The Elk Mountain pilot., 1899-04-25
To Prevent Mine Accidents.

Among the bills that have become
laws since the adjournment of the
Twelfth General Assembly is one of
great Importance to the mining inter
ests of the state. Under the title, AN
act to amend an act entitled An act
TO create state bureau of mines and
to define the duties of the commission
er of mines,'" Representative Ryan
introduced and secured the passage of
bill that not only does as the title
implies, but also goes into the subject
or mining in the state, filing new reg
ulations of very comprehensive char
acter for the government of the indus
try. Most of these We're framed with
view to better protect the lives of
men employed in and about the mines
of the state
After briefly touching upon the du-
ties of the commissioner and his depu-
ties the bill goes into the question of
the storage and use of explosives, re-
quiring all powder to be kept in a mag
azine prepared for that purpose exclu-
slvely at a safe distance from any
mine. Only sufficient quantity to per-
form the work of one shift is to be
taken from the magazine at one time.
Oils and other combustible substances
must be stored separately, and mine
owners must provide suitable and safe
devices for the warming or thawing
of giant powder.
The commissioner of mines is au-
thorized to regulate ard limit the
amount of nitro-powder kept or stored
In general supply stores in towns or
camps where there is no municipal
law governing the same.
Miners are prohibited the use of met
al bars of any kind for tamping
charges of powder into drill holes.
All old timbers shall be removed as
soon as practicable and shall not be
permitted to decay underground.
No person addicted to the use of in
toxicating liquors or under the age of
eighteen years shall be employed as
hoisting engineer.
One provision makes 1t compulsory
to have all hoisting machinery equip
ped with an indicator showing plainly
the position of the bucket or cage at
all times. One man to be known as n
eager must be employed for the eX-
elusive labor of loading and unload
ing the cage at different levels and of
giving all signals to the hoisting en-
gineer.
The commissioner of mines is to es-
tablish a code of signals for the hoist
ing and lowering of cages, the same to
be adopted by all mines making use of
nOlStlnS machinery.
Provision Is made for the protection
of all surface workings from fire by
requiring a sufficient quantity of hose
in properties where water is available
and requiring chemical fire extinguish-
ers in other properties.
No person shall ride upon any cage,
bucket or skip loaded with tools, tim
ber, powder or other material except
to assist in passing the load through
shaft or incline and then only upon
special signal.
To give or cause to be given false
signals to any engineer renders such
offender guilty of misdemeanor un-
der the new act, and the same penalty
is to apply to any person riding upon
cage or bucket under false signals
indicating TO the engineer that nobody
Is aboard.
All shafts more than fifty feet in
depth must be partitioned off into two
compartments, one for the cage and
the other for n ladder. which is to be
kept in good repair for emergencies.
The ladderway must be securely bulk
headed at least twenty-five feet below
the surface, connecting with the open
air by a separate drift, thus affording
an easy channel for escape in case of
fire or accident. the ladderways cutting
the surface at safe distance from all
infiammable buildings.
All stations or levels shall be pro-
vided each with n passngeway around
the working shaft so that passing over
the working compartment may be
avoided. Guard rails to prevent occu-
pants of the different levels from fall
ing into the shaft shall be provided at
each station.
Any person destroying or removing
any fencing or covering from about the
opening of shaft shall be liable TO
fine of $500 or six months imprison-
ment. or both.
Strangers or visitors shall not be al
lowed underground in any mine unless
accompanied by some owner, official or
employe deputized to accompany them.
Notice of the maximum number of
men permitted to ride upon the cage
shall be posted in every mine, and all
violations of such notice shall be pun
ishable by n fine of not more than $50.
There is hardly a safety regulation in
existence that has not been incorpor-
ated in this new law, and under its
terms 1t is thought mine accidents will
be lessened materially in Colorado.
However. the exhaustive character of
this new law will keep Commissioner
Lee and his deputies more than busy
during the coming two years.