West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-02-12

working in such mines, in case in
which said owner, lesser or operator
does not know, or is not informed OF
what is necessary to be done to re.
move or expel nOxious gases or i'm.
pure air therein, proceed TO such
mines and make an exam ination of
the same. He shall then ia teritirq
require such owner, lesser or opera
tor, TO proceed at once to yentilate
or drain such mine, or both, and il
this be not done az soon as possible,
the person so neglecting shall be
fined not less than twenty nor more
than one hundred dollars.
He shall make report on or be.
fore the Let of January Of each year
to the Governor OF his proceedings,
so that in his next report he will be
required To- state the cause of the
Newburg accident, so far as he has
been able to ascertain, and all the
facts at his command in relatio
thereto.
OWNERS OF MINES.
The act further provides, that, the
owner lessee or operator OF every
coal mine in which ffteen or more
persons are engaged as miners, shall
make an accurate map or plan of
said mine, copy of which shall be
delivered to the inspector of mines.
Every such coal mine shall be well
drained, and proper system of pure
air ventilation throughout the entire
mine, sufficient to expel no1ious gases
and impure air, shall be provided,
so that the mine shall be in a health.
full condition for the men working
therein, and free from danger to their
lives and health.
AT every such mines, n practical
overseer or mining boss, shall be EN-
ployed. to watch over the ventilat.
ing apparatus and guard against all
danger, so as to prevent injury to
miners, He shall, when any such
mines becomes, from any cause, dan.
gerous to the health and safety of
those employed therein, so inform
his employer, who shall proceed at
once to remedy and remove the dan.
ger.
Whenever such owner, operator or
lessee of such mine, does not know
what is necessary to be done in or
der to remove any nOXious gases or
impure air therefrom, which may ex.
list, he shall call upon the mine in
spector to examine such mine, and
determine what is necessary to be
done.
Suitable penalties are prescribed
against those willfully failing or re-
fusing to comply with the provision
of the act.
The laws in this State upon this
subject are some what crude and in
complete, yet they contain, as will
be seen, many wise and humane pro-
visions, which if observed will avoid
many such explosions as the one we
SO recently experienced.
The working of coal mines in
Great Britain is also regulated by an
act of Parliament passed in the year
1872 Among other provisions are
the following: Females and boys
under 10 are not allowed to work un.
der ground. Working of mines by
a single shaft is prohibited. The
managers of mines must be examined
by board of examiners, and their
competency certified to. Besides
there are provisions for the safety of
miners in fiery mines, ventilation
and protection against accidents
generally.
That provision of the English law
requringSuperintendents or managers
to undergo an examination and re.
ceive a certificate Of competency
from a proper board before assuming
control of mine, should be engraft.
oil in our lam.