Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1880-02-07
MINES COMKLSSI0N REPORT.
To Ills ETcsLlency, WILLIAM T. HAMILTON,
GOperHor of Maryland,

GOreraor of Maryland,
SIR The Legislature of Mary
land, at the January Session of 1878
Chapter l57, Section Is, authorized
the appointment of three competent
persons to examine the Mines Of Alle-
gany and Garrett Counties, and re-
port before the next session Of the
General Assembly, with recommends
tions for such Legislation as to said
commission may appear just and nee
essary for the proper supervision and
regulation Of said mines.
We had the honor to receive the
appointment by commission bearing
date the twenty-second day of May,
1879, and early in July Of said year
we entered actively upon the dis
charge of our duties, in FIRST making
thorough personal examination of the
workings and ventilation of said
mines. The weather being very
warm, damp, close and rainy, gave
as full test to the system of ventila-
tion as applied in said mines, as could
be desired.
We are gratified to report that the
mine Superintendent, master miners
and inside overseers in charge of the
working and ventilation of the mines,
are men of high character and intel
ligence, and of long experience in
their several departments, and fully
alive to the responsibility of keeping
a full supply Of fresh air in the mines
for the health and safety Of the men
employed therein. The thoroughness
of the examination and its important
results will be seen by reference to
the Journal Appendix.
The system of mining has very
greatly improved since 1854, effecting
a very great saving of coal there is
still too much irregularity in the diff
terent mines, which can be corrected
by making a thorough instrumental
survey of the coal basin, and with the
aid of complete and correct map.
The grade Of Master miners at present
in charge Of the mines, in confer
ence with competent mining Engi-
neer, would make still further i'm
provement, with benefit to the Coal
Companies and the State.
The second question that came un-
der the notice Of the Commission was
that cf the weight of coal mined and
shipped, in order to ascertain if all
the Companies had IN good faith al
lowed to the miners full weight or
quantity of coal mined, as provided
in Section Il, which gives full au-
thority to the inspector to test the ao-
curacy Of weights in any manner he
may see proper; the Commission
claimed the same power; fair COM
pariscn Of the mining sales and ship
ping journal would have at once
solved the question, but to the sur
prise oil the Commission, all informa-
ton Of the actual amount of coal ship
ped was refused, so thatno correct or
satisfactory conclusion could be reach
ed.
The custom of the Companies is to
manifest the coal according to the ca
pacity marked on each car, and that
manifest goes to the transportation
Companies, the Railroad and Canal.
That manifest was offered to ths Com
mission, hut having reliable iniorma-
tion that said manifest did not con-
tain from one to two thousand pounds
more than the real carrying capacity
marked on it, which was only includ-
ed in private manifest sent to the
Company or their Agents.
The Cumberland and Pennsylvania
Railroads are now weighing all coal
passing over their road carefully
protecting the interest of their road
in all weight, and in their collection
Of freight, two bills are made out,
one for the open manifest, and the
other private for the overweight of
coal. Failing to get from the Oompa-
nies the actual quantity Of coal ship
ped since the mining law went into
effect, the Commission made applica-
tion to the Superintendent of said
Roads but under instructions of the
the President all information outside
of the open manifest weights was re-
fused, as they could not expose the
private business of their shippers.
The weekly, monthly and annual
published statements Of the coal sta
tistlcs by tho Rail Road Companies
does not show the true condition of
the trade. The Commission had re-
liable information that some of the
companies exacted overweight from
their mines, but in consequence of a
refusal of the Companies to give the
information necessary to solve the
question, we had to abandon it. This
practice Of not keeping open mani
Tests of the actual quantity of coal
shipped is irregular and unfair, and
very injurious to the entire coal
trade it unsettles and destroys con-
fidence, and prevents harmony among
the operators it engenders bad and
hostile feeling on the part Of the men,
leading to strikes whenever an oppor-
tunity offers for retaliation, resulting
in loss to the legitimate operator, the
transportation Companies, the Manu-
facturer, Merchant and to the Miner
himself confidence is necessary to
the legitimate and harmonious sue