the big problem. The first step has been to investi-Kate investi-Kate the methods most successful In Europe and America; and nothing has proved more useful to the government gov-ernment experts than the study of what has been done, for safeguarding: safeguard-ing: life, in the anthracite mines the hard coal minc3 of northeastern northeast-ern Pennsylvania. There, where the entire anthracite production of the United Slates is concentrated, the protective measures have developed de-veloped steadily for a century into the elaborate system of today. Ventilation, Ven-tilation, inspection, the strength of hoists, the operation of the underground under-ground railroads, rescue apparatus, firsl-aid-to-the-injurcd corps nil e I The clean nts entering Into the prob-e prob-e k. lem have received the attention of PL tl,e min,rf-' olfiri;ls. The object has 1 been to perfect each link In the chain. Y And the end is not yet. All mlh-f mlh-f I lng men are aware that the protec- I Hon of miners' lives is not an exact science. There is always the pot-siblllty pot-siblllty of some improvement, and it is the part of an up-to-date management man-agement to keep abreast of the times. This is what the anthracite " mining companies socle to do. The officials investigate every device ,ut that Promises to diminish the dan- if- mL gerb underground, and Hi" d-. i.-.-. V i that "in viMni ' are ad pb I In P" j Illustration of this is the recent m- I atallation. at several ol the mining centers, of "rescue helmets" invented invent-ed by a German named Draeget m- In the earlj day8 of anthracite en mining there v. as no necessity for M the protective measures now taken. At first the coal was scraped off the ty surface of the ground, or else dug of out of open pits. U wad not many years, however, before the suppb ol kth' fuel obtainable by these simple methods was uo longer adequate. Then "slopes' slantwise tunnels were driven This made matters more complicated; the workers had to go lar underground and cars were hauled to the surface by means of long cables. Ventilation and timbering became troublesome problems. Finally came shaft miningthe min-ingthe driving of perpendicular shafts hundreds of feet deep and of tunnels running out from them through the coal veins. But the first shaft mining was mtv different from the operation of these dai Then th eliaft.?. wore sunk 200, 300 or 400 feet. -Now they go to a depth of 1,500 or 1,800. Instead In-stead of one or two gangways train tra-in rsing a coal vein, there are now dozens on many different levels. Sometimes a mine car is hauled two or three miles underground from its Loading place to the shaft through which it is hoisted to the surface in every mine there is a network of underground railways, which have to be maintained and managed as carefully as a surface railroad A forest of trees is required re-quired to supply supports for the "roof." Currents of pure air must be blown through the passages at the rate of 2(i0 cubic feet a minute for each man in the mine And monster pumps, costing man) thousands thou-sands of dollars, are installed far underground to keep the workings free from water. So it is that the prevention of accidents ac-cidents is a vastly more serious problem now than it once was. By taking advantage of every useful invention, and b Instituting new precautions, the anthracite operators operat-ors have been able to keep the risks down. But there i6 one opposing element against which neither the operators nor the Pennsylvania state officials can make much headway head-way the mine worker's indiffer- at to the risks that surround him. The mine workers are of so many nationalities that it is of the llrsl importance to communicate with every man In own language A placard With the ruler, printed in English would be understood by on 1 j a small proportion of the employes, em-ployes, lience it Is that 'he rules are translated into many different tongues. At some mines there are lwent versions of the same set of' rule i, so numerous are the countries from which the miners have emigrated. The importance of regular and careful inspection is coming to be more generally recognized In the mining districts of the countrv Explosive gas has been the cause of most of the serious accidents in tho bituminous mines, and this is the cause which preliminary inspection may often easily remove The inspection system has been brought to its highest efficiency in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania, Pennsyl-vania, Every morning before the mine workers enter, the assistant foremen "Are bosses." as they aro usually called go through all the gangways and chambers. They make testn wiili their little lamps to find out if there is an.v dangerous gas. In addition to this, they examine the timbering of the roof, to be able to give warning if thcjre Is probability of a "cave ' After thiB is over the inspectors report to the mine foreman In his office at the bottom of the shaft The mine workers, coming down the shaft later, must pass by the foreman's place and all of them must get his 0. K. before they can go into their mine chambers. From (he inspectors' reports he knows just which places are dangerous, into these no one is allowed to go Id addition to the inspection enforced en-forced by the anthracite operators themselves, tho state of Pennsylvania Pennsyl-vania has its representatives make periodical visits to the collieries. These men who are selected in accordance ac-cordance with the law of the state must have a thorough knowledge! of mining practice. In fact they aro almost always men who have had actual experience as workers underground. under-ground. They have to pass a rigid examination before they can qualify for inspectorships It will not Co limply to know the theory of mining min-ing they must be ramlliar with actual ac-tual conditions. The following questions, include-ed include-ed In a recent examination, give some Idea of the knowledge they are supposed to have: What gases are found in Ihe anthracite an-thracite raiuea. and, how do they affect af-fect the lives and safety of employes'' em-ployes'' What course Would you recommend to secure a large quantity quan-tity of air In the mine with the least possible resistance? In trying to extinguish a fire, what precautions would you observe for the protection protec-tion of life and property If you had been conducting a search for a lost employe In the mines, and had in your possession maps, compass, tape protection and a scale, could you conduct a searching party to the shaft? How would you determine de-termine when a hoisting rope was unsafe? The equipment of the mines, such as elevators and underground rail-toad rail-toad tracks and motive power is designed de-signed to afford the maximum of safety. This is true also of the breaker machinery through which the coal goes, after it comes from the ground to b- prepared for the ma i ket The shafts in the anthracite region re-gion vary In depth from 200 to 2,000 feet and, of course, It is essential es-sential that the elevators or cages, as they are ordinarily called shall be absolutely safe To effect this, thorough tests are conducted at regular reg-ular Intervals When a cage is to be tested it Is first loaded to its full capacity, then suddenly released. The drop is only for a short distance, dis-tance, for the powerful catches, devised de-vised for Just such an emergency, grip the guides tighter and tighter until the cage comes to a slop. Official Of-ficial reports of the test are filed for reference and examination by tho state mine Inspectors The cables supporting the elevators ele-vators vary in size with the depth of the shaft The usual diameter is an Inch and a quarter or an inch and a half. Long before the wire ropes begin to show signs of wear Lhey are replaced by new ones. In ;i single year recently, one of tho larger mining companies spent $70,-000 $70,-000 for new ropes The anthracite mine laws of Pennsylvania provide that there shall be a constant flow of air through the mines, at tho rate of not less than 200 cubic feet per minute for each man. H Is tho common practice, however, for the eompanles to supply a considerably larger quantity of air. so that there may be a wide margin of safety. Furthermore, the immense fans which are required in these days, are often installed In duplicate, so that if one of them for any reason, is put out of commission, tho other will be ready to take Its place at once. The ventilation of mines is In Itself It-self a big scientific problem. Tho present efficiency has been reached onlv after much siuuy and practical experience The currents of air must be circulated through every working place in the entire mine In sufficient quantities to dilute dangerous dan-gerous gases. Not only Is this tn?e of places where men arc at work, but It is required that abandoned or worked out parts of a mine shall be kept free of dangerous bodies of gases. One of the principal engineering difficulties is the separation of air passages so that the currents will always flow smoothly and nevor run counter to one another Every mine where more than seventy men are employed mu6t be divided into districts dis-tricts Each district has a separate "split" of pure air. The return air passages must be separated by pillars pil-lars of coal or stone, except where extraordinary conditions make connections con-nections necessary. One complication is the rule limiting lim-iting the velocity of currents. While the air must keep moving all the time in order for every worker to get his quota, in gaseous mines the velocity must not exceed 450 feet a minute past working chambers An illustration of the requirements require-ments In the way of ventilation is afforded at a colliery in the neighborhood neigh-borhood of Pittston, Pa. Here there is a big fan twenty-four feet in diameter di-ameter and six feet broad which sends 180,000 cubic feet of air down into the mines every minute. Supplementary Sup-plementary to this is another fan with a capacity of 70,000 cubic feet a minute This makes a total of 250.000 cubic feeta far greater quantity than the law requires This Is typical of conditions in other collieries throughout the region. The records show that the provision against gas explosion in anthracite mines is nearly perfect, for there are rarely any accidents of this nature. na-ture. The conditions which have so increased in-creased the requirements for ventilating venti-lating equipment havo made necessary neces-sary the expenditure of many million's mil-lion's of dollars for drainage. Tunnels Tun-nels are driven several hundred feet underground to take the water from the coal measures to lower levels, and pumps aro kept in operation twenty-four hours a day to send the accumulated water to the surface. In many a mine twenty-flve or thlrtv tons of water are pumped out for every ton of coal mined. Although every precaution is taken to provent mine fires, the companies do not neglect to equip themselves for handling these fires. Every mine has a Are system and squads of men trained to know just what to do when an alarm sounds An advantage which makes the danger dan-ger of death in tires comparatively small is the practice of having more than oiif opening for every mine. Thus, the exits to which the men can flee In safety are not limited to one There Is small risk of their being caught in a trap. An enemy of fire which has been introduced in recent years in the anthracite fields, is the chemical engine. It Is mounted upon a truck provided with wheels which enable it to run upon tracks. As these tracks vary widely in gauge, the truck Is so constructed that the wheels can be moved to fit a thirty-six-inch, a forty-inch, or any other width of track. When the extinguishing apparatus has reached the scene of danger, the chemicals in the tank are released and directed against the surface of the fire. Ordinary water played upon up-on a coal mine Are is almost instantly in-stantly converted into steam, and this, disintegrating further, forms a gas so suffocating that it drives away the men When chemicals are applied, however, the heavy gases involved cling to the floor and smother the blaze by excluding tho air. An Institution in which the anthracite an-thracite companies have done pioneer pion-eer work is the first aid to the Injured. In-jured. A few years ago one of the companies commissioned a physician to organize a first-aid corps, ami soon afterward the other companies adopted the Idea. Now the anthracite anthra-cite first-aid corps are serving as models for industries throughout the country. Recently, the Society of the Red Cross, as its first step in the campaign to establish the system sys-tem in the bituminous mines, applied ap-plied to the anthracite companies for information. Not only was this readily given to the society, but demonstrations were held for the particular benefit of the Red Cross officials. The instruction and equipment for the first-aid work are supplied by the mining company. A corps is formed by volunteers from the employes. em-ployes. In the beginning they receive re-ceive lessons from the physician in charge and then proceed to render themselves efficient by continual practice At the bottom of each mine shaft Is a sort of emergency hospital. Here are kept splints and bandages. At the news of an injury the members mem-bers of the corps run to the hospital and start off with Btretchers and splints to the relief of the victim His injuries are treated according to approved flret-aid-to-thc-lnjured methods When he Is properly bandaged the men put him on a stretcher and carry him to the cage. At the top of the shaft a company ambulance takes him to the nearest hospital or to his home. Great care Is taken that the "miner "min-er doctors" do not overstep the proper bounds of first-aid work. They are not allowed to administer any medicines or stimulants, with tho occasional exception of strong black coffee. They must not give an-Injured an-Injured man whisky under any circumstances. cir-cumstances. Periodical first-aid drills are held by the different companies, end these tend to keep up tho interest of the corps Each colliery is represented rep-resented by a team, and the teams compete with one another sometimes some-times for prizes, sometimes merely for the honor and satisfaction of victory. On these occasions some mine worker, not engaged in the contest, consents to play the part of a "victim." The director Informs ' W him what his trouble Is and he li HB thereupon attempts to reproduce I mm the condition of a man in the plight i HB described. BB In accordance with their policy MB, of adopting any effective device, the B anthracite companies not long ago began to install a new life saving apparatus. It is a German inven- IB tion, a helmet, and its function is to mm keep the man who wears it sup- HI piled with pure air while be fights 'Mm fires or rescues comrades. The first nH test took place in one of the mines B near Scranton. where about thirty He officials of the companies gathered ' HH to witness it. B The chief part of the apparatus Is B carried upon the back; it includes Bi cylinder tanks of oxygen, and pot- jH ash cartridges for absorbing car- HQ bonic acid gas exhaled from trie B lungs. The oxygen contained in the B cylinder issues to the helmet, w hich B completely covers the man s face H The exhaled air at the same time is liB purified by passing through the pot- B ash cartridges, and is used over B again in conjunction with the fresh 6 oxygen from the tanks. The ap- 'K paratus will supply air to the wear- H er for two hours without replenish- lng. W& After all. the elaborate measures Ma taken to protect the men cannot be B thoroughly effective unless the men are reasonably earful of their own R lives. Statistics gathered with as H much care by the state officials fig show that the employes are not BE carftful In former ypars the mln B workers were English, Scotch, Irish, Wq Welsh and Germans; they were in- telligent and many of them had had K experience in mining in Europe. B Now they have been largely sup- ,E planted! by immigrants from south- B em and eastern Europe, without H education or training. 1 HI It became evident several years Bj a go that, to teach these men to MS protect themselves, the operators Kg Tould have to begin at the bottom Kk Education was the only solution. Bfe True. It did not promise any aen3a- tional immediate results, but it Kfi would lay a firm foundation for fu- W'; ture improvement. Even in the few years that have elapsed since the Kaplans Ka-plans of education were first sug- seated and adopted, the good results hac been easily visible. mi Since the first step was taken in this direction, the progress has been B really rema-kaule. Every mine 'K worker, no matter how humble his position, has the opportunity to im- I 't prove himself There are thousands I7 who have the ambition but not the K resources to go through college, and w- now they have a good substitute for i college If they so dealre they can 1 begin by studying the English language before attempting any- thing further. 1 Nothing In the program of one of f these mining schools is regarded as jk; so Important as the rules and regu- jf:. lations of safety. From the opening IB-''' day of the session the mine worker is impressed with the importance of B - protecting himself and his fellows. Bt. - The fundamental causes of most ac- cidents aro ignorance and careless- V x" ness. At tlie mine schools ignorance It I can be removed) and carelessness, though it can never bo abolished, m can be powerfully discouraged. |