The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-01-12
NINE REVIEWS !
EXTRACTS FROM REPORTS OF
THE MINE INSPECTORS.
SOME IMPORTANT SUGGESTIONS
An Interesting Case Cited by
Mine Inspector Stein--Mine
Inspector Gay on the Con-
dition Of Galleries.

The reports OF the Pennsylvania mine
inspectors contain some important facts and
sugges ions regardi & the operation of
m mes the conduct of men employed
in them.
NJ ne Inspector William Stein, Of this
(the Fifth anthracite) district, tells tale of
depravily amongst coal miners which we
feel bound to reproduce. He says:
II will here give one experience of the
law being violated, which was brought to
my notice short time ago. learned
that some of the miners working iD a col
liery where safety lamps we're absolutely
used, lit their squibs with matches l in
vest,g,ted the matter and found it to be
true; in talking with the miner he said, he
did not do it any more. What do you do
now2' asked; his reply was, i suck the
flame through the gauze with my pipe,
then put the squb in my pipe when l am
going to fire shot l threatened to have
him arrested when his 'butty' appealed,
saying at the same time there is verse
than that done in this colliery,' and with
ONE persuasion he very reluctantly tolV
me that some of the men unscrewed the
gauze with nail and worked with the
naked fame. This was a very alarming
statement, because it endangered the lives
of all in the colliery, and the practice may
have caused the loss of many lives else.
where ON explosion of gas"
Comment is super fuous. Mr.. Stein ex-
q ha nfb nf a
Inspectors, namely, that if the men would
act up to the law, at least 66 per cent of
The death rate from accidents would be
averted.
Mine Inspector McMurtrie, of the Sixth
anthracite district, sets forth in his report
that fifty per cent. of the accidents were
due to falls of roof and sides and the
inspector calls for better care and judg-
ment on the part of the men. Mr.. Nc
Murtrie describes a way of tapping old
wastes at Mount Carmel coliery, which is
almost identical with the system described
in THE Progress in Mining" in The
Coltiery Engineer for December, 1891.
He also mentions some new air-compress-
been introduced during the year.
Mine Inspector Samuel Gay, of the
Seventh district, says in his report:
Notwithstanding the depressed condi-
ton of the anthracite coal trade during
the two preceding years, the sanitary con.
dition, as we'll as the producing capacity of
the collieries, has been kept up to even q
higher standard than in any preceding
year. The output of coal has been largely
increased in proportion to the number of
fatal and non fatal casualties.
In that respect the Philadelphia and
Reading Coal and Iron Company has
made rather remarkable showing, having
produced over 265, 600 tons of coal per each
life lost. This company operates thirteen
collieries in this district, giving employ
ment to $500 persons, under and above
ground, the death rate being in every
1,l64 These facts when it is taken into
consideration, that number of these col
lieries are very gaseous, much more so
than in any other part of the district,
would indicate that the management and
QlsclpLne In ana ABOUT Lhese cOlllefles mao
been IN IRE than usually rigid.
"The individual concerns have also made
a showing that is worthy of notice in point
of production, having an output of over
800 900 tons to each fatal accident How
ever the death rate is much above that
shown in the foregoing. The difference
bsing death in $50, as against in l, l64. "
Mr.. Gay has the following to say with
regard to advantages of better discipline in
the working of the eollieries:
Notwithstanding that the mechanical
appliances for the prevention of accidents
in and about these collieries are equal to
any in the district, and we may venturet
say any in the state, yet accidents OF the
character we have given briet synopsis
of, have been more frequent at some Oi
these collieries than at Others, We have
stated elsewhere that according to the
evidence of the foreman in charge of these
collieries that several of the acc dents ar,
attributed TO disobedience of orders given
However, it is a well-established fact that
as general rule, that insubordination is
the result of lax discipline. II should be
understood by those in charge OF mines,
that as long as it exists, just so long must
they expect the same results"
Al 4. III :