The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1893-10-14

Gives some Interesting Notes and
Statistics Relative to the min
ing Industry Of the First
District.

In response to your recent request l
herewith present some statistics and
notes OF interest relative to the mining
industry in the First district, for the
year ending June 80, 1898.
/ have carefully inspected during
the year allof the mines in the district
coming within the jurisdiction of my
authority, and find most Of them in
excellent condition, all of them in
better condition than a year ago, and
the operators generally complying with
the mining law.
The year has been fairly active
among the mines in the district, not
withstanding the financial stringency
and the Generalization of the coke
market for several months past, the
production Of coal being largely in
creased over last year, and there being
also slight increase in the quantity
of coke manufactured. The strike Of
last summer was also hindrance,
more serious, perhaps, than mere
spectator would imagine, for it almost
ruined for the time being the coal and
coke industry in Brooke, Ohio and
Marshall, and was very injurious to
production in this (Marion) county
The production OF coal in the district
for the year was 2,762,9T0 tons, as
against 2, 427, 662 tons last year, an
increase OF 1886, 30s tons, and the pro-
duction OF coke was 364, 373 tons, an
increase OF l6, AS tons over last year,
when the production was 34S, 225 tons
OF 2, 240 pounds
In Marion county the total produc-
ton OF coal last year was SOB, S96 tons,
and this year shows an increase Of
"a, 400 tons; making total production
OF 95s, 2s6 tons. There was slight
falling of in the coke production.
There were no explosions of fire
damp in the district during the year,
and with improved appliances being
constantly put in the mines where
necessary, the ventilation is kept up
In good condition, and the danger OF
accumulations OF gas Is reduced to a
minimum.
During the year there occurred In
the district twelve fatal accidents and
80 non-fatal accidents. or the fatal
accidents, five occurred in Marion
county, viz: One at Montana, two at
Monongah, and two at CASTOR, and
eleven of the non-fatal accidents here.
There was one life lost for each
$50, 24S tons OF coal produced, and one
non-fatal accident for each 72,71O
tons. The average annual earnings
per miner was $40. 20 throughout the
district. There were 2, 644 miners en-
ployed, $3.50 day laborers, and ISL coke
workers, making a total number OF
men employed about the mines OF 3,
$50. In addition to the mines report
there are in the district large num-
Der OF small mines, employing less
than ten men each, which do not come
within the purview OF the law. The
production OF these mines can not be
reliably estimated, but it is considera-
BILE, especially in the fall and winter
season. It occurs to me that 1T would
be well II the law were changed to re-
quire every mine owner to register his
mine and report his production each
year. This would then enable us to
have information as to the exact
amount Of coal produced in the State,
and would be valuable in many Other
ways.
One mine, Mountain Brook Shaft
at Newburg, Preston, county, has beer
abandoned. and seven new ones have
been reported, viz: Glendale Mine,
in Marshall county; King, In Marion
Blanch, in Brooke; Briar Hill and
Findlay & Whitehead, in Harrison
Thomas Shaft,si Tucker, and Pierce
in Mineral. Since the end of tn,
year another new mine has been open
ed by Hutchinson Bros. on the M. r
r. r. near Worthington, in Marion
county. All of these mines have beer
opened on about the usual safe lines
heretofore in vogue in the district
and the only one requiring special no
tice here is the King mine, near Ben
tons Ferry, on the b. g. o. railroad
operated by the Virginia and Pitts
burg Coal and Coke Company. They
have here new and novel method o.
transporting coal across the river b,
means of a Bleishert wire rope tram
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