Coal History

1
Dr. Joseph A. Holmes was appointed the first
director of the Bureau of Mines by President Taft
in 1910. Dr. Holmes is credited with making
popular the slogan "safety first," and was
responsible for many major improvements in mine
safety.Dr. Holmes negotiated for the donation of
four railroad cars from the Pullman Company for
use in mine rescue work at a time when the Bureau
of Mines budget would not permit their purchase.
Under Holmes direction, Pullman prepared the cars
for mine rescue operations and they were put on
continuous standby for mine emergencies.
2
Mine foreman giving demonstration to mine rescue
class, 09-20-1927
3
First Aid Class, Alabama By-Products Corp.,
Bradford, AL 04-12-1930
4
View of Bureau of Mines Motor Truck No. 2 - men
unloading apparatus, 1915.
5
Bureau of Mines Car 8 en route to Layland, WV
6
The first mine rescue contest Forbes
Field
7
Joseph Holmes inspects rescue team
8
Mine Rescue Team
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10
In the early days of the Bureau of Mines, mine
rescuers were called "helmet men" or "apparatus
men." Their chief work was to investigate the
cause of a mine disaster as quickly as possible,
to assist in the rescue of miners, give first
aid, and train miners in first aid and mine
rescue techniques.
11
Poisonous gases were a serious danger to rescuers
after a mine explosion. Early mine rescue men
used the Draeger breathing apparatus imported
from Germany, or the Fleuss or "Proto" apparatus
imported from England. Development and tests of
the Gibbs apparatus were completed by the Bureau
of Mines in 1918, and made the United States
independent of foreign makers of apparatus.
12
Rescuers resting and writing notes in room no. 4,
1st south entry of the Sunnyside Coal Mine,
Evansville, IN where an explosion killed six
miners, March 20, 1909.
13
Rescuers exiting mine with canary in
resuscitation cage. The canary became sick during
the mine rescue and required oxygen. The location
of this accident is unknown.
14
Here is a letter written by a miner shortly
before he died of suffocation in a 1902 mine
disaster
15
Rescue crew at Benwood, WV, April 28, 1924, where
119 miners were killed in a mine explosion.
16
Mine rescue team from Kilsyth, WV, at the Eccles,
WV, mine where 19 miners were killed in a mine
explosion on March 8, 1926.
17
Bureau of Mines men about to lead first rescue
teams down Kinlock Mine slope, Parnassus, PA,
February 20, 1928, where an explosion killed 46
miners
18
Rescue workers administering oxygen to a victim
at the Sunnyside No. 1 Mine, Sunnyside, Utah, May
9, 1945, where 23 miners were killed in an
explosion.
19
Members of relief rescue crew wait to descend
into the Centralia No. 5 Mine, Centralia, IL,
where 111 miners were killed in an explosion
March 25, 1947.
20
Mine rescue teams working on the recovery
operations at the Scotia Mine, Ovenfork, KY. Two
separate explosions occurred on March 9 11,
1976.
21
Mine rescue teams working on the recovery
operations at the Scotia Mine, Ovenfork, KY.
22
Two separate explosions occurred on March 9
11, 1976. Investigators concluded that the
explosion of March 9 resulted from inadequate
ventilation. The operation of electric equipment
that was not maintained and which contained
components that created incendive arcing during
normal operation in an area where methane had
accumulated and where the required examinations
had not been made prior to the operation of the
electric equipment in the area were contributing
factors of the explosion. The first explosion
killed 15 miners. The second explosion occurred
during the rescue operations and killed 11
rescuers including three Mine Enforcement and
Safety Administration (MESA) inspectors.
23
1968 Consol No. 9 Mine Mining Disaster
Farmington, West Virginia
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Christopher, IL
Christopher, IL
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Panama, IL
30
Royalton, IL
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