The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-09-29
THE REPORT CONCLUDED.


The HERALD to-day publishes the con-
Cuding ustallmcnt Of the official report
made by the commission appointed to inves-
tigate the causes of the Twin Shaft disaster
at Pittston. 1t is to some extent more in
tcresting than the preceding chapters and
other publications, in that it details the
causes Of the squeeze that caused the i'll
fated men TO undertake the repair work;
gives the grounds upon which the commits
sion bases its opinion that superintendent
Langan erred in his judgment in conducting
the work; and details measures that should
be incorporated as laws TO prevent such ac-
cidents. Another important feature of this
iustalment is the conclusion that one of the
causes Of the disaster was an explosion of
gas brought on by the men engaged in the
repairing working with naked lamps.
The percentage Of coal that should be left
as pillar supports is matter about which
opinions differ, for it is subordinate to un-
questionable conditions which may exist on
the surface, or from the surface down to the
top of the coal seam and Immediately under
it. One mine superintendent may determine
to leave 90 per cent. Of unmined coal as
pillar supports, while another would consider
40 per cent. sufficient for all purposes. In
either case, however, the mine superintend-
ent has the absolute right 10 decide and to
dictate what the dimensions Of the mine
openings and pillars shall be. There is no
state law that gives TO the Mine Inspector a
discretionary power in this matter, except in
casea where he sees indications of danger to
| the lives of the wOrkmen. 1t then would be
his duty 10 advise with the colliery officials "a
to the proper means to be taken TO remove the
danger, and if forced to do 50, appeal to the
court for an Injunction to restrain the opera
tor from further mining until the colliery, or
section thereof has been made permanently
afe. In connection with the Twin Shaft
workings Mr. Mcdonald considered the
pillars large enough and did not expect
squeeze to take place on account of weak
supports. He did not sec auy indications of
a squeeze ON sny OF his inspection visits to
the colliery, nor was he ever notified Of any
trouble of character demanding special
attention.
Article Il, Section Of the Mine Ventila-
ton Law reads: Tho owner, operator or
superintendent Of a mine or colliery, shall
without delay give notice TO the Inspector Of
the District in which said mine or colliery is
situated in any OF all of the following cases 4"
Case sixth where a squeeze. or crush, or
any other cause, or change may seem to affect
.
or where fire occurs, or dangerous body of
gas is found in any mine" Now, not only
was the Twin Shaft affected by a terrible
subsistence of the everything strata, but a
large body of gas had accumulated west OF
No. 3 slope. This gas, 10 doubt, had collected
there by reason Of the air passage being
obstructed by a fall Of the roof and the
fracturing of the roof strata lberating the
confined gas. Gas is very dangerous ele-
meut to contend with, especially so when a
crash Of the roof strata takes place. 1t was
known that all the wOTkmen at the foot OF
? No, slope were using naked lamps, and that
} the gas was showing OUT to that point
] The squeeze had assumed certain proper.
tions which made it possible at any moment
for fall to take place Of such dimensions as
to displace the gas, causing it TO come into
contact with the naked lamps, when ter
rible explosion would have been the result
| We also take into consideration the fact thai
! the mems lives were in imminent danger
1 from an explosion of gas, even if they haC
r been using safety lamps, for, should loca
/ fall of the roof have taken place, it would
have forced the gas out at such a higl
velocity that the flame of the safety lamp
would have been forced through the gauz
and ignited the exterior gas. After the ex
b tensive fall, however, there was no evidence
left to prove that there had been an explosion
Of gas ; yet there is reason to believe that al
explosion may have occurred, tor, according
- to the evidence, precautionary measures wer
n not taken to prevent it, The absence o
e indications which generally follow an explos
Y ion of gas would not prove. in connection
4 with this accident, that the gas was no
Il ignited because the caye-in may have oc
Z CURED subsequently to the explosion, which
y in this case, destroyed or buried all indics
: tions such as scattered fragments of timber
v Again, the residue from combustion Gale
c choke damp" could have been diluted befor
the rescuing party could have reached tn
point where it was likely to be founC
Whether an explosion occurred or not W
Il have no positive proof. We have evidence
, however, that naked lamps were used on th
u night of the accident, and the character
1t the squeeze and the results produced Their
D, from were such as would lead us to presum
I, that an explosion did occur.
ie Different opinions are advanced by minin
s. men as to what is the original cause of a mil
T. squeeze, This subject needs hut little di
r cussion, because a squeeze will never occl
Ks where the pillar supports are strong enoug
" to sustain the everything strata. where Il
TX roof strata Is triable and dislOcated
u sHppy, the chambers or breasts must
III driven narrower than where the roof stra
al is comparatively stronger. The roof STRAIT
oy however at the Twin Shaft mine was not IL
'e- usually friable, and no fears were entertain,
ne that a sudden displacement Of large area
IL the everything strata would take place, al
~ we failed to learn that it had become public
us known that a cave-iu was likely to occur,
n is true we often meet with dislocatiop
10 the strata, such us the mud crack, foul
near the bore hole in front Of the workiu
- marked on map Elev. Sur. 55627." The
features in the coal fohnaton very oft
give much trouble in keeping the roof of t
vein from falling down, as they general
weaken the surroundings. Still the trout
will be only local where the pillars are f
med large enough 70 sustain the load oy
" them under ordinary conditions
~ From our experience however all mi
he squeezes general or local, come ON gradua