, 1873-12-12
mon. and not good reason for diminishing lila
o1nolnments, whlo other officials aro to be gayon
tho nll salaries,
COAL.
Annual Report Of Coal HItnos in 1T. |
Clair County.

Annual Report OF Coal HIines in sf.
Clair County.
nE1hEv1lIE, 81. Clair Co.. ILL.,, Dec. 8, la7a..
10 Is Efsrlle,en Joh" H. 6ertF1dae, oser''or " tho
s lios. B1H: 1' Wo horoby trausmt to your Honor
our annual report Of coal n,ines for tho County
June no. 1878, nccorting to Tho provisions Of
Section No. II Of M act entitled IAN net pro-
vidiug for tho health md nnfety Of PERSONS enl-
ployod III cual mlnos," approved March II. 1873,
/. Tho number Of workable coal 1anls III
this county amount to about 8G3,0C0 acres.
2. The number Of workable coal.bedH Is l.
Ihoro iH however anothar small vein Of coal
about 10 Or 16 foet bolow tho ono now worked,
ringing from u To FL nchoa III thicknoss but
which Ii nut considered workable for the preH-
ont,
~ fess %o ''''','s'' OF Tue CONSCIOUS ''''''s'' Is
tho ground Of most nines Ia about 100 lest; tho
ienHt being 20 foot mud tho groatost being 27o
foot.
t. The number Of minos in operation in this
county s iiB.
G. sixly-threo Of tl,oao arc worried by al,nft,
4 by drifts. mud by slope.
7. Number Of nlon employed IN them Is 1904.
y. Tho ngHregato yenliY production of cUal
mined in thib county, III tons, anloau;u to l59,
| 65i toms.
D, lile oamount Of capital employed in coal
tlning IL about $67l $50. Tho above amount is
| about nH ntar W wa could ascertain up to tho
p1osont timc. We could not get at tllo exact
| thnt do not koop correct account Of coal mined
| annually and about half Of them III tho county
do not snow the oxact amount Of their capital
! invested in their mincB,
10. As to the safety and ventilation Of tho
mineB III thiB county. VIC may nay tlut, taiing
everything into consideration, tloy aro reasona
| bly, good, nMl improving. Some or tlloin are In
| good condition., while othors arc III very bad
Que, aud will tako Hou,o time to put The 1attor I'll
good working order. This state Of affairs may
bo attributed to lad management, aB well aB to
tho employment Of suEorptendents who arc
not qualified Tor the responsible position as
| such.
Ii. Wo also fluid that out Of G8 minoa in opara.
ton lust year. tlero were 81 Which had Two
! UntietB, anu ~ with emo outlet, and . Of that
| uuntei a.e not compelled to MAKO e8cRpomout
slatsa Oh accou,,t Of not having ovor IL men ut
| work ut thor m1nes.
II. There huvo D deaths occurred at tho
mines during the past your; sono through ,1'la-
voidap!e accidnnts, others through tho oarelcns-
ness Of tho s1lt1o owtors; persons having also
met with sovelo accidents. We boiieve tint
employers aud employees Of mines would take
uiure interest iu tho sarety Of their business.
Wo would respectfully recommend tile follow
ing amendments to tie present law, viz:
l. linking 1t obligatory on NIL ownerB Of
niuca to have at least two outlets to each aud
oyory voin or stratum OF coal worked.
8. That tho time allowed III which to sink oa-
capenent ellafts should bo diminished as the
ti1no as liked now by law is too long.
| .. That there should 10 q travelling way at tho
bottom Of oyusy shaft, on cach side thereof 10
as to AVOID passing directly under tho shift.
4. That there bo Dourl oil Engineers up
ponted III each Congressional District, Aad tllat
no person slsa1l be allowed to mako or work my
engine OF steam power until he has PASSED a
satisfactory examination before said Board as to
hjs competency Of working Ruol mid s.,all l,avo
loceivod d certificate to inat effect from the
| SUMO.
s. .rt,at tlterc shall DO an Inspectors OF Boilers
appointed for each county III the State, whose
duty it shAll 10 to examine each boiler III the
county ouco every six months.
G. L. li1LaAnD. Inspector Of Mines.
". Z. OwESH, Deputy.