Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1880-06-19
OUR CORRESPONDENCE.
TO THE MINERS OF ALLEG1HY
AND GARRETT COUNTIES.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR OF MINES FOR

tion of every working mine In the
coal region and, according to prom
Use, have gwen you fair and
impartial report of each one as l found
it, Asking as l do no favors from
either bosses or miners, | have moth
ing to take back nor any apology to
offer to either of the parties.
have been long under the belief
that the principle upon which a ma
jority of our mines is ventilated can
not be depended upon and is behind
the spirit of the age and the advance
ment in the science of mining. The
double heading principle is the only
true method of working mine so as
to secure good ventilation, and every
practical man in the coal field knows
that fve-hundred feet blocks of coal
between headings, causing the rooms to
be that length, with no crosscuts in
them depending on every fifth room
to be driven up heading width only a
few feet at the top for the purpose OF
securing ventilation, is a failure. And
found in some of those air-rooms
where they tapped the heading above,
the opening to be only large enough
for man to go through. This is in
conformity with the opinions OF some
old miners that believe that an air.
way three feet high and the same
width will pass as much air as one of
double the dimensions. They might
as we'll believe that two-inch pipe
will run as much water as six-inch
one will. There is no excuse for
small air-ways in our mines, and as
there is no expense attending making
them large enough, it is only ques-
tion of mining out more coal in driv-
ing them. Therefore, | would advise
the gentlemen having charge OF our
mines to open out their air-ways large
enough to lot the heavenly fluid enter
for the benefit of their fellowmen and
suffering humanity. The laws of ma
ture demand it and if you don't com
ply with it, the law of the State of
Maryland ought to compel you.
Section s of the Mining Law of 1878
reads as follows:
And DO 1t enacted, That tho owner, lessee
or agent of every coal mine that may now
or hereafter be in operation in the said
counties of Allegany and Garrett, worked
by shaft, slope or drift shall provide and
establish within six months from the pass
are of this Act for every such mine n
proper system of pure ventilation by such
modes as are now in use in the coal mines
of the aforesaid counties, which said ven
tilation shall be maintained through every
working heading throughout the entire
mine, and to expel from said mine the noN-
ious or impure air, SO that the entire mine
shall be in healthful condition for the
miners working therein, and free from all
danger TO their lives by keeping thoretrom
such impure air or gases.
Now for the query What are the
present modes of ventilation in oui
coal mines2 I find the mode in nine
of our mines is by fire draught in us
ing furnaces for that purpose. One
of them is large enough to roast po-
tatoes for a good sized family; another
one of the number would suit as {
bake-oven for a railroad boarding
house, and as natural consequence
the miners in both Of these mines ar,
suffering with bad air. So much de
scription for this mode. If this /
the mode for the ventilation of ou
mines they ought to BE- built larg
t enough to accomplish what they ar
designed for
a The balance of our mines is ventil
:. ated upon the natural mode; that IL
: after a mine has been opoped tn
!, heading is pushed forward until
reaches the outcrop, whore an open
ing is made, the distance often hein
over mile, thus causing circulatio
of air to pass through between tn
\ two openings, the one acting as th
J intake and the other as the outle
according to the temperature OF til
I atmosphere; and when the temperf
Z ture is the same inside the mine as
If is outside Of it, evenly balanced, ther
can be no ventilation or circulatio
: until the air be propelled by som
other power. So it will be seen
d once chat this mode Of ventilatio
Y cannot be depended upon, and it
c impossible to thus ventilate our min
m at all seasons of the year.
ID Section IL of the law requires tt
n. n Inspector, when it is made known
F., lin that there is impure air IN an