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.

Mine foreman giving demonstration to mine rescue class, 09-20-1927

First Aid Class, Alabama By-Products Corp., Bradford, AL 04-12-1930

View of Bureau of Mines Motor Truck No. 2 - men unloading apparatus, 1915.

Bureau of Mines Car 8 en route to Layland, WV

The first mine rescue contest Forbes Field

Joseph Holmes inspects rescue team

Mine Rescue Team

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.

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.

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.

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.

Here is a letter written by a miner shortly before he died of suffocation in a 1902 mine disaster

Rescue crew at Benwood, WV, April 28, 1924, where 119 miners were killed in a mine explosion.

Mine rescue team from Kilsyth, WV, at the Eccles, WV, mine Mine rescue team from Kilsyth, WV, at the Eccles, WV, mine where 19 miners were killed in a mine explosion on March 8, where 19 miners were killed in a mine explosion on March 8, 1926. 1926.

Bureau of Mines men about to lead first rescue teams down Bureau of Mines men about to lead first rescue teams down Kinlock Mine slope, Parnassus, PA, February 20, 1928, Kinlock Mine slope, Parnassus, PA, February 20, 1928, where an explosion killed 46 minerswhere an explosion killed 46 miners

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.

Members of relief rescue crew wait to descend into the Members of relief rescue crew wait to descend into the Centralia No. 5 Mine, Centralia, IL, where 111 miners Centralia No. 5 Mine, Centralia, IL, where 111 miners were killed in an explosion March 25, 1947.were killed in an explosion March 25, 1947.

Mine rescue teams working on the recovery operations at the Scotia Mine, Ovenfork, KY. Two separate explosions occurred on March 9 & 11, 1976.

Mine rescue teams working on the recovery operations at the Mine rescue teams working on the recovery operations at the Scotia Mine, Ovenfork, KY.Scotia Mine, Ovenfork, KY.

Two separate explosions occurred on March Two separate explosions occurred on March 9 & 11, 1976. Investigators concluded that the 9 & 11, 1976. Investigators concluded that the explosion of March 9 resulted from explosion of March 9 resulted from inadequate ventilation. The operation of inadequate ventilation. The operation of electric equipment that was not maintained electric equipment that was not maintained and which contained components that and which contained components that created incendive arcing during normal created incendive arcing during normal operation in an area where methane had operation in an area where methane had accumulated and where the required accumulated and where the required examinations had not been made prior to the examinations had not been made prior to the operation of the electric equipment in the operation of the electric equipment in the area were contributing factors of the area were contributing factors of the explosion. The first explosion killed 15 explosion. The first explosion killed 15 miners. The second explosion occurred miners. The second explosion occurred during the rescue operations and killed 11 during the rescue operations and killed 11 rescuers including three Mine Enforcement rescuers including three Mine Enforcement and Safety Administration (MESA) inspectors.and Safety Administration (MESA) inspectors.

1968 Consol No. 9 Mine Mining Disaster Farmington, West Virginia

Christopher, IL

Christopher, IL

Panama, IL

Royalton, IL

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