The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-03-16
PROTECTION TO MINERS
SPEECH Of
HON. JOHN HINCHCLlFFE,
OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY
Deity cred In the Twenty-seventh General
assembly OF the state or Illinois, on
Thursday. February 18th. 1879.

CONTINUED.

On the 10th Of December in the same
year repetition of the Avondale disaster
was very near being consummated at
Plymouth, Pennsylvania, putting in jeop-
ardy the lives Of hfty-fve men. This was
soon followed by the Eagle shaft disaster
at Pittston, sufficiently terrible in the eX
tent of its loss Of life to elicit, from the
81 Louis Republican, the following ed
itorial announcement
THE VERDICT n THE EAGLE SHAFT DISASTER.
The Coroner's jury in the recent terrible dis
aster at the Eagle shaft, near httston, Penn
sylyania, have rendered a verdict which shows
the supreme humbug that characterizes the
most Of such Investigations The jury says
that the accident could mquestionably have
been averted had the company owning the
shaft strictly complied with the ventilation
laws that Alya Tompkins, the superintend-
ent, we presume, deserves censure for not en-
forcing obedience 70 said laws, but having been
sick for several months past, ought not to be
severely blamed that Mr. BleEitt. the in
spector Of mines for the Pittson district.
should not be blamed at all, because an exam
nation Of his books proves that he was en-
ployed in legitimate business elsewhere. and
could not therefore, visit Eagle shaft
Lie NGlultL DblAcu uohH Is SIMPLY NillS
twenty men killed and nobody at fault Now.
this is an insult to justice and common sense.
Ii Mr.. IsRpkins was sick, why did not the
company employ some one else to attend to
his work > II Mr. Blewitt is inspector Of
mines, why did he not inspect, or cause to be
inspected, tins particular mine The report
If the committee who examined it afterwards
says " First, We discovered but one door on
the upcast airwsy, which, when opened, cut
u:f all the supply Of air, though this was the
way Of ingress and egress. Second, we found
the airway in such condition that men could
hardly crawl through, and in some places very
dangerous"
i was TOmpkins' and Bewitts business to
have changed this mantrap 50 that human be-
lngs could labor there safely, but the one was
sick, and the other engaged, and so the whole
sale murder occurred. And as long as public
sentiment tolerates such verdicts, such muir
ders are likely TO continue.
II was multiplied occurrences like these
that prompted Gov. Geary to urge upon
the lawmaking power of the State, the
passage Of bill for the better protection
Of the miner, while in the caverns Of the
earth, where, up to that time, the shield
Of the law, like the light OF day, had never
yet penetrated. A law was passed, but il
applied only 70 the counties OF SchuyIkill.
Northumberland, Columbia and Dauphin.
and that territory was divided into three
districts, with an inspector for each district
These inspectors in their first report say
- We regret to state that the number of
deaths and casualties have largely increased
over last year, and that compared with sim
liar statistics, they are almost appalling. in
Schuylkill county at least" In 1869 the
mine inspector was appointed for the first
time In the history of Pennsylvania. under
the act passed at that session Of the Legis-
lature. He commenced his duties on the
first Of April Of that year, and for the nine
months ending on the thiIty-tirst Of Decem-
Der there were in that small district 81
deaths in the mine and 81 persons injured.
This gives a rate of about one death for
every 81, 800 tons of coal mined. and for
every AZ, 900 tons Of coal mined one person
was injured in the mine. The same com
parative ratio for the whole product of the
mines would have given for year, y
deaths and ll5 persons injured in that dis
trlct. During the year 1870, the product of !
coal fell off III the neighborhood Of 900. 600 |
tons in Schuylkill county This was fall |
ing of Of nearly one-Efth of the product Of |
the former year, and yet the number of |
deaths and other casualties were largely on
the increase.
In Ithe following counties, comprising |
the three districts, the deaths and other |
casualties for the nine months above men
toned, were az follows: