The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-09-10
THEY ROB THE PILLARS.
True Reas on for the Disasters in Anthra-
cite Coal Mines

accidents in the anthracite mining re-
gions should be told. Year after wear
they have been occurring with appalling
regularity. The list of the dead AMI
crippled, the widowed and the orphaned,
grows from month to month, while Tie
public, intent upon its own pursuits,
learns but little about it until sobe
irightful accident like that which latly
plunged the town of Pittston Tito
mourning concentrates attention up\n
II, and then there is a universal outc1k.
1t is felt instinctively that there mus
be something wrong with the condi
tons untler which the mining of Goa,
is carried on when disasters of tina.
kind can occur in state which has
wise laws regulating both the ventiIa-
ton of mines and the conditions under
which the coal itself can be taken out
But what is the evil and what the rem
ady? Common sense as well as common
humanity prompts the discovery of the
one and the application of the remedy
The law under which the present
system of inspection is carried on nas
worked many reforms. 1t has dbne
away with many of the evils which
operated so disasterously in the early
days of anthracite mining. 1t has gi1n
to one of the hardest working classes of
labor in the state comparatively ftsse
air where previously no one could
breathe any but vitiated atmosphere.
1t has done even more than this, inn
portant as this achievement has been.
Under its provisions no shaft, slope or
other mine can be worked without hav-
ing at least two avenues of eXit--the
usual entrance and the air shaft, the
latter for use in case OF disaster in
Eangways near the mouth of the mine.
Nor do its bencfactions stop even here.
Inspectors authorized by law to inforce
the laws provisions are regularly APP
pointed and paid to do nothing else.
How, then, does it come that even after
IT is in operation there can be such a
disaster as that which recently horri-
fed every resident of Pennsylvania?
The answer to this question has al
ready been limited at in these columns.
When mine is opened all the coal in the
Veins is not taken out. Portions of It,
which are called pillars, are left stand
ing to support the tremendous weight
of the ground above. AS mining he
comes more expensive, however, and the
supply of coal dwindles, the owners fire.
quently order the ''robbing of the pill
lars"--that is, the removal of the nat
ural supports which were originally
left standing. They know from past
experience that this is a dangerous pro-
ceeding. Thousands of victims lie in
premature graves as the result of its
adoption. But competition is fierce ard
to compete successfully some chances
must be taken. So one by one the pillars
come down, until few, if any, remain
to support the mountains of earth above.
Rough timbers placed at irregular dis
tances apart are expected to uphold
what in the wise provision of nature
solid masses of coal had held in place
an absurd proposition upon its face.
Once the mine starts to work as we
have frequently seen, the number of The
dead is to be reckoned usually by The
number of men employed at the time
the crash occurs.
So much for the primary cause. The
secondary cause is that which grows
out of a faulty system of inspection.
The average cavern does not occur IN
day or night. Nature. as if to display
her Kindness to those who have rudely
pierced her heart, gives repeated warn
ings before she asserts her mastery.
There are Ominous sounds throughout
the gangways and breasts. The timbers
creak and grOan under their increasing
weight. The rats desert the dangerous
places before the timbers give way al
together. These indications of the
strain are often perceptible for weeks
beforehand, and then the duty of the in
spector is to intervene. If he performs
his duty with an eye single to the pur-
pose for which his office was created
he will either compel the owner of the
mine to make it safe or empty it of
those whose lives are imperiled. If he
is the creature of the operators, as some
of the inspectors are said to be, he may
be Indifferent to the condition of the
mines or willing chat operations shall
be carried or after they are unsafe.
His reappoirtment depends upon his
ability to please the owners of the
mines, not the men whose lives he is
supposed 70 guard. There are districts
IN the state in which the corporation
operating the colleries dictate the NOM
ination of every nspector.-Philadel
uhi1 InuIiirPr