The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-12-19

Martin Sneeder, slope machinery.
VIM. Wolf, fall Of coal
T. q. Pickering fall Of coal
VIM. Sateriield, fall Of slate
John Fisher, coal falling down shaft
Thomas Davis, In quarrel
George Langley, fall OF coal
Joseph Whites,
William Wilson, fall OF slate
Jacob Perg, by falling down shaft.
This accident occurred at the Grove cal
company mine. No IT, 1t had 10 proper
guard at the entrance.
A boy was killed by loading al the
Haydenville mine, and Mrs Huber was killed
in Stark county while picking up coal on
car track, by the cars.
The number Of serious accidents reported
to date eighty but one half the mines
have made returns. The reports made
however are from the more dangerous
mines.
III these serious accidents twenty had
limbs broken, beside other injuries. One
had his back broken by a fall of rock An
other had both eyes blown out by the prema-
ture explosion of a blast The inspector
will add the list of killed and seriously
injured between now and the first Of Jan
uary next
Many Of the serious accidents, and one or
Two OF the fatal cases, were caused by want
OF mining experience the parties having
gone into the mines for the first time during
the prevalence of miners strike. and did
not know the danger.
NECESSITY FOR OFFICIAL SUPERVISION.
The inspector proceeds with a history Of
now the mining law came 70 be passed in
Ohio-owing to great calamitics In the mines
II h. . h.
slty of the law, citing about all the dangers
incident to mining, and placing stress upon
the fact that the operators have complete
control over the mechanical contrivsnces.
provided for carrying ou the work. Hence.
the necessity Of authorized official supervis-
ION. to save lives and limbs Of employees
..reat Britain, France, Belgium. Germany
and other European countries. the British
American colonies. Pennsylvania. Ohio aud
llnnoIs, have mining codes, AMI their NINE
inspectors, % see that the laws are enforced
and obeyed
1t is argued that the Law coniers benefits
on both parties the miner and tho operator.
1t is all ged that the Law of Ohio is simply
the application of enlarged mining expert
ence. The Inspector states that all his time,
save that spent in office work, has been de
voted t. the inspection OF mines. tie re-
ceiyed from the mme supenntendents and
operators the greatest courtesy.
THE CHIRF CoNPLAINT or THE MINERS WAS
BAD AIR.
They regard the ventllating sections OF the
law the very life of the act and call it g the
ventilation act" Their grounds Of com
plant were as well founded as they were nu-
merous
A badly ventilated mine is charged with
noxious and poisonous vapors, reeking with
exhalatlOns from the labOrers' bodies and
lungs, smoke from their lamps. and, fire.
quently, with binding volumes OF powder
smoke, besides innumerabie PARTICLES Of coal
dust in the air.
The inspector has travelled 500 miles ON
foot, under ground, pushing the investigation
Of ventilation and other duties in mines. He
found nothing difficult in the way of making
proper ventilation. and says there is no ex-
cuse for the presence Of bad air. The law
gave until Sept. 2lst, 1873, to improve the
air arrangements. In very many mines the
ventilation is still gIe&iiy deficient 1t is
purely a result of bad management. All the
arrangements in use except where exhaust
steam was applied to rarity the air Of mines,
had they been timely and properly construct
ed, could have been made to answer every re-
quirement Of the law.
DAMP DISCUSSED.
Twenty one pages of legal cap are devoted
to noxious and poisonous gases Of coal mines.
Fire damp, black damp. white damp, and all
the damp things IN mine, are described in
detail, the component parts of each being
given, together with complete information as
to the danger Of each, and the best means OF
avoiding accidents. Nothing is omitted that
will tend to fortify the position taken as to
the inadequate all supply in Ohio mines.
The inspector, we Judge from glance at the
points made, has produced prodigious array
of facts on that side of the question The
phases Of disease arising from badly ventil-
ated mines receive elaborate attention A
great deal Of information given is elected
from official documents growing out of mining
Investigations in England and other mining
localities He regards the provisions of the
law in respect 70 ventilation - the very s0ul
Of the Law, the enforcement of which viii do
more to restore peace and Cancellation
in the minds Of the miners towards the OPP
orators of mines than anything else in the
world.
zHE PRINCIPLES ASD APPLIANCES or NINE
VENTILATION
are disposed of in eight pages. In the 1us-
carawas valley a marked improvement has
been made in ventilation, since the question
- agitated in Ohio. improvements have
Tade,n other localities, also.
= not DULY OBSERVED.
and 90 cou vU the mines receives full
the coal IN each mining tion. The quality Of
known. Numerous CASEY y ,u nS.;n"ad
where the attention of operate " Ian -,
called 10 provisions Of the law thai -, ~.
being duly observed, in the opinion y a.
Inspector. The difficulty of draining some e
the mines is explained, and the most success.
full apparatus for that work described, and
atteation is called to inadequate ventilation.
There seems to be disposition here to svade
the law. '"The management" says the in
spector, " lacks that recommendation would
take pleasure in givingit"
HOW 1T Is VIOLATED.
Under the heading Condition Of Mines, ;"
all sorts of information is given touching the
safety of mining operati,ns-the violation Of
hw in not providing proper guards. strong
ropes, riding on cages filed with coal foul
ait, lack Of two openings, and great variety
Of points gathered by personal visits to each
one Of the mines.
DEFEcTs IN THE LAW.
The law is defective IN several particulars
It provides no penalty where bosses allow
boys to work who can't read and write. Not
withdrawing this defect the law is generally
obeyed, and night schools have heen started