The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-06-05
THE MINER.


The inspection 0f coal mines Il If great
monet .0 CLIO worker in those dark ana
d.eary recessts. The fact Of having an in
speetar appointed, -lCws that steps are be-
iaE taken 3, improve the conditi0n-as far
as safety of life and limb is coucerned-of
the coal lr.E--. W may Justly expect many
benefits viii De derived from the measure
as it now exists. But on yourselves II ad
dress mFs N.Y. miuers) you must depend
flr lny .l-lrt Improvement IN the c0ndi-
tim ~ your mines, more than CN any gov
eminent ae.0r YOU must demand what
Is necessary .r your personal safety Your
present owen maut inspector may consider
himself "a sort T teacher 20 an irregular set
of pupis-Yag- .osses-and his abilities
wI4 n strained g. perform the dates Of BIZ
office ..itL aL aue order and punatuality
Net Wishing .J t-aat of the capabilities ~
YOUR sfec.-r until he has had omgwhat
W. fair aLl impartial trial II biz new ca-
Eltity, $50 Will simT 'v revert q the manner
iu RhIgh De- received BIS appointment.
ia che G.5- place, lie r Is Up petition to
Che governor, aad sends 1t around among
the c.aI lt.ratrs aud others havilg inhu-
el-e ia tle state, fir signature. These in
prefer. ac5 ro y9u 7Lan it most eorcern-4,
auI tlr whose benefit The measure was
brought nu,. ~ .lr signature WAS NOT muel
sought after y.I poor men were nobody in
tle aH.ir- what til y d know ABOUT vous
own safety aI your own affairs that You
srgu'1 have % hand DO them, % much as Co
Take .Ie most prominent part in the ar-
r0Humeut lt your inspealry The govern
OTIS nttal -as, ralt tue inspector should
bass gn oXamiaausn before a mixed COM
ni.tue gl Nin-ts ana .uIriaE engineers were
t7 tLs Fu!ut5 but would 10 not laye been
more fsiI and impartial I'D have examined
az Jhe candidates al once, and before any
appointment was made. In this way rhe
best man could have been picked out. Has
there been 10 fraud pTao-Iced in Idil in
stance Ibis matter should be farther look
ed into. Most of the coal operato1s-bsr-
hars some Vt those who signed the petition
--Nare olj.uI1ual t9 The measure being
br0u. ht uut fVl your benefit
III 3 coal region like this, where indiyid-
ual tr.t ana Invention are more depended
upCH for the wplkinr OF mines, than on
systematic plans 1e rom practical ex-
Ierivnce; waer 80. IS may know more
oi -AiuE shoes, hats, GAGS, coats, Or any
tl- elss t-an ot rgiug coal where VEN
u.-Ilu rs n0t thought of or iO0Aed ID n
an 4rt or as being ~ any way connected
wltl science where confusion Is substituted
fol diesel llne; where ach step toward pro-
grss underground, is looked on with jeal-
GUS 10. 'adlces, : cannot see but that The
proper lash act0n Of mines Will be attended
Fi.a much difficulty.
lha f4-lt NJ. 7.ur having badly ventilated
miaa, st- Hlt -a much on your having no
ulu. --I.-. .r r- lr does ou YOUR uOt bav-
Irg pr.u.Iv qualified mining superintend-
gurs, -e- l.ll 40 your coiieria, for ventila-
tiou of b mes requires Constant attention
tJ-day vul may be in possession Of good
ventilation, tO-mJrr0w-on account of neg
I,ct OF lguo-auce--JEe air plt.in tie mine
may bl -ta-talt, and lka the water I'D
suErar- 3. 1e charged with various inn
purit.s.
In Er-.# Y. Germany, France, Belgium
ana ovul u Australia tjlelrgj mining EN-
gire.rs- uau raised 4l tie mines and IN tie
mines -.re Employed 10 supsriuteud coal
u.nes. Iha inspectors Of MINES appointed
ly the c-Feur uts Of these countries, are
90 OH same class. They look at things with
tta .ume .ye, aal a4 ex lauge III ideas, and
y uutual understanding VS. more easily and
urr Igll.v, 4ud more perfectly accom-
lH-leI
AJ the mines tie oiicar.-bosses if Won
wI.i-TUv aitsrtiun 10 tie registers The
baromeuIc variations, which denote the
pressure IF de Atmosphere, ana which are
q great c0rsequ nee % the ventilation Of
a0ue, ar3 carefully registered once or twice
every tUuuty-fDur h0urs DE quantity Of
ADJ I'D circulation through each district. to-
gethgr with the total quantity n circulation
through che whole works, are carefully
measured wlth The thermometer, or by the
more primitive mode Of flashing off a pOr-
ticn Of guup0Wder at stated periods, and
the cubic contents in circulation per minute
are noted down. "A memorandum is kept
in which general rema-ks are made concern
iDE tta state III tue mine, too, in many
places. Jbe inspector of minas-having
access t1 those books ana % the maps, which
aIe ID almost erory instance examples Of
accmacy- finds from these sources much
auxiliary ald III the performance Of bis
duties.
But IN those mines The mining engineer
SELECTS, az f0remen ~ bosses, the most in
teiIiEcut ana euer etio Of the workmen.
Iuese are so iu-l uoted that the safety Of
mons lives is tile greatest consideration
even the temporary interests Of the employ
er must bot Justly be sacrificed to this par
taular Win the management Of the mine. .
the owner therefore has little to do nay
he docs not interfere, having his interests
placed rs he has, in much better hands than
Ids own. Of course, if eollery owner i .
4 practical mining engineer, and takes
charge ct his own works, then on him rests 4
III responsibility; sabordinates are then