The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-09-29
A Moral Responsibility Is Necessary
for Success in Every Instance.

qualification is absent, observing peO-
pie soon see that moral blindness has
displaced that depth and strength Aof
character that is required for the exc
cution of the law and the perform
ance of official duties" says a writer
in Mines and Minerals. "The duties
of a fire boss are equal in importance
to those of the engineer Of a railway
passenger train and the captain OF
an emigrant ship for in all three cases
the lives Of great numbers Of human
beings and the properties of the oper-
ators are entrusted to their gu1rdian-
ship and care, and IL they neglect to
look out for danger to their charge,
the consequences are sure to be ruin
to themselves and a great number of
people that are mistaken in trusting
them.
"a frc boss who possesses a feeling
Of moral responsibility with regard
to the performance of his duties cam
not fail to win the confidence of those
below him and obtain promotion as q
mine official If this conclusion be
correct, and II is. the three interested
parties have common interest for,
when a fire boss fultils his obligations
to the law and his employers, the op-
orators are satisfied that their prop
erty is safe, the miners are satisfied
that their lives are safe, and the fire
boss is satisfied with the tokens Of
esteem he merits.
From these statements and con-
clusions it might at first appear that
the ideal fire boss has only to prac-
tice the provisions of the state minini
law and do the duties he was engaged
to perform and he will be eminently
successful in complying with the re-
quirements of the triple interest; such,
however, is not SO, for in many cases
exact compliance with the letter of
the law would frustrate its intentions
and imperil the lives of the miners.
the property Of the operators. and the
reputation of the fire boss.
IF a mine official does not very
much supplement many Of the pro-
visions of the mine law and if he car
ries out simply it's letter and not its
intent. he will, in many cases, sac
rifice the lives of miners, seriously
damage the property of it's operators,
and lose his reputation as a trust
worthy manager of a mine. 1t Is i'm
possible for any legislature to max"
laws that would overreach all the dl.
vergent conditions that arise in rela-
ton to some things in a mine, and,
therefore, they only provide for COM
mon occurrences.
For instance, consider general rule
Is of the anthracite mine law of Penn
sylvania. This rule is not selected be-
cause 1t is less complete than other
rules or laws, but because 1t affords
a good illustration Of the principle
involved. 1t reads as follows: When
ever a place is likely to contain n dan
gerous accumulation of water, the
working approaching such a place
shall not exceed twelve feet in width
and there shall be constantly kept at
a distance of not less than twenty
feet in advance at least ore bore hole
near the center Of the working and
sufficient flank bore holes on each sde.'
1.-THE term "a place in the wording
OF this general rule is used as being
sufficiently comprehensive to include
all the following and other places In
the same vein that may contain ac-
cumulations of water and lie in the
region to which the present workings
are advancing:
81. A chamber in an old ana Hooded
mine
"2. A chamber flooded in the up-
grade workings of a pitching seam.
'3. An advanced pair Of headings
that are known to have been driven
in an old flooded mine.
"a. An underground shaft connect
ing two seams that are flooded. one
being above and the other beneath the
seam in the course of being worked.
20. An advanced panel Of flooded
workings to an old mine.
sc. 4 long and extended face of
long-wall working in an old and flcod-
ed mine.
''7. The flooded COB Of an old mine
Undoubtedly these are the places
to which the general rule refers, but
there are others that the law does
not provide for that may produce dis
asters Of equal magnitude; for exam
pie, when the workings that are in
progress in an under seam come under
the COB of an upper seam that is food
ed and the intervening strata are thin
and tender. the consequences might be
appalling if dangerous proximity wera
not sought for by boring, but the bOr-
ing in this case would not be that
ordered bv the state law, for 1t orders
one bore hole, at least, to be kept In
advance for twenty feet In the center
of the working. In the last case n
bore hole i'm the center of the advanc-
ing face would be useless, for now
this search hole should be a vertical
upward one.
1.-THE upper seam is a place con.
tanning a dangerous accumulation Of
water and before the under workings
came under it they We're approaching
it The general rule, therefore, applies
in spirit as much to this place rs any
other, but in the applications of the
provisions for safety, if any officials
were to apply what the rule commands
q. e. q bore hole in the face), for a
place i'm tho same seam TO a place in
an upper seam he would destroy his
own reputation ana jeopardize the
lives of the miners and the property
| of the operators.
"He is, therefore. in a case like this
morally responsible for the triple in
| terest of self, miner and operator, as
! he may be sure TO one would condemn
| him for telpreting a law he could
not in the interests Of prudence obey
| strictly.
There are occasionally Instances
| like the above whore an official has
J to be "a law unto himself but 70 be
| successful i'm doing so he should he
| able TO temper prudence with knowl-
| edge, and above all, to feel In his
| daily inspection. morally responsible
for the safety of the property Of the
| operators"