Principal Coal-Mine Disasters.- Table 6 on the following page gives what is believed to be a complete list of those coal-mine disasters in the United States in which 100 or more men were killed.

Bibliography. Fay, A. H., Coal-mine Fatalities in the United States, 1870-1914,' with statistics of coal production, labor and mining methods, by States and calendar years (Bull. 115, United States Bureau of Mines, Washington 1916); Willcox, F. H., Occupational Hazards at Blast-furnace Plants and Accident Prevention based on Records of Accidents at Blast furnaces in Pennsylvania in 1915) (Bull. 140, United States Bureau of Mines, ib. 1917);

DATE

Avondale..

1884

Mar. 13

Laurel..

Mammouth.

1892 Jan. 7

1900

May 1

1902

May 19

Rolling Mill.

1903

June 30

Hanna No. 1..

1904 Jan. 25

Harwick.

1905

Feb. 20

Eccles Nos. 5 and 6.. Layland No. 3. Hastings.

Mine explosion.

181

Mine explosion.

Mine explosion.

112 121

1913 Oct. 22 1914 Apr. 28 1915 Mar. 2 1917 Apr. 27

ALBERT H. FAY,

Mining Engineer, United States Bureau of Mines.

MINE GAS, the same as fire-damp (q.v.).

MINE PLANTERS. The mine planter service in time of peace is organized for instruction purposes. In time of war the vessels of this service, together with such additional vessels as may be obtained for this duty by the War Department, are assigned to the various coast defenses for service in planting mines. The vessels for this service are known as United States army mine planters, and when not assigned to coast artillery districts, coast defenses or to the Coast Artillery School, are under the control of the quartermaster-general of the army.

Upon arrival in a coast-defense command for the purpose of carrying out the instructions of the War Department, the commanding officer of a mine planter reports by telegraph to the coast artillery district commander and in person to the coast-defense commander. He retains command of his vessel, but the planter becomes a part of the local submarine defense equipment of the coast-defense command. The planter is assigned, for instruction purposes, to the mine commands by the coast-defense commander. The latter exercises general supervision over the mining instruction, and is held responsible that full advantage is taken of the presence of the planter for instruction purposes. Except in case of emergency he does not use the mine planter, nor permit the use thereof, for any other purpose than for carrying out the instructions prescribed by the War Depart

ment.

Whenever a mine planter leaves one coastdefense command for another, or leaves for any locality outside the limits of a coastdefense command for repairs or for other purpose, the commanding officer of the planter telegraphs to the coast artillery district commander his time of departure, and on arriving at his destination his time of arrival thereat. During the time mine planters are beyond the limits of a coast-defense command they are under the direct control and supervision of coast artillery district commanders. At such times coast artillery district commanders have the same control over mine planters, as they have over other elements of the coast defenses, within the limits of their districts, respectively, subject to the requirements prescribed by the War Department.

Upon completion of the work in a coastdefense command, the commanding officer of the vessel submits a report covering (1) in general terms the work done during the presence of the mine planter; (2) a statement of any unusual difficulties encountered; (3) the condition of the entire mine equipment in the coast-defense command (including both structures and material) and (4) any important recommendations. This report is submitted in triplicate to the coast-defense commander. Communications relating to the crew's equipment and repairs are sent to the quartermastergeneral of the army.

On the last day of each month the commanding officer of the vessel forwards to the adjutant-general of the army, through military channels, an extract from the logbook, showing the movements of the vessel during the month; any unusual incidents, collisions, groundings or other accidents; assistance rendered other vessels; dates of inspections and by whom; also the quantity of coal consumed, in pounds, and the number of miles run each day; with the total coal and water consumption, number of mines planted, number of mines taken up, miles of multiple cable laid, miles of multiple cable taken up and miles traveled during the month. The shipping laws recited in the official logbook of the Mercantile Marine of the Depart

ment of Commerce govern so far as they may be applicable to mine-planting boats and are not in conflict with army regulations and orders of the War Department.

When engaged in planting or taking up mines a lifeboat is kept in readiness for immediate launching. EDWARD S. FARROW,

Consulting Military and Civil Engineer. MINE RUN, Campaign of. During the Civil War, on 7 and 8 Nov. 1863 General Meade crossed the Rappahannock at Kelley's Ford and Rappahannock Station, and concentrated his army of 70,000 men in the vicinity of Brandy Station, General Lee, with 50,000 men, withdrawing beyond the Rapidan to an entrenched line, the left of which covered some of the fords of the river, the right being perpendicular to it and extending to Bartlett's Mill on Mine Run. On 26 November Meade began the Mine Run campaign by sending the First, Fifth and Second corps to cross the Rapidan at Culpeper Mine and Germanna fords, and the Third and Sixth corps to cross at Jacob's Mill, all five corps to converge upon the old turnpike and the plankroad near Robertson's Tavern, both leading to Orange Court House, and turn the right of Lee's position. An early start was made on the 26th, but owing to delay in some of the columns, all were halted for the night but a short distance beyond the river. The march was resumed at daylight of the 27th. The Second corps reached Robertson's Tavern at 10 A.M., to find itself in the presence of a considerable body of Ewell's corps which Lee had hastened there, and it was ordered to remain on the defensive, until the Third corps, followed by the Sixth, came up on the right. But the Third corps was delayed. Lee, on discovering Meade's movement, had promptly ordered Early, commanding Ewell's corps, to move to the right. Part of his command had reached Robertson's Tavern and confronted the Second corps, and Johnson's division was moving in the same direction when it came into collision with the Third corps, on Payne's Farm, and a battle ensued, lasting until dark. Both sides claimed the advantage, but the engagement resulted in a delay to Meade's operations, and, as he claims, the failure of his campaign. The Union loss was 125 killed, 747 wounded and 71 missing. Lee reported a Confederate loss of 545. The Second corps was severely engaged during the day, and advanced some distance beyond Robertson's Tavern. At night the First corps moved up to the support of the Second. The Fifth corps, which had supported Gregg's cavalry division in an engagement at Parker's store, on the Orange plank-road, was brought over to support the Second, and next morning the Third and Sixth corps came up on the right of the Second. On the 28th Meade advanced to the attack, but on driving in the Confederate pickets it was found that Ewell's corps had fallen back. Pursuit was made, the Second corps in advance, and after a march of two miles Ewell was found in position on the west side of Mine Run. A. P. Hill had come up and formed on Ewell's right, covering the Orange plank-road. The line was very strong, and on it were 150 guns. It was after dark when the Second, Sixth and First corps, with part of the Third, fronted this position. An examination of Lee's position convinced Meade that

there was no probability of success in an attack in his immediate front, and he determined to send General Warren, with his Second corps and a division of the Sixth, to feel for Lee's right flank and turn it if practicable. The 29th was spent in reconnoitring and demonstrations, while waiting for Warren's movement. Early in the morning of the 29th Warren started from Robertson's Tavern, crossed over to the plankroad, drove in the skirmishers of A. P. Hill's corps and late in the day came upon Hill's position across the road. Warren reported to Meade that the conditions were favorable for an attack, and personally assured him that he could carry everything before him. Meanwhile some of Sedgwick's division commanders had discovered weak points on Lee's left, no works being thrown up, and Meade ordered an attack for the morning of the 30th, the right and centre to open with artillery at 8 o'clock, at which time Warren was to make the main attack, and at 9 o'clock Sedgwick was to assault Lee's left with five divisions of the Fifth and Sixth corps. Two divisions of the Third

corps were sent to Warren, thus increasing his command to six divisions of 26,000 men. The batteries on the right and centre opened a furious fire at 8 A.M. The skirmishers of the First and Third corps advanced across Mine Run and drove in those of the enemy, and Sedgwick was about to assault when Meade ordered him to desist. He had received a dispatch from Warren advising against an attack on Lee's right, as it could not succeed. During the night of the 29th Warren had made dispositions for an overwhelming assault, but on the morning of the 30th he saw on the heights before him a line of strong works thrown up over night, well filled with infantry, and heavy batteries covering the slope up which it was necessary to charge, and therefore he deemed successful attack impossible. Meade rode over to Warren, who proved unchangeable in opinion, and Meade tried to arrange for an attack later in the day, but found it impracticable. The armies remained confronting each other that day and the next, and on the night of 1 December Meade withdrew to his former position beyond the Rapidan. Lee followed part way on the 2d. The Union loss in the Mine Run campaign, 26 November to 2 December, was 173 killed, 1,099 wounded and 381 missing. The Confederate loss was 110 killed, 570 wounded and 65 missing. Consult 'Official Records (Vol. XXIX); Humphreys, From Gettysburg to the Rapidan'; Pennypacker, 'Life of General Meade'; Wather, 'History of the Second Army Corps'; Powell, 'History of the Fifth Army Corps'; The Century Company's 'Battles and Leaders of the Civil War' (Vol. IV). E. A. CARMAN. See SURVEYING.

MINE SURVEYING.

MINE-SWEEPING. Almost immediately upon the development of the mine itself came the development of measures for combating of mines. From the very first the mine was used as a weapon of offense and it became necessary to find some means of protection against it. As early as 1777, Bushnell, an American inventor, devised moving machines which were discharged in the Delaware River against British ships. These were later ridiculed in a ballad called 'The Battle of The Kegs,' Later in the

blockade of American harbors by the British in 1813, and in the Crimean War, nothing more useful seems to have been employed in the detection and destruction of mines than dragging for them with nets, etc.

During the American Civil War, however, mines began to be used on so large a scale and so effectively that it became necessary for the Northern States to adopt adequate measures for protection against them. The first idea was to creep for the cable connecting the torpedoes, in the hope that the creep would break the cable or explode the mines. Later, chains towed between two vessels were used in an attempt to seizze the moorings of the mines, the latter being then raised and rendered harmless. These methods do not appear to have met with any great measure of success.

In 1863, Ericsson constructed his mine-destroyer, which consisted mainly of a strong float attached to the forward part of the ship and extending well to the front of the bow. At the extreme front end of the float and several meters under the surface of the water was fixed an explosive charge of 700 pounds of powder. In front of the charge were rigged two timbers which, upon engaging an obstacle, closed upon each other as do the parts of a parallel ruler, thereby igniting the charge. The important feature of the invention was the air chamber placed directly in front of the charge. This gave way at the push of the explosion and allowed the full foce to be sent forward against the obstacle, thereby protecting the float itsself from any damage. A large number of these mine-catchers were produced at that time, but for some reason or other no further use Iwas made of the invention.

Up to quite recent times nothing had been done toward the improvement of methods for the detection of mines. They had been used mostly as a weapon of defense for the protection of coastal localities and the blocking of channels, until the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War. During this war, however, it became the custom to strew broadcast great numbers of unanchored mines, and it became necessary to find a means of searching out the location of these mines and destroying them.

The oldest method of protecting warships against mines was in the use of less valuable ships as exploders. One or more of these would go ahead of the battleships, in the hope of striking and exploding enough mines to make a breach in the minefield. The exploder had to be of draught at least equal to that of the ship to be protected, and also had to be so constructed that after the explosion of the first mine the engines would still drive it ahead to the destruction of others. To meet the latter requirement, the ship had to have its engines located aft, as in the case in tank steamers. Of course, the exploder was inevitably sacrificed, so that the method was a very expensive one. Other objections were that even a number of these ships might go through a field and miss mines that would sink the ships to be protected, and that success in the exploder's mission meant sure death to her crew.

Another contrivance for the discovery of and protection against mines is the mine-catcher. This is a very heavy and clumsy apparatus, consisting of steel frames or wooden balks fixed to the sides of the vessel, supported and stiff

ened below by wire hawsers. The mine-catcher is expected to break the moorings, causing the mine to rise to the surface, where it can be rendered harmless, or to overturn the mine, causing the explosive to be displaced. In any case, it is quite likely that the resulting explosion will damage the catcher, necessitating frequent repair. In order to be able to break a wire hawser, the mine-catcher has to be very strongly constructed. This results in a bulk and weight which greatly hinder the proper navigation of the ship and hold it down to a very slow pace. Counter-mines are often used although they are in reality not employed to seek out the location of mines, but rather to destroy a field which has already been located. They are joined up in a series and towed along on a wide front. When it is found that the counter-mines have engaged the enemy mines, the boats sheer off the necessary distance and the charges are exploded by electricity, the nearby enemy mines being thereby destroyed.

A many-fluked grapnel is often used to drag for the cables of such mines as are exploded from the shore. In some cases the fished-up cable fails to break, so that it is well to have an explosive charge in the grapnel, with an arrangement for detonating it from the vessel by which the grapnel is operated. During the American Civil War, search was made for mines with chains and hawsers. This is the method which is now usually employed when no other means are at hand. It was the one used by the Russians when they first started searching for the mines which the Japanese placed in waters about the harbor-mouth at the siege of Port Arthur.

The Russians used two boats in dragging for mines, with a hawser stretched between them. It was soon found that little could be accomplished with this arrangement on account of the fact that the hawser in motion tended to rise toward the surface, and that it formed an acute angle in the middle, thus reducing greatly the area swept. The first of these difficulties was partially overcome by attaching weights to the cables where they were fastened to the sweeping-hawser. A further improvement, partially overcoming the second difficulty, was in placing floats at the ends of the cables, suspending weights from each float to the proper depth, and attaching the hawser to these weights. The floats were so constructed and attached as to cause them to sheer out, thus giving the sweep the necessary spread.

From this time dates the organization of the first mine-sweeping flotilla ever employed. It searched and cleared the channel on a regular plan, affording ships a safe ingress and egress. No Russian ships went out of the harbor until the mine-sweeping flotilla had first searched the channel. The use of floats and weights necessitated a contrivance of great bulk, difficult to cast and haul in, and too heavy to permit of any but the slowest speed. To overcome these difficulties, use was made of the well-known theory that a pent-shaped log, towed behind a boat, can be kept at any given depth with any given speed by adjusting the tow-line to the proper length.

Sjostrand, a Swedish inventor, used this theory in producing his mine-sweeper, which consisted of a drag-hawser attached at the ends to logs or kites kept at the proper depth by

regulating the length of cable and the speed of the vessel. The kites were constructed and attached in such manner as to cause them to sheer out and maintain a wide spread of sweep. This device was in reality only a mine-searcher. An improvement converted it into a mine-remover as well. The hawser was so attached to the cable at one end that, upon encountering a mine-mooring, it would break from the cable. At the loose end was fixed a grappling-hook containing an explosive charge. The mooring having been encountered and the hook end freed thereby, the hawser was dragged along the mine cable until the hook or catcher grappled and held it. The charge was then exploded from the ship and the mine destroyed or brought to the surface.

The removal of mines brought to the surface is most easily accomplished by firing into them; for this work, small-calibre guns firing shell are provided. Small-bore rifle bullets make holes so small that the water enters very slowly into the mines. Guns firing shell produce much larger holes, and there is always the possibility of exploding the mine with a fragment. The great importance which the experience of war attaches to all means of combating mines has led to the production of a great many appliances, but none of them are practicable, so that the mine-sweeping appliance of Swedish origin remains the most advanced and the best. This sweep is useful only against mines which are anchored, since it attacks the moorings. Against free mines, there is no protection except a sharp lookout. The only real protection against drifting mines lies in the development of naval aircraft, from which the location of mines can be established, especially drift mines, which float on or near the surface.

EDWARD S. FARROW.

Consulting Military and Civil Engineer. MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA, United, an American labor organization, formed 25 Jan. 1890, to "unite mine employees that produce or handle coal or coke . and ameliorate their condition by means of conciliation, arbitration, or strikes." Its executive officers are president, vice-president and secretarytreasurer; a national executive board is made up of these officers and of 25 delegates, one each from the various district divisions. The United Mine Workers made great gains in membership by its bituminous strike in 1897, and by the famous anthracite strikes of 1900 and 1902; the two last mentioned strikes were under the leadership of Pres. John Mitchell (q.v.). The policy is typically aggressive and almost the entire funds of the union are used to support strikes and spread the organization. The organ is The United Mine Worker.

MINER, Alonzo Ames, American Universalist clergyman: b. Lempster, N. H., 17 Aug. 1814; d. Boston, Mass., 14 June 1895. He was educated in secondary schools, taught for a time, was ordained to the Universalist ministry in June 1839, was pastor at Methuen, Mass. (1839-42), and at Lowell (1842-48), was colleague of Hosea Ballou at Boston (1848–52), and full pastor (1852-62; 1874-95). In 1862-74 he was president of Tufts College (Medford, Mass.). He originated the Universalist Publishing House, Boston; was chairman of the Amer

ican Peace Society, which he represented at the international congress, Paris, 1889; was Prohibition candidate for governor of Massachusetts in 1878 and for mayor of Boston in 1893; and was also once known as a lecturer on antislavery. He edited the Star of Bethlehem at Lowell, and published 'Bible Exercises' (1854-84); Old Forts Taken) (1878-85); Doctrines of Universalism.' Consult Emerson, G. H., "Life of Alonzo Ames Miner' (Boston 1896).

MINER, Charles, American journalist: b. Norwich, Conn., 1 Feb. 1780; d. Wilkesbarre, Pa., 26 Oct. 1865. At the age of 19 he removed to the Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania, where, with his brother, he established the Luzerne Federalist and afterward The Gleaner, for which he wrote humorous sketches. Subsequently he became assistant editor of the Political and Commercial Register of Philadelphia and also established, with his brother, the West Chester Village Record, to which he contributed under the name of "John Harwood." He was a member of Congress from Pennsylvania in 1825-29 and was the first to bring to the notice of that body the possibilities of the culture and manufacture of silk in the United States. His 'History of Wyoming) (1845) contains a vivid description of the Wyoming massacre, obtained from an eye-witness.

MINER, William Harvey, American journalist and author: b. New Haven, Conn., 5 March 1877. He took a special literary course at Yale University in 1896 and was graduated at Columbian (now George Washington) University in 1899. For a time he was a staff member of the Lowell (Mass.) Mail. He traveled extensively in the Middle and Far West, in Canada and in Europe and published 'George Catlin, a Memoir' (1900); The Lewis and Clark Expedition' (1901); 'Daniel Boone' (1901); The Rowfant Club' (1903); The Beginnings of American Science' (1906); Savage and Chatterton) (1907); 'Life of Charles Churchill (1907); The Iowa Indians' (1911); 'History of the American Indians, North of Mexico (1913).

MINERAL ACIDS, Toxicology of. Poisoning by ingestion of sulphuric acid causes pain in mouth, nose, throat and epigastrium; bloody saliva; vomiting, bloody diarrhoea; feeble pulse; cold, damp surface; and collapse. Ulceration of stomach and larynx may occur and if t'e patient survives, a form of Bright's disease follows quickly. The antidote is any available alkali as soap, chalk, magnesia or whitewash, scraped, perhaps, from a wall. Hydrochloric acid (q.v.) causes similar though possibly less severe symptoms and recovery is more often possible. The antidotes are the same. Nitric acid (q.v.) exceeds sulphuric in the violence of the symptoms caused, with sudden death. stead of black sloughs in the mouth, oesophagus and stomach, such as occur in sulphuric-acid poisoning, in nitric-acid intoxication yellow sloughs and stains are found after death. Nitromuriatic-acid poisoning resembles poisoning by nitric acid in symptoms and pathological results. Similar yellow staining is found. The antidotes are alkalis. Phosphoric acid (q.v.) is not corrosive to animal tissues, though the glacial acid coagulates albumen. Its antidote

In