The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-12-13
INSPECTOR STEINS REPORT
The Showing Made by the Records For
Eleven Months.
A DECREASE IN ACCIDENTS
Statistic Show That the Poles and Lithu-
anians Suffer From Colliery Accidents
With Surprising More Frequency
Than other Nationalities.

Mr. William Stein is at work ON his au.
nual report as Mine Inspector of the Sixth
Anthracite district and through his courtesy
the HERALD is enabled to give a brief re-
view Of the chief events which form the
basis Of the report for eleven months of the
year. The report will not be complete until
the statistics to the close of the present
month can be obtained.
In regard to the general condition of the
collieries in the district it may be said that
at the beginning of the present year the
Mine Inspector started out with the co.
operation of the several mine officials with
the expressed determination to try and re-
duce the number of accidents i'm and about
the mines and the percentage of deaths com
pared with the record of last year shows that
their efforts have been very successful, which
must not only be very gratifying to the min
ing public, but is also crcditablc to the In
spector and colliery officials
The sanitary condition of the colicries
has been very much improved There has
been an Increase in the number of vcntilat-
ing machines and the number of second
openings The safety Of gangways, or trans
portation openings, have also been much inn
proved and return airways have been en-
largcd at most of the cOllieries giving
facilities to pass large quantity of air at
less expense than formerly, which means
that the ventilatng machinery is not run at
unusual speed in order to produce the nee.
essary quantity Of air for all purposes
With the exception of the accident caused
by an explosion Of gas at West Bear Ridge
cOlliery on the 18th of February, resulting in
the loss Of five lives, namely p. j. Kline,
Barney Reading Joseph Pittz Peter Green
back and Thomas Durkin, there has been no
unusual loss Of life in the district.
The report as thus far completed shows that
during the eleven months there were 80 fatal,
go non-fltal and 73 trtling accidents, which
made l3 widows and 20 orphans. During the
twelve months Of 1894 there were II fatal
accidents, decrease of % in favor of 1895.
and there has also been decrease of % in the
number Of non-tatal accidents. By triliug
accidents is meant those causing mashed
fingers, slight head wounds, strains, etc
As to the nationality of the victims the
records show that 25 We're Poles and Lithu-
mans, 6 Hungarians, Italians Germans
Is Irish, 1 Welsh and English
one life was lost by fire boss failing to
comply with the law in not examining a
breast Scrutiny of the records show that
"a per cent. of the fatal accidents were due
to a Noncompliance with the mine laws on
the part Of the worlmen themselves, the
Noncompliance in some cases being glaring,
showing that if the wOrkmen would cease to
take the risks that they do the fatal acct
dents would be reduced almost to a
minimum. 1t is significant that the records
show 81 per cent. of the fatal accidents
were due to noncompliance with the mine
laws and over 81 per cent. Of the victims were