Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, vol. LXX, Dec. 1910

Transactions of the American
Society of Civil Engineers, vol.
LXX, Dec. 1910

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Title: Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, vol.
LXX, Dec. 1910 Federal Investigations of Mine Accidents, Structural
Materials and Fuels. Paper No. 1171
Author: Herbert M. Wilson
Release Date: May 25, 2006 [EBook #18448]
Language: English
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AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS Instituted 1852
TRANSACTIONS
Paper No. 1171
FEDERAL INVESTIGATIONS OF MINE ACCIDENTS,
STRUCTURAL MATERIALS, AND FUELS.[1]
By HERBERT M. WILSON, M. Am. Soc. C. E.
With Discussion by Messrs. KENNETH ALLEN, HENRY
KREISINGER, WALTER O. SNELLING, A. BARTOCCINI, H. G.
STOTT, B. W. DUNN, and HERBERT M. WILSON.
INTRODUCTION.
The mine disaster, which occurred at Cherry, Ill., on November 13th,
1909, when 527 men were in the mine, resulting in the entombment of
330 men, of whom 310 were killed, has again focused public attention
on the frequent recurrence of such disasters and their appalling
consequences. Interest in the possible prevention of such disasters, and
the possible means of combating subsequent mine fires and rescuing
the imprisoned miners, has been heightened as it was not even by the
series of three equally extensive disasters which occurred in 1907, for
the reason that, after the Cherry disaster, 20 men were rescued alive
after an entombment of one week, when practically all hope of rescuing
any of the miners had been abandoned.

This accident, occurring, as it does, a little more than 1½ years after the
enactment of legislation by Congress instructing the Director of the
United States Geological Survey to investigate the causes and possible
means of preventing the loss of life in coal-mining operations, makes
this an opportune time to review what has been done by the Geological
Survey during this time, toward carrying out the intent of this Act.
It may be stated with confidence, that had such a disaster occurred a
year or more ago, all the entombed men must have perished, as it
would have been impossible to enter the mine without the protection
afforded by artificial respiratory apparatus. Moreover, but for the
presence of the skilled corps of Government engineers, experienced by
more than a year's training in similar operations in more than twenty
disasters, the mine would have been sealed until the fire had burned out,
and neither the dead, nor those who were found alive, would have been
recovered for many weeks. In the interval great suffering and loss
would have been inflicted on the miners, because of enforced idleness,
and on the mine owners because of continued inability to re-open and
resume operations.
Character of the Work.--The United States Geological Survey has been
engaged continuously since 1904 in conducting investigations relating
to structural materials, such as stone, clay, cement, etc., and in making
tests and analyses of the coals, lignites, and other mineral fuel
substances, belonging to, and for the use of, the Government.
Incidentally, the Survey has been considering means to increase
efficiency in the use of these resources as fuels and structural materials,
in the hope that the investigations will lead to their best utilization.
These inquiries attracted attention to the waste of human life incident to
the mining of fuel and its preparation for the market, with the result that,
in May, 1908, provision was made by Congress for investigations into
the causes of mine explosions with a view to their prevention.
Statistics collected by the Geological Survey show that the average
death rate in the coal mines of the United States from accidents of all
kinds, including gas and dust explosions, falls of roof, powder

explosions, etc., is three times that of France, Belgium, or Germany.
On the other hand, in no country in the world are natural conditions so
favorable for the safe extraction of coal as in the United States. In
Belgium, foremost in the study of mining conditions, a constant
reduction in the death rate has been secured, and from a rate once
nearly as great as that of the United States, namely, 3.28 per thousand,
in the period 1851-60, it had been reduced to about 2 per