The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-10-06
DEFECTIVE MINE LAWS.

Mine NDtCtOr W1lIldIHS, Oh lne OtHNIdi
Mine Inspection district of Luzerne coun-
ty, has the following in his last report
TO the authorities at Harrisburg, which
has Just been published:
"In the year 1871 the first year of tho
anthracite mine law there was one life
lost for 1856 employees, and production OF
$4,000 tons per life lost. The number OF
persons employed was ESQ. In the ;irst
decade under the mine law, one life was
lost for 1863 employees, and 5000 tons of
coal wero produced per life lost In the
second decade, one life was lost for si9
persons employed, and 91.507 tons of coal
were produced per life lost In the last
seven years one life was lost to 297 per-
sons employed, and 38646 tons were pro-
duced per life lost. The total number OF
employees for last year WIS 25,65O, against
| $50 in the year when the mine inspec-
| tion began. The quantity of coal pro-
duced in 1897 was 7,4574lS tons in an
average of 1874 days, against 100000 tons
| in the first year of mine inspection in per-
| haps double time, or 26s days. 1t is not
| fair to compare the accidents In mines
with the number of persons employed. In
| the latter part of the second decade In
| this district, an unusual number OF men
were employed opening new mines and
| driving tunnels who were not producing
| coal. and 1t not just that the accidents
| should &c attributed to coal mining.
1.-THE purpose of coal mining is to pro-
| duce coal, and the accidents should be
| rated with the production of coal. TO
compare the accidents of coal mining with
the accidents of railroads computed ac-
| cordinE to railroad methods is unjust to
| coal mining, although the records are in
| the favor of the management of coal min
ing. The railroads have only one class
| of accidents these incident to the trans
| mission of trains. To do this work they
are not cranped for room, for they are
in the open air and have daylight and
what a miner would consider an extra
ordinary good light at night.
"In the mines Ii is entirely different.
The transmission of the mine cars has 10
be done through narrow passages where
the space is rarely over three feet wide
outside of the tracks and is frequently
too low for a man to raise his head
| Dangerous roof has to be timbered and
re-tmbered. Floors are heaving, throw
ing tracks out of order. Ventilation has
to be provided. Noxious and explosive
gases are increasingly emitted, and snor-
nous quantities of explosives have to be
handled and consumed. The safety of ev-
cry man is dependent on the untaillng
speed of machinery and that no man OF
boy makes a mistake or a mis-step. The
employees of a railroad are selected with
care. while very little regard as to the
fitness of person is paid when person:
are employed for the mines.
THE law regulating the qualification
of miners is worse than farce. There
never was such an incompetent class OF
miners employed as there is now. This
has been reported by the mine inspectors
several times, and they are in the bes
positions to know. 1t would be as appro
pirate to compare the risks of clerical Of
flee work with the risk of railroading a:
to compare the risk of railroading with
that of coal mining in this region, anC
no one who knows anything about i
would attempt 1t.
Il would respectfully call attention e
the fact that this district has two and ;
half times the number of employees anC
is capable of producing three times tn
quantity of coal now, more than IL dix
when mine inspection began. and the in
spection is done still by one man only
The risk of mining is certainly man!
| times greater.
owing to the complications attendin;
anthracite mining, the manifold pitches
| and conditions of the coal in the earth
| the great thickness and number of tn
coal seams, the enormous quantity of eX
plosives required in its extraction, an,
| the great quantity of explosive case
| evolved it is recognized as an eXtremel,
difficult region to mine. Notwithstanding
| this, the bureau of mines was created Il
the department of internal affairs wit
| no representation wha tever in its organi
cation from the anthracite region.
this bureau was created with a SINGER
desire to assist the Inspectors in the en-
: | forcement of the law and to reduce tn
number of accidents, it should be con
, sidered that it cannot be done by keer
ing them occupied as they are kept now
at useless clerical work.
AN examination of records at the OF
fees of the il spectors would show in
fnitely better whether the inspectio
work is done or rot. A number of useles
Offices can be created and kept busy rC
porting to one another with fully as muc
, good as the work exacted by the burea
of mines under the instruction of tn
department of internal affairs at pres
ent. 1t Is right that we should be SUI
2 ported and not handicapped in work S
important"