Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1882-09-06
The perils Of Mining.

. .-.. no ferllS OF mlnlnQs
From Scranton, Pa, dtspatch.]
During the past year 273 men were
killed and more than thousand were in
jured in the anthracite coal mines of
Pennsylvania. The annual report of the
mine inspectors of the region show that
most of the accidents which resulted so
fatally consisted of falls of roof and ex-
plosion of fire-damp. The anthracite
seams run through the Schuylkill and
Wyoming valleys. and the territory is
divided into six districts. each of which
has an inspector of mines who is sup
posed to be selected for his superior
knowledge by board of engineers ap-
pointed by the county courts. Some.
times the inspector is selected on account
of his politics or because the companies
exercise pressure in his behalf, but it
very rarely happens that he is chosen for
merit. Despite these drawbacks, how
ever, the mine inspectors are generally
competant to discharge their onerous
duties and acquit themselves to credit.
They are governed principally by the
mine ventilation law passed through the
Pennsylvania legislature shortly after
the f1ightful Avondale disaster, where so
many lives were lost, owing to the parsi-
monious policy of the operators who car
ried on mining in the most reckless
fashion without regard for the lives of the
workmen. The long list of killed and
injured reported every year means also a
large addition to the ranks of the needy
and destitute, as most miners are mar
ried and in many cases leave large help
less families unprovided for. When
there is demand for coal: as there has
been the past few months, accidents fatal
and serious are of frequent occurrence.
The seriously injured are generally de-
scnbed as those crippled for life, and of
them large numbers are scattered
throughout the region. Notwithstand-
ing the perils which attend the work of
mining, it seems to have great fascina-
ton for certain men, and q good many
miners have told me that they prefer it
to any other employment, because it
gives them more time for themselves,
and better pay than they could get at
anything else. Those fearful periods of
depression, when the men are compelled
to work only two or three days week,
are rarely considered in good times, and
the motto seems to be ''a short life and
a merry one." have often chatted With
men in the morning, who were brought
out dead in the afternoon, and two cases
especially are worthy of mention. One
of these frequently told me that most &C.
cidents, especially the falling of roof,
were largely due to the carelessness of
the men. He pointed to the fact that he
never had any serious trouble, because
he observed proper precautions. He had
worked in the mines twenty years, and
had saved from his earnings sufficient sum
to warrant him in quitting work. He
proposed leaving the mines next month
forever. The day after this conversation
the community was shockedby the news
that he and his companion were crushed
to death by the fall of roof. The other
case to which I have alluded was that of
a man who expected to quit the mines
the very next day after our interview.
He, too, had been steady worker and
saved his money. He was was killed by
fall of roof the next day. A miner told
me to-day that the so. called safety lamps
used in the mines are humbug. They
are supplied with inferior oil and cotton,
and they are generally made on cheap
plan. His hands and face were evidence
to the fact. They were skinned and
bGstered as the result of a recent coils
ion with volume of hydrogen while
carrying safety lamp. Although but
little is said in the newspapers concern
ing the loss of life involved in the min
ing of anthracite, the long lists of killed
and injured, even in the Lackawanna
Valley for the past ten years, are fairly
appalling, and the ratio of deaths in
creases yearly with the increase in the
output of coal. It is thought that thirty
million tons of anthracite will be sent to
market this season. At the very lowest
calculation the companies make a clean
profit of 81 on every ton; so that one con
easily see what q precious piece of pro-
perty coal mine is.