The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-11-02
WENT DOWN IN
GASEOUS MINE
Arbitration Commission Is See.
ing the Whole Thing.
REFUSE TO GIVE OPINIONS
TAXING OF TESTIMONY WILL
BEGIN FRIDAY, NOV. IA.

Q CRANTON, Pa, Nov. THE arbitra-
ton commission, which is engaged In
settling differences existing between
the anthracite coal operators and the
mine workers, decided today. while on
their tour of the Wyoming valley, to ad-
journ next Thursday until Friday. Nov
IA, when the taking of testimony viii
begin in this city. The first four days
of next week wiz be taken up in inspect
ing the mines and mining towns from
Hazleton south to the end of the hard
coal fields.
Chairman Gray said tonight that the OBJ
Jset in taking q recess of one week was
Tor the purpose of giving both sides suffi-
Client time to prepare their cases. and
also 10 give the members of the commits
sion an opportunity to examine the IS
sues The commissioners feel that the
questions involved are so important that
any haste may work an injury to either
SIDE OF the controversy. When the hear
ings are begun week after next il Is the
intention TO have the miners. who are
considered the plaintiffs, submit their
case first. How long il viii take to hear
all the testimony cannot be estimated
by the commissioners.
The sixty-seven individual operators
will also be given an opportunity to be
heard. as well ss all the larger coal COM
panies. The question of making Il pre-
liminary report on some of the issues in
volved, such as the increase OF wages. d
shorter working day, and the weighing
of coal at the mouth of the mines. has
not yet been officially taken up by the
known tonight that it will be considered
by the commissioners.
In Gaseous Mine.
The arbitrators spent the entire day in
and about the city of Wilkesbarre. visit
ing one mine and making a tour of sew
erai Of the towns on the outskirts of the
city.
At the Dorrance colliery of the Leigh
Valley Coal company, at North Wilkes
barre, nearly two hours were spent in
the mine about $50 feet below the sur
face The mine is very gaseous one,
and the commissioners and other mem
hers of their party were compelled to
carry safety lamps. They were told the
mine was dangerous, but their eagerness
for information as TO the physical fea-
lures of the various mines was so great
that the unsafe conditions of the work
ings did not deter them from entering.
Upon this trip S. d. Warmer. general
superintendent of the Lehigh Valley
company. and W. J. Richards. general
superintendent of the Lehigh & Wilkes
barre Coal company, accompanied the
commissioners as the representatives of
the operators. The miners were repre-
scented by District President Nichols nd
National Board Member John Fallon.
There were no special incidents in the
trip below ground and the tour was
much the same as those taken in other
mines On the two previous days. the only
difference being that the commissioners
saw a vein of coal about sixteen feet
thick which is three times the thick
| ness of the seams Of coal seen on Thurs
day and Friday. One OF the gangways
traversed by the commission runs under
| the Susquehanna river to the west side
/ of North Wilkesba barre.
All Saints Day.
Today was All Saints day and was
religiously observed by many of the for
| eign-speaking mine workers. For this
reason no coal was mined in the Dor
rance and many other coliieries through
out the region The company officials
/ drew the attention OF tha commissioners
| TO this enforced curtailed production OF
COAL After the commission took lunch
| con on the special train the party board
l ed a trolley car and visited North Wilkes
barre. Ashley. sugar Notch and Ply.
mouth, Inhabited principally BY mine
/ workers. The commissioners did not