New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-03-23
THE COAL MINERS NEW Law.


Safety of Persons Employed in Coal Mines
recently received the signature OF the
Governor of Pennsylvania. Up to the last
moment its provisions were the subject OF
lively debate; numberless amendments were
offered and not few accepted; ana the Dill
which finally passed the Senate by unani-
nous vote, and the House by large majority,
presents many points of improvement over that
which was originally offered. And although
all the changes that should have been made do
, not appear, those which have been adopted are
commendable. The powers of court lnJunc-
tion so often abused by railroad directors, are
to be put to q good purpose by stopping
the working of mine where any
of the provisions of this law are not
observed The Board of Examiners Is to
be composed of three coal miners in practice,
and two mining engineers; their own appoint
ment is to be made by the judges OF the
county courts annually, and on their recon-
mendation the Governor shall appoint In
spectors of Coal Mines and Galleries, having
commissions for five years or during good
behavior, and provided with the most APP
proved modern instruments and chemical
:" tests for carrying out the intentions OF this
'actn We notice, in addition to the duties OF
the INSPECTORS mentioned in the original bill,
some new requirements under which the pur-
pose of abandoning workings. and removing
pillars, must be submitted in advance, by maps
and plans, to their judgment which is very
desirable, since falls of coal, both in American
and English experience, occasion the greatest
number of fatal injuries to miners.
g (which placnI mi
under the control of by laws constructed by
mine owners, whereby it used to be contrived
so that the latter were freed from response
blity for their own neglect the present law
provides, in case of accident occurring through
violation of any of its requirements, that the
owner, &C., shall be liable to an action at law
by the injured miners, or their surviving fami-
lies, for any direct damage sustained. 1t is
quite possible this section may 20 rs far as
all the rest of the act to prevent the recur-
renee of accidents. The mining Boss is still
hired by and is responsible to the mine owner,
except only that his reports of measurements
of ventilation must 80 TO the Inspector. We
still think he should be accountable in all re-
spects to the latter functionary. Ventilation
is as it should be, the great object of the bill.
into districts, each having separate current of
air and not over fifty mena in district. Bore
holes are to precedc approaches by at least
twenty feet in places where the proximity Of
fire-damp is suspected. lFifty-iiyo cubic feet
of fresh air per second is prescribed as the
minimum limit of ventilation for fifty men.
But the furnace may still be used to produce
it, and the bill has scarcely received in that
particular the amendments most needed. Not
only the buildings specified, but all structures
whatever. should be prohibited at the mouth
of a shaft used as a furnace chimney; and the
employment of such a shaft as a hOistway
should have been absolutely prevented.
Since the limit of the English 1.-TWO Shaft
"Act" is still retained, and one shaft is con-
sidered sufficient where not more than twenty
persons are employed, we may limit our ex-
pectatons of the next AvOndale horror to a
score of unfortunatcs. Down to the last mo-
ment the mine-owners strove to extend the
time for having the second shaft sunk to one
year; but this law cOmpels its construction
within the next four months, which is quite
long enough to permit the risk of catastrophe.
The Committee of Miners who have attended
in Harrisburg the development and passage
of this law, are highly complimented upon
their tact and intelligence. Their hands were
hard with labor in the mines, but clear Of the
vices which usually polute the lobby. In
Schuylkill County last year there were fatal
casualties to miners in the proportion Of one
death to $500 tuns of coal mined; in Great
Britain, the last report was one TO 10000.
We sincerely hope that the enforcement of this
law, which is said to nearly represent the
wishes of tho workmen themselves, may Pc
move from mining in Pennsylvania the re-
proach of being twice as fatal there as else
where.
--------------------