The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1883-05-24
IDoe CAvuoo lN OF ZINE ANTHRACITE
COAL MINES OF PENNSvl.
Wanna.
WuHr,s RARRE. PHSN..l

coal MINES or PeNNsyl.
wanna.
WILKES BARRIE, PENN, I
May, S, 1888. !
EDITOR JOURNAL Very few Of
the great mass of newspaper readers
are fully conversant with cave-!ns I'm
thecoal mines Of the anthracite basins.
Many think that the cave-ins are OH
the interior ofthe mines, and that the
caveings are simply the rock or earth
remaining (which surrounded the
cual that had been mined, and the
supposition In common IL, also. that
the surface land h not materially
affected Oftentimes the breaches I'm
the surface are very large and the dis
appearance OF everything thereon
likewise sudden, and the damage
therefrom disastrous to all parties.
The idea seems to have gained pos
session ofdisinterested people that the
coliieries are all alike In their general
character and structure. The differ
ent veins are very irregular in many
mines. Here, even, il Is not we'll
known that such Is the case scarcely
four collieries can be found agreeing
in their general appointments, nor are
they governed by the same rules or
local regulations. This IL attributable
to sundry conditions Of the coal seams
because oftheir different angles of dip,
and the working of the level and In
clined veins all conjointly through
the same openings; the means and
manner Of ventilating the mines the
machinery used for lowering men into
and hosting them out Of the differ
ent mines the mode Of loading coal
and the hauling Of the same, whether
performed by contracts ar otherwise
The falls al coal, rock and slate, art
more numerous In the norning-ac
cor,ling to the accurate records kept
than i'm the evening, and SO is expl0-
sions cf fire damp; but powder blnsts
aud shot explosions appear to occur
oftener I'm the lstter1part .of the day
Operators and men In authority put
forth the claim that they are enabled
To locate periods Of time I'm the day
that different kinds Of casualties gen
orally occur. The prime cause of the
most Of the disastrous cave-ins seems
10 he the want Of . proper supply Of
necessary prop tiinbers, and neglect
on the part of the boss To see to il that
the props are timely applied to sup
port the roof and coal OF course
there are accidents over which no
earthly precaution has the least
knowledge or control. in mining rs
well as in any other work. Many of
the miners are dirilect i'm their duty,
especially in, or near chambers where
fatal accident has occurred. A Ger
tain kind of luneliness seems to linger
around q chamber where some un-
fortunate miner lost his life. IL il
often difficult To secure men who will
venture TO work in what IL called the
death chamber" They say that the
pillars on each side of such chamber
crack more than Others in different
parts Of the colliery. and the drops Of
water falling from the high and Jagged
roof, creates queer ard wierd noise
as they fall upon the solid slate and
loose Jumps Of coal.
A short time ago, q mine cavern in
the PottsviIle district entombed mule
and the workings were closed for
thirteen days; when the entrance was
effected into the gangway the mule
was discovered fighting the rats of.
and his legs were nearly knawed bare
m many places but after this expert
ence of fasting and fighting, the mule
recovered, and IL to-day drawing a
dump cart on the cuim-dirt pile Of the
colliery. The most sudden cave-in
known to the author occurred i'm the
anthracite regions at New Boston,
Schuylkill county, few years ago.
A house and contents over MahOny
colliery. occupied by Thomas Myers
and fausily was destroyed The fam |
ily were seated at dinner when the |
house gavca sudden lurch the occu- |
pants knew well what II meant and |
went for the doors and windows to |
make their escape. and succeeded in |
doing SO just i'm time. for in a moment |
afterwards n big patch Of earth
dropped out Of sight. and the house |
and contents were carried with it. In |
q bureau drawer was 1856 which the
poor, Woodworking miner had sue
ceesied IN saving. but "a there WAS
hot fire i'm the stove the house burned
up and the money and other valuables
with IL. Upon investigation of the
workings of the mine four hundred
feet below. not IA vestige of the house
could be found.
A few weeks ago the surface over the
Reliance colliery commenced To give
signs Of cave-in by cracking slightly
Mt intervals. Several worked-Out
veins of the mine commenced to cave
In because Of non-support Of the pill
lars. The ground commenced crack
T. - n 1
ono square yards Was badly crevicei.
About forty houses were located over
the mine. and the highway aud rail-
road tracks ran 6ver them. The con-
tinuous shocks were like earthquakes.
Furniture and wall ornaments quiv-
cred aud fell over, and added to the
Of the affrighted villagers of
Mt. Carmel. The people were ordered
mine Is abandoned. The railroad,
high way and all buildings will doubt
less he swallowed up i'm IA yawning
abyss one Of these fine mornings. The
houses have been pulled down by the
claI COMPANY to save the lumber.
A serious cave i'm occurred last week
at Ashland. in the immediate vicinity
Of Tunnel colliery workings. (which
are directly beneath large number
Of miners houses, owned by the Phil
sdelphia Il Reading Coal K Iron
Company. Up to n few days ago the
miners families occupying the houses
lived Mt ease. During the winter a
cave-in occurred which did not at
tract much notice but ~ soon ~ the
frust left the ground, evidences Of n
nerious cavern became manifest.
Three dwellings were carried down i'm
Dne of the cave-ins but no one was in
|ured, though the occupants barely es-
caped but the household goods were
Ill lest Another breach occurred rs
the frost disappeared and two more
houses went down, but the families
were on the alert and saved most of
heir household effects. rs well as
heir lives In this mine many OF the
veins are almost perpendicular and
1ery difficult To operate. Some OF the
reins pitch i'm nearly every direction.
Daily there is q sinking Of the surface
III aruund this mine In some locality
" other, and more serious cave-ins are I
'ure TO occur; and now the workings
nave been abandoned. For nearly
wo miles cave-ins are tn be seen on
very side aud in one continuous
.hain. This colliery was the deepest
N the United States. Ii Is over six
cen feet below the level Of the sea. !
md employed over three hundred per-
'ons The breaches are adjacent To