Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-10-19
Ventilation Of Coal Mines.
LIBERTY, Oct. y, 1870.

LIBERTY, Oct. u, 1870.
VIZ. RrrEzEL, Editor Chronicle Il
have read in the Hubbard Journal your
letter to David Owens and others, COM
mittee, on the question of mining law
to provide better ventilation and increas-
ed safety to the coal mines Of our State;
sud I thank you, as a friend Of liberal
mining laws, for the manly and correct
sentiments therein contained. Such laws
are a crying necessity. A public inves-
tigation Of the condition OF our mines
and miners, by authority Of the Legisls-
ture, with a view to learn the wants and
necessities Of mining, would reveal
many interesting and astounding facts.
As a too general rule the serial current Of
our coal mines Is far too languid and
slow, hence it is always corrupted, in a
greater or less degree, by the respiration
Of the workmen, By the carbonic acid
gas, which is liberated from the assures
Of the coal and incumbent strata, and
generated by the decsying wood work Of
the mine, &c. Frequently there is butone
outlet, and unless near are soon pro-
vided for safe egress to u coal mines,
in case Of fire or other accidents, we will
most assuredly witness another dis
graceful Avondale disaster ere long. In
deed the only wonder is that such a
catastrophe has not occurred at some Of
the banks OF the Mahoning or Shenango
Valleys already. Within the last few
years several fires have destroyed the
woodwork about the mouth Of the
shafts, but, fortunately, no men have
been lost-these fires occurring at night,
OF while no one was at work below.
There is not the shadow of excuse for
thus endangering the lives and inJuring
the health Of these daring and fearless
su-bterranean men; for it costs no more
TO ventilate a mine thoroughly than TO
ventilate it imperfectly. The air courses
have to be made sooner or later, and two
seperate openings are always needed and
eventually provided, although too fire.
ouently not until the ventilation has be
come so foul that the workmGn refuse to
work longer, or are unable 10 carry a
light forward to the wall-faces, by reason
Of the damp which extinguishes the
flame. The consequent results Of such
ventilation is an injury to all parties, and
has its origin in unskiIlful knowledge Of
mining operations, and sometimes in a
desire Of the managers Of mines to
achieve q reputation for ability in open
ing up a mine rapidly and work. it cheap
". I quote the following from the Ed
inburg ReUieiC, which forcibly illustrates
the importance Of good ventilation in
coal mines:
SIT is estimated hat the worst coal
mines can be ventilated thoroughly at q
cost OF one penny per man per day, and
that in well constructed furnaces the con-
sumption Of one ton Of Goals per day at
the bottom Of the upcast shaft will en-
able each collier to cut one ton Of more
Goals per day with the same amount Of
exertion. Such being the case, there can
be no excuse for asphyxiating the miners
wholesale. Those proprietors Of mines
who are only open to these breech-pock-
ct appeals, should know that it is to their
interest, in 8 pecuniary sense, to Tenti-
late we'll" I quote again from Over
mans able work on Metsllurgy and
Mining operations: There is no excuse
for allowing bad air to remain in a mine,
II such is the case it arises either from
i'll management or a-variciousness If the
passages are too narrow, the power Of a
steam engine, or that Of a water wheel,
may be used in forcing air into the
mine; and if the dead workings are not
properly ventilated it is because the
means Of ventilation are insufficient or
injudiciously applied. All cases Of ac-
cidents in mines, caused by bad air,
should be made criminal Offenses by
law, and the owners rendered liable in
damages to the families or heirs at law,
of the deceased or the crippled. Explo-
sions in mines are never caused by the
fault Of the workmen, for il a sufficient
supply Of fresh air is forced into the
mine, and that well distributed, there
cannot be an explosion"
The anthracite miners Of Pennsylvania
have a very liberal and practical mining
law for the protection Of their health and
safety. This law should have been made
to extend to the bituminous mines as
well; and will, there is good reason to
believe, be so extended this winter. Gov
ernor Geary. in signing the bill, said he
had only one objection to offer and that
was that it did not include every coal
mine in the State. 1t provides for a pub
lie investigation Of the condition Of all
anthracite mines in the State, by mining
inspectors, appointed by the Governor.
These inspectors give their whole time