Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1885-02-21
CORRESPOND
EIGHT HOURS IN THE NINE.
An Argument of Interest to Miners
Shorter Days Urged with Con-
siderable Force.

FRosTBURG, MD, Feb. q, 1885.
To the MINING JOURNAL.
This subject is one Of the leading
topics of the day, and one that ought
to attract great attention in this region
for the special reason that the laws of
nature never were violated to the same
extent as here. Violations of these
laws are to-day threatening the mental
faculties of the people of this country.
The happiness and the existence of the
nation are in danger. 1t was asserted
by Herbert Spencer that "the people of
the United States work too much" 1t
will infict evil on the nation. If our
tradesmen or mechanics, who have the
light of the sun and pure air to work
Indictments which are essential to life
If they shorten their days, how much
more should the miner do so, who has
darkness and impure ATTACHMENTS
that are destructive to life to contend
with 7 1t is astonishing how many de-
structive elements encircle the miner
that impair his health and destroy
life. The air which enters the mouth
of the mine before it reaches the face,
or first mans place of working, becomes
adulterated by contact with the pores
of different bodies, such as coal, de-
eayed timber, iron, the filth on the
road and other materials. A great
percentage of the elements which sus-
tain life is already thus destroyed be-
fore it begins to exercise its beneficial
functions even to the first man. The
first man exlales to its current 20 cubic
inches of carbonic acid this is repeat
ed about 20 times Il minute. which
equals 400 cubic inches per minute.
In mine where seventy-fve men and
five horses work-one horse exhales as
much as five men, the whole equalling
twenty-five men, therefore, the eXhal-
lations of the whole mine equals one
hundred men-then, if one man in one
minute produces 400 cubic inches, in
six hundred and sixty, the number of
minutes in eleven hours, q hundred
men will produce 26, $4,000 cubic in
ches, or 1927. 1860 cubic feet. By
perspiration two-thlrds of all we eat
and drink, solid and liquid, are forced
out by the sebaceous and respiratory
glands through the pores, the most of
which is gaseous substance. An i'm
mense volume of gas is thus produced
in moving 375 tons of coal from its
natural state, or tons to each man.
The above number of men in one day
will burn gallons of oil, which pro-
duces a great quantity of gas. A large
amount of gas is produced by decayed
timber, loose slate, etc. Let US take
now to our comparison of gases COM
ing from all these sources on tie one
hand, and the faint current of air which
passes through our mines on the other.
This will illustrate the fact plainly
enough why the strongest miners we
have suffer so painfully from almost
all kinds of lung diseases even before
they are fifty years of age, and q great
many Of them before they are forty.
Are we going to offer ourselves as liv-
ing sacrifices to these clements without
trying some remedy7 Are we going
to continne this cowardice without Of
fering in our Legislature some meas
ure for our comfort, health and hap
piness Will we continue to work
eleven and twelve hours day while