The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-03-07
CORRESPONDENCE.

BRAlDWoop. Feb. "a. lt


BsAIDwooD, Feb. "a, 1858.
10 The Editor Of the WsaKEsxAH's ADVOCATE.
In recent issue Of the Advocate | OBJ
served that the operation Of coal mining III
Great Britain alone, was carried on at a cos,
OF nearly five human lives daily. These are
only the instances where the thread of life
is severed instantly, on the occurrence, and
10 not the per centAge enormous Where
is the coal miner who lays the slightest claim
TO nobility Of soul, or feels within his bosom
one spark Of energys where is the coal miner
animated by the smallest desire to elevate
himself, or the class to which he belongs
who can pass UNDECIDED By these figures
without saying to himself, ''is not this suf
ficient TO wound my pride and in nv shame
to cover me with blushesi Have I nos in
these figures, cause enough to excite nae intS
action, and to instill powerful longing into
my very nature that should make such ef.
forts as could to help remedy such 4 fear.
fui state Of thingss" Is there any coal miner
with spirit sufficiently cramped, TO look
on aod see five Of bis fellow men swept daily
into the portals Of death, BY what il styled
"fatsl accidents" accidents that hap.
pen, IN nine cases out Of ten, from the pss-
simcny Of EMPLOYERS or from the negligence
Of their officers.
How often has it occurred and how often
ID kLAk al -.
the workmeu, Of certain dangerous parts, are
altogether UNDECIDED and unattended to,
even when they have been brought under
the direct observation Of those in authority,
until "fatal accidents" bad actually happen
ed, and then-they were attended to, when,
alas it was too late. Where is the coal
miner who beholds the restitution, misery
and want that follow all such mournfui oc-
curences. and does not feel strong and ar
dent inclination to do something bY way or
averting such awful visitations-perhaps be
himself the next victim. fancy surely
there can be mono such, and yet ask myself
the reason why SUI indifference 10 observa-
BILE everywhere among coal miners. WHY
90 We hear and ssee suct direful catastro-
phes take place in our midst-such m Ere
damp explosions, foundations, carrying in of
roof, breakage Of machinery, &C., Scr WHY
so many lessons, and yet 50 very little learn
edt Oh, that these men should cast aside
those selfish, petty jealousies that 80 much
peryade and characterize them. Act nobly.
Do strafgnsse-xarl. upright and just. Seek
70 Improve their con6ssaa. BY every far and
lawful means Then might they rr-e and All
happy, and then would postsrity bless and.
revere their memory.
It might be urged though that these re-
marks have been elected from the amount
OF mortality, BY accident in Great Britain,
only, and can have no possible or direct
allusIon 10 the coal miners or America. But
this is not so. For though it must be con-
coded that America has never been visited
by such fearful occurrences as thai OF
BarnsIey and Hartley, England, or that more
recent one OF Ferndale, Wales, and though
II be possible that the number Of deaths, 81
y ecident, be less In this country, yet IL BY no
rueans follows that such things viii not hap
pen unless the necessary precautions be
adopted for the preventing Of such evils.
The cause Of such cs'amities being less fire.
quent here than in tue old countries il well
known TO be-not that there is any greater
attention paid to the safety or welfare Of the
or better means OF prevention instituted, not
because there is less recklessness OF human
life exhibited, but that the coal beds, or veins.
are located nearer the surface, and the pro-
cess Of ventilation rendered more easy,
whilst the accumulation Of inAamable gasses
10 less likely 70 take place than in cases
where they have TO dig ten, twenty, or thirty
times deeper than any place know Of in
this country.
Why is II that engineers Of steamships,
and such other craftsmen, have 70. TO stand
an examination, and evince such evidence a.
10 qualified to testify their competency TO
ali such Offices previous 10 their being en-
trusted in such positions! Why is 1t that
captains ard military men have to do the
samef Why is IL, II il be not to save a
needless waste Of life and property, aud bear
testimony that they possess qualifications
fitting them TO such situations, and enabling
them TO serve and manage In such capacity
That no other plausible reason appears 10 US
than this Then do we very naturally ask
the question Why is It not so arranged that
coal mine managers or bosses should have to
stand an examination before . board Of
mining engineers, and prove sheir ability "a
Assume the guidance Of mine, and under
take the responsibilities devolving upon sud-
. position Wby Is il, ir II be not thai
coal miners, from their familiarity with dan.
gers, have set them as nsught, and feel MOI
the necessity Of scting in the matter, unles.
perhaps when their apathetic natures ar.
stirred ~ the terrible tidings or another ex
plosion or something Of its kindf Then d.
they exclAim, ssoreshibg must BE- done ~ 81
Il not awful to think Of itr' els it no
fearful in lie naturey" OF something Of thi,
kind, for fsw days, until the sensation hal
died away. Then, with the exception Of the
Immediate vicinity wherein II occurred, il Il
seldom ever mentioned OK made Allnsion to
That special legislation u necessary 70 th.
safety and better preservation Of the mineI
a per su.ag his psrilous avocation u con.
coded By every coal miner, and By simosl
every other man, having anything OF .
knowledge Of the numerous and magnitude.
nous character Of she dangers that every
where surrounds him and which be has Il
encounter. Marvellous then il Is to many
thai under such circumstances, the mining
population don't have system established
Whereby they could have their gfiesaDce.
and wants inpartially and justly representss
70 no people, through whon they alone en-
hope to obtain that protsction which ths
sxigeneies Of their Gran, in almost every ~
stance, demand. would hsve, NY desi
cir, every coal miner 10 the country Ill
thsnSsIyss u ths labor reform party, snd
use their best infiuencs TO hare men Ifoo
the ranks Of labor an every rsspo0sibl.
olics m the Ind, g the Only safe snd sur
n1ans Or having those Ills which evsfywhsr,
beoet he vorkpsn sffectually. and lastingIJ
ss1notst ~ frpstl9 xnelzoflAeed. Trus6dj
ycw specsp remain
49, 10. Il. a.. s,s' -. 4 Joss JlxzA