The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-10

amount of irrespirable gas may turn
the scale and make the air dangerous
to life. This effect Is more marked In
mines at great elevation above the sea
level because owing to the Hghtness OF
the air the amount OF oxygen in the
cubic o o Is smaller than the normal.
L have strongly condemned the use
Of wooden boxes for thawing. and have
succeeded in many Instances in secur-
ing the adoption Of a hot water thawer
instead.
Recommendations.
/ would recommend the amending OF
house bill No. IL, session laws OF 1897.
which provides for an opening indepen-
dent to the main working shaft or in
cline, so as to make its main provis-
ions applicable to all mines which are
worked through a tunnel or drift OPEN
ing. n prohibiting the erection OF any
but a freproof building within 30 feet
of all drift or tunnel entrances which
nave no escapement or other means OF
egress.
Section 7o5, penal code, providing for
safety apparatus. in so far as IL re-
lates to the use of safety cages. when
a greater depth than 300 feet has been
attained. is very defective should
be remedied. The change I would sug-
gest would make the law read as fol-
lows:
etthfoh tVo. II - uuld " dht
corporation or person TO sink or work
through any vertical shaft, or any in
cline shaft, having an inclination OF 20
degrees. or more. to a greater depth
h 300 feet unless said shaft shall
be provided with a cage or skip, said
cage or skip to be provided with IN
iron bonnet and safety catches. to be
used in the lowering and hosting Of
the employees thereof. said cage to be
also provided, etc, as the remaining
part of the section provides.
The rate of speed at which employees
are lowered into and hoisted out of
shafts should be regulated by law. The
maximum rate should not exceed 200
feet per minute, except In shafts where
the cages are provided with doors,
when a rate OF 500 feet may be safely
allowed.
Deputy Inspector Frank Hunter. in
his report, points TO the necessity of
legislation regulating the use Of cross
heads. The danger arising from their
use was also noted in the reports OF
Mine Inspector c. 3. Shoemaker for the
years 1894 and 1895. A Ions experience
with their use and the risks attending
their operation leads me to concu in
the Views expressed by the gentlemen
quoted, n to request the enactment
OF n law which will prohibit the use
OF, crossroads of less han seven feet
inllength.
The balance OF Inspector Byrne's re-
port deals largely with the mineral pro-
duction of the state and valuable tables
showing h increase. One table fur
nishes the annual production of gold,
silver. copper and lead from 1862 to 1897.
This table shows a total production of
S151.s11 .456, of which $257 $3.50. 727 came
from the placer and quartz gold mines,
$3.50 1913 from the silver mines, $217.-
49,, 1924 from the copper mines and
$9,sl7.l12 from the production OF lead.
The production of coke for the year
ending June 30, 1898, was 60, 499 tons,
valued at 1921, 2i2.50. This is a new in
dustry and its growth is one of the i'm
portant features brought out by the re-
port. Other tables show the growth of
the coal industry from a production Of
1875 tons in 1888 to 1,6i7 1872 tons in
1897. valued at S2,9S7. 40S.
The precious metal output of Mon
tana during 1897 was the largest in the
history Of the state and aggregated
s53. 954. 675.0S. This is 3.222, 5000 more
h that Of the preceding year. The
total production was contained in the
four metals, gold, silver, copper and
Lead