The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1883-01-27
The Pcrils of Mining.

We reproduce the following letter from
the columns Of our esteemed contemporary
the Philadelphia Times; the letter Is dated
Scranton, January 81, 1885, During tic
year 1882 no less than three hundred per-
sons were killed and one thousand serious
" injured in and abaut the anthracite co |
min S Of Pennsylvania. Most of the acci-
dents were occasioued by falls of roof and
explosions of fre-damp. The former were
especially fatal and they have recently be-
come frequent occurrence owing to the
great rush in the coIierics whenever the
work of mining is brisk. There were twen-
ty- even more deaths from accidents in the
mine last year.than iu 1881. Many of those
injured never recover. Some have arms
aud legs torn off and others are manned and
crippled in various ways.
The eaddest ease that has recently come
10 notice is that of miner who was badly
crushed by fail OF roof. This occurred six
head was squeezed. The sinews in the
wrist of his right hand were cut, and alto
gether he was badly damaged. The best
medical care that could be had was secured,
To all appearances ne recovered. His
wounds healed, but he could not bear to be
left in the room alone. ifh;s wife went to
an adjoining room he suddenly became ner
vous aud called her. lie was constantly
under the impression that the roof of the
room was about to fall in and often he is
startled from sleep by sensation similar to
that which oppressed him when the acci-
dent happened. lie says that he has lived
the whole scene over again hundred times
| in his sleep since it occurred. There is a
swift gust Of wind, binding darkness, a
crash like that of thunder and clapse oil
the superfncumbent mass of rock aud slate
! Then he car hear the voices of his comrades
and the sound of the pick working ut tn,
mass beneath which it seems TO him lie i;
buried and So all through the eXperienc
until he is extricated aud the relief Of wax
ilg comes. He is well able physically to e
about, but is haunted by great fear, anC
he must be accompanied by some one if h'
goes any distance from the door. His lil'
is a misery and he is distressed by thu
thought that he cannot recover his former
strength and vigor. He is about the aG'
when most men are considered in tie l'rim,
of lille and he has wife and large iumil,
Of little ones to care for.
This is but a specimen Of the results tina
follow niue accidents, aud ~ the official re
ports this man is described us hav.us beeI
"slightly injured" The large number o
accidents caused by the "iall Of roof are at
tributed in great measure To the inadeguat
proppirg up of the mines rs the work FRO
gresses. Some times tLeIe s scarcity o
, timber at the mines and the men TAX
= clances on their own lives by going on will
) the work without making tie place sbou
them secure. Each cnll!cry should have
gang Of meu to attend to the work of tim
beIing alone Hud TO see that the ruoi is prop
! oT,y supported. Nothing lnusE more decep
tive than mine roof. The Appearance @
sohdity and strength is often the mask tha
hides fearful danger from view. Min
companies should provide fufiieient nun
I Der of props at all times, but they do moi
aud the work Of obtaining such props is o
ten attended with so much trouble aud los
o. time to the miner that lie is compelled I
work without them and take the chance
which end in death.
Now that there is talk Of revising ih
= mine ventilation act nll these things shoul
b. taken into consideration. The death mi
is too great in the anthracite industry. Du