Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-06-04
VENTILATION.
To the JoURNAL:

In my recent visits to the mines
located on Georges Creek | found
nrmber in a deplorable condition
with black damp. Those mines are
ventilated by the modes now in use
in the ccal mires of Allpgany and
Garrett counties, as prescribed by
section s of the present mining law.
and which every miner of the above
named counties know that by such
modes, at certain seasons of the year,
means no ventilation at all. This
section OF the law requires pure air to
be circulated through every working
heading in the entire mine. Now,
let me ask how is this to be done by
natural ventilation when the COL
umu of air in the down cast is no
cooler or denser than the air in the
up-cast, or, in other words, where the
weight or pressure Ct the two air col
umns are equal. What is to produce
a circulation of air ?-is the question
that / want Superintendent, boss
miners and privates in the rear ranks
to answer. Every one of you gentle
men know that natures laws have
decreed that under such circumstances
there can be no circulation of air, and
as consequence. natural ventilation
cannot be depended upon to run
coal mine. The opinions of profess
sional mining engineers to the con-
trary notwithstanding. Let me ask
right here what peace or pleasure ia
it to a mine boss to see one man hold
ing three lamps together with .heir
noses down for the purpose of trying
to give light to another man to work,
and then add insult to injury by in
forming these men if they growl
about it in the month of May that it
will he better in the month Of Deem
Der when the weather is cooler. Now
the man that can be guilty of this is
either hypocritcal knave or is des
titute of the principles Of humanity,
and is not fit and pro- er person to
have charge of his fellowmen. The
proper thing for him 10 do if he can
do no better is to step cut and give
some other man a chance.
The public hears d great deal about
the dictation of the miners towards
their employers and their uni ust de-
mands; all such clap trap is done for
the purpose of moulding rublic oFin-
ion against the miners. If asking TO
be supplied with fresh air, which ma
ture and natures God intended them
to have to enable them to earn their
daily bread for themselves and fami.
lies, is dictation and an unjust de-
mand, then I leyve an intelligent
public to Judge and if they could only
see what | have seen the last TWO
weeks they would ccme to the same
conclusion that | have come to, viz
that they are not dictated enough to,
if the lew of humanity does not
prompt you to give your fe.lowman
which is compelled by the law of
necessity-fresh air.
Then the law of the State Of Mary
land ought to compel you, and you
might call it dictation or class legis.
lation or anything else you please,
that the present law is failure as far
as VENT alton goes must be apparent
to every intelligent miner in this coal
region, fer admitting that circula-
ton could be kept going with the
present mode in ev ry working head
ing as the law requires, is that sutli'
cient ventilation for mines working
four and five hundred feet in close
rooms up from the heading and with
out crosscut in that distance !? Now
if there is a miner or superintendent
in the counties that believes 80 let
him speak out. No, fellowmen, our
law ought to compel artificial ventil-
alton in all of our mines, and require
also crosscuts 10 be driven through
the pillars at certain distance from
the face Of the working places. Those
improvements | cannot reason into
the heads of The officials of our coal
companies and there is no other way
of getting them but by having the
law amended so as to compel them.
There are some other amendments
needed that | will call your attention
to, but this is the most important one
and the best way to secure it is the
one thing needful for your considera-
ton, and | should like TO hear the
views of some Of tie representative
men Of our class upon this point We
have the example of the miners of
Ohio before us, who, by their united
action and cooperation with the In.
spector, have been able to get all the
amendments they asked for put upon
the statute books, but we must make
up our minds for a long pull, a strong
pull and pull together TO have oul
law amended.
We hear great bowling about bad
ventilation in our churches, halls aud
public schools, but nothing about tie
ventilation of cur mines. In the
meantime let me hear some suggestions
upon the subject through the columns
of the JOURNAL. | will give my
views upon the best course to pursue
in next weeks issue.
THOMAS Brown.
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GENERAL ITEMS.