The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-01-12

Z mems to be employed Cor n settlement
9rof jail ilndnstrlal disputes arising be.
tween capital and labor in West VIZ
ginla. q III
EIGHT HOUR LAW. "a
.4 In view OF the large number OF men
6 employed III West Virginia ana IN MI Of
the states of the Union, and owing 10
f:ies large nulnbcs Of labor-savlng ma.
chimes nov In active operation. ana
\ many other well known causes, which
are constantly reducing The opportuni.
ties for the employment OF our people,
Whereby they can earn an honest living
Z by honest toll. 1 mos. earnestly recon.
y mendSthe enactment Of law byswhlch'
i eight hours shall be regarded as n
WORKING dayath,9aghout the state OF
West Virginia. &! ,;i5
Il 81 MINING INDUSTRIES.
The growthiof the mining Industry3iri
Y this state during the past sixteen, ,years
has been sosrapid that the public mind
has barely kept abreast; OF the piienorn.
Il email development IN the staple conf,
Z mercel of this state. Since the fGstat-
lisliment OF this department, the state.s
x annual product or.coal alias. Increased
4 over II 200. 900 tons 200 more mines have
been opened. and 1900 more men iipd
Z employement at the mines. .t;tl
With this increased tonnage, and with
1900 men now employed it, Is buti III
natural course In events that ma ny per-
sons Will be both injured and Killed;
The. records confirm this. and ID an
4 alarming extent. In 1854, 1000 men
were employed and Z, So. 5GG tons Of coal
were dug with a lossso twenty men, or
y one man for each 40. PTS tons of coal
y produced: in 1890. II 900 men were en-
q ployed In the production OF 4, 1S3, CSC tons
of9coal, with5a loss of. thirteen men. or
Z one man for each 32l,T91 tons. i q 1893
= the mines had increased In number TO
s zoe. and 1000 men were employed In the
production Of! 8. 1882 tons OF coal with
loss Of seSenty-two men: Killed, or one
man for each 49,, $40 tons produced, In
1883, the number OF men killed was
three, or one for each liz. Ol3 tons
or coal mined: In 1896, there were sixty
= four men Killed Z or one man for each
1885, 76 tons OF coal mined; In 1897, sixty
two men were, killed, or one fdr each
{ 1S6.643 tons, and In 1898, there Were
{Selghty-seven men killed. Ill. the produc-
: tlon from over 300 mines Of, Il va $50
tons OF coal, or one man killed for each
l6f, 1908 tons Of coal produced. In fact
during the past SIX years, 4e7 men have
found death at the mines In tliis stnte,
q and the records show that greatiinany
fthese might have been prevented had
v certain regulations been observed. j {sif;'la
81 The mines In the state now. number
Z over 800, and their combined capacity is
20. 000.0 600 tons of coal per year.
A II L., L..
g causes of accidents. rs may be OBJ
& served from the two reports made to me
by the chief mine Inspector, whose
II opinion Is, as well as the opinion of
e each Of the district inspectors that Il Is
b necessary to enact some specific laws
: regulating the conduct of persons en-
ployed In the mines OF this state. In or,
der to further add to the safety OF the
z men, and reduce the number Of fatali-
: ties ~ rs. :. II ~
During the past two years, the chief
z. mine inspector Informs Inc. there have
I beenznine accidents due TO cnrelcssness
In handling, powder In the mines: 100
Z accidents, by. the mine cars, killing eigh-i
teen men: 179 accidents due to falls OF
4 slate, killing efghtS-twc, men, and one
Z fatality by n gas explosion. EOf the
Z eighty-seven persons killed the past
year, there We're, only seven lnqueSts
Z held In the state. s1npuests should al
ways be held upon cach death rpsi;ltin-
j from accident in the mines. - &c. -
The four district inspectors. have each.
about serGnty-fve mines To Inspect, and
tosrlsit each mine four times per year,
occupies all Of tict:. time. Many stig-
< Eestions are made by the inspectors for
SOW nf ihnr. bain~ M law IN 5anf,,ir,
sunh u,,e,o.,;nr. ti,n,. "a l., f,.f,H .s,tI,.
rnSn,i,n5 r.ith = 'fs'.s'gi, =, -! - =
,Etn ,.s,,i,, ,it,, a., ,,n,s ~, -, ~
,.5an,ant;,., ars ~ ra,,. na y" t in
,nror,nnd ,hn br",,ss tmrn;,,,,hn WI 4; i .,n
r,ima. st,r,,,1 ,o ,,rn,..d ,,,S, -, w
Ia ,,tr mi ~, so,pn snootnaa .s1D ,et' =.
TN NJ, nsod IN i,,p', r,,,a, ~, M;
,r.,.a,,a,,, .''e 'i'ieA
.i,'l i.,iG,i,,s ny p,o1utes excess
~ ii'ocis ~ .iie us
nj, y, ..i i' ~"
i t.'e.n"" ~. u ..I5 III nllhy
Hliies 10 aiso aeiectNc, ana hecas aur
'nHtiheht;
rs; peiietsu mat the condition OF the
mines, MN, anu me Wellare OF the employees
VIII De iiineh improved by amending
Gerta,i, seetlons oi our MINING i;lws, and
ny adulns u lew new. sections.
Ehete hre WORKING IN 1mal! mines
IN ms state upwards otiivc hundred
men, VINO 40 not have the pf6tcctto1 OF
= mine laws. This APPEARS to be class
legislation. and the laws Should include
s. TO accomplish the desired .rrs,.l,s ,hs
CHIEF mine Inspector has framed n few
mn tMna q, 10 nr present laws In the
/. is believed viii verv M, ,aTi9i,, Mi ~,
TO the safety OF tie mines, ana promote
ihs health Of The MEN working In the
lulUcSs tlIlu at lIls EilI1e tlTl1n. entail Ia