The Labor enquirer., 1883-11-05
Poor Ventilation and Black
Damps in the Coal Mines oi
Colorado.
A Perfect Disregard for the Law
Shown by the Mine Superin-
tendents.
An Open Letter from Inspector
MoNeil Ordering Compliance
With Law.

One of the most important measures of
the last legislature was the passage of a
law for the appointment of an inspector
of coal mines. The mining superintend-
ents of the state have not fully complied
with the demands of this law. Mr..
John Mcneil, the inspector of coal mines.
has recently made tour of the state in
the discharge of his duty, and as the re-
suit of his inspection, publishes the fol-
lowing open letter:
INSPECTOR M'NElL SPEAKS.
OFFICE STATE INSPECTOR Coal MINES,
DENVER, November 2, 1883. !
To ths mine operators, mine superintendents
andworking miners of Colorado coal mides.
The undersigned, state inspector, of
coal mines, recommended by a board of
examiners, and appointed by His Excel
lency, James B. Grant, governor of Col
orado, on July 81, 1888, has, since ASSUME
ing duty, visited the various mining dis
tricts of the state, and finds by investi-
CATION that the mining law in many of
its important provisions has not as yet
been complied with.
DIsoBEYING TEE-LAw.
The attention of all concerned is re-
spectfully bui earnestly called to the
following facts: Defective ventilation
prevails in many of the mines over part
or the whole of the working places, fire.
quently to such an injurious degree at
room faces that the combustion of the
miners lamps can only be maintained
with difficulty. In some mines there
are no artificial means of producing VEN
tilation whatever. And even in such
places the natural current Is often Grip
pied by poor, neglected airways. Where
furnace, fan or other ventilating power
is applied to increase the ventilation, a
good reading on the anemonetor is gen.
orally obtained, at inlet or outlet of the
mine, but IN many cases the same is
poorly conducted ind an around the
workings, by having poor stoppings and
bsdly hung doors, and too much distance
between cross-cuts.
POOR VENTILATION.
l have found miners at work two hun
dred feet ahead of the ventilating cur
rent. When I looked in this close and
dirty hole l could hear the sound of a
miners pick striking the coal. but at that
distance failed to see the miner, but
knowing from past experience, if went
in there would find him, so after I got
in little over one hundred teet in this
densely-thickened air, 1 could see glim-
mering light, which looked as if it had
a great many lightning bugs around it.
When l got to the face of this place l
found the miner had his lamp hanging
downwards, on the rib side, to enable it
to give it light. found the air almost
stagnant to all feeling and densly charged
with coal dust, and in a few minutes I
could feel the effects of carbonic acid gas
better known 10 miners as black damp.
This gas is given off from the lungs, and
| from the combustion of workmen's
lights, decaying timber and explosions OF
blasting powder. 1t also exdes from the
fissures of the coal snd from the roof and
floor of the mine This gas in its pure
state is most deadly poison, and will
neither support life nor combustion.
THE BLACK DAMP
T. E. Forester, Esq, British inspec-
tor of coal mines, in an examination be-
fore a royal commission appointed to in
vuire into the condition of mines, in
1874, gave the following answer to a
question in regard to this gas: at j. my
opinion that there are quite as many
men killed where is nothing but car
bonic acid gas as where there is infam-
mable gas The mems health is natur-
ally destroyed. They do not go immedi-
ately, but they 60 on for few years and
die"
Andrew Roy, inspector of mines, says
asthmatic diseases at an early period of
life are the unfailing results of bad VEN
tilation, and when miners are attacked
in their lungs the shoulders rise, making
the head look like sinking as in ordinary
consumption. The breathing apparatus
becomes clogged up, and there is ex-
perforated black spit, which finally re-
suits in the black lungs, or coal miners
consumption.
COAL MINERS CONSUMPTION.
Professor Graham examined the lungs
of miner, the greater part of which
were obliterated with blnck, solid mat
ter like lampblach, and above one ounce
of, charcoal was obtained out of the
mass. DR.. William Thompson has re-
corded number of cases of miners
lungs which were infeltrated with black
matter. The following are some of the
cases:
D. c., age So years-Miner twelve
years lungs uniformly black and of a
carbonaceous color.
D. D., age 81 years-Miner from boy
hood lungs uniformly black not yes
tige of natural cor left refers his disease
to breathing an irrespirable atmosphere.
G. M., age As years-Lungs uniformly
black through their whole substance,
with density equrl to caroutchoue.
L. A, age 4years-Miner all his life !;
whole lungs dyed with black matter.