The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-05-18

Ventilation of Coal Mines in Allie
gany and Garrett counties, and
Providing for the appointment of
an Inspector of said Mines.
SECTION l. Be 1t enacted by the General
Assembly of Maryland, That the Act Of jan
uary session, eighteen hundred and seventy
six, entitled IAN Act regulating the working
and proper ventilation of coal mines in ALLIE
gany and Garrett counties, and providi-He, for
an inspector of said Mines" be ana the same
is hereby repealed andre-enacted, so as toread
as follows;
SEC. .. And be it enacted That the Gov
ernor shall, by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate, appoint one Mine In
spector for Allegany and Garrett counties,
who shall. hold his Office for two years from
the date of bis appointment.
SEC. B. And be it enacted, That no person
shall be eligible to the office of Mine Inspec-
tor until Ne shall have attained the age of
thirty-five years, and shall possess a c0mpe-
tent knowledge OF all the different systems of
mining end working, and properly Yentita-
ting coal mines, and the constituent parts Of
ways OF eXpelling the same from said mines
SEC. 4. AnG'be it enacted, That before en-
tering uBou and discharging the duties of his
Office, said inspector of mines shall take an
oath TIC faithfully discharge the duties here
matter set forth in an impartial manner: and
for the faithful performance OF his duties the
said mine inspector shall receive salary of
fifteen hundred dollars perannum, which sal
AIRY shall be paid out of the States money, by
IL warrant of the Comptroller upon the State
Treasurer for the same.
SEC. 5. And be it enacted, That it shall be
the duty Of the said mine inspector to care
fully examine all mines that may be in oper-
alton inthe counties of Allegany and Gar
rett, at least once in every month, and
oftener if necessary, to see that every pre-
caution is taken to insure safety to all work
men that may be engaged in said mines, and
to see that the provisions of this act are strict
~ observed; and it shall further he the DUTY
of the said inspector, after being notified by
the Magistrate or Coroner OF either of said
counties OF Allegany or Garrett, to attend at
every inquest that may be held on the bodies
OF any person or persons that may lose their
lives while engaged at work in or about any of
the coal mines of said counties, and he shall
examine closely into the cause by which S:ric9
person or persons lost their lives, and if il
shall be fully proven that the said person ~
persons lost their lives by any wilful vic,iyi-
ton of this Act, or any wilful failure to CODY
ply with its provisions, the widow OF iinecd
heirs OF the person or persons whose life
shall be SO lost may institute suit against
the owner, lessee " operator of said mine,
wherein the accident took place, and may re-
cover such damages as the Courts may deter
mine Tor the loss they have sustained by the
death of the person or persons whose life or
lives have been lost while engaged at work
in said mines.
SEC. 8. And be it enacted, That the said
Mine Inspector, while in office, shall not act
as Land Agent or as Agent or Superintendent
and Manager of any mine, and shall in no
way whatever be under the employ of any of
the mining companies operating mines in
said counties, and it shall be the duty of said
Mine Inspector on or before the first day of
Janaury in every year to make re-
port to the Governor of his proceedings US
such Mine Inspector, and the condition
of each and every mine in said counties, stat
ing therein all accidents that may have hap
pened in or about the said mines, and to set
that may be proper and beneficial, and also
to make such suggestions as he may deem
important as to any further legislation on the
subject of mining.
Sec. And be it enacted, That the owner,
owners or lessees of every coal mine that
may be in operation in the said counties of
Allegany and Garrett, shall make, or cause to
be made, an accurate map or plan of the
workings of such mine, which shall be kept
at the office of the company, lessee or indi-
vidual so mining, and shall be at all times ac-
cessible to the said Inspector for reference
only.
SEC. s. And be it enacted, That the owner,
lessee or agent of every coal mine that may
now or hereafter be in operation in the said
counties of Allegany and Garrett, whether
worked by slope, shaft or draft, shall provide
and establish within six months from the
passage of this act. for every such mine, a
proper system of pure air ventilation, by such
modes as are now in use in the coal mines of
Allegany and Garrett counties, which said
ventilation shall be maintained through
every working heading throughout the entire
mine, and to eXpel from the mine the noxi-
Gus gases or impure air, so that the entire
men working therein, and free from all dan
ger to their lives by keeping therefrom such
impure air or gases.
SEC. 6. And be it enacted, That to secure
and provide for the proper ventilation of ev-
cry coal mine in the counties OF Allegany and
Garrett, and to provide for the health and
safety of the men employed therein, the own
er, lessee or agent of each respective mine
shall employ n competent and practical inside
overseer, whose duty 1t shall be to keep a
careful watch over all the ventilating appa-
ratus that may be placed in said mine, as
well as all the air ways all the travelling ways
and all the timberings and to See that all
loose coal or rocks overhead be carefully Sc
cured against falling upon any of the miners
engaged at work therein, as they advance in