The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-06
ARBITERS
END TOUR
Will Meet in Scranton
November ID.
CRAWL THROUGH MINES
Technical instruction Under
Unpleasant Conditions.
Have Met Mine superintendents and
Also Talked with arimy-faced
Laborers-Idle Men Com
plain to Gray.


of observation of the coal fields in the
Panther Creek Valley today and the mem
bers of the party will return to their
homes tomorrow and will meet again
at Scranton, November IA. to take the
testimony Of the miners. The biggest
days work of the entire trip was &C
complished today when the commission
ers made a complete inspection Of two
large collieries and tour Of the region
lying between Mount Carmel and this
city.
!. Six working days have been consumed
In travelling from place to place and the
arbitrator feel they are now qualified
TO sit in judgment on the controversy
between the mine owners and their en-
ployes.
In all the commi ssioners have been low
cred into seven mines of varying con-
ditions and have gone through several
breakers. They have met the general
superintendents, the mine superintendent
and the foremen of the various collieries
visited and also have talked with the
grimy coal diggers below the earth's sur
face.
What They Have Learned.
They have heard the grievances the
miners say they have and have heard
the companies complaint. Beside this
the commissioners have gained a some
what technical knowledge of mining in it,
many different features that will be OF
the greatest assistance to them. They
will be able to understand questions and
ask questions where they would not
have been able to understand them II they
| had not been under ground.
| The commissioners special train lef
Mount Carmel at 1850 q. m. and firs
| ,sitad the. Potts Colliery in Columbis
County, several miles from Mount Car
mel. 1t is owned by the Philadelphia ant
| Reading Coal and Coke Company. Thu
| breaker of this colliery is different from
those seen by the commissioners at Other
places. They went all over the buildings
and were much interested In the work
men employed there. among whom were
many boys From the Potts Colliery thu
train proceeded through Ashland, Girard
Vile and Gilberton to the Maple Hill Col
Hery of the Philadelphia and Reading
| Coal and Iron Company in the Mahan
onoy Valley, few miles from Shenan'
doah.
This is one of the best mines in the
entire anthracite field and Is supplied
with all modern appliances. The bottom
of the shaft is 100 feet below the sur
face and during their two hours stay
In the workings. the commissioners wen'
about mile and half from the smart.
Gave Money to Boys.
The whistle blew the noon hour JUS
as the party came to the surface Al
atrnatn ~ a
| talked with the boys whose faces were
black from coal dust. Judge Gray an6
Bishop Spalding seemed the most inter
ested in the lads and gave some Of them
| small coin.
| From the Maple Hill colliery the COM
missioners train was run down through
Mahanoy City and Tamaqua to the
Panther Creek valley. Then the arbi-
traitors visited the No. 8 colliery or the
Leihgh Coal and Navigation Company Of
| Coaldale The entrance to the mines was
through a drift which is a Horizontal
opening into the base Of mountain
About one hundred feet inside the en-
trance the party was lowered by meani
of a shaft to the bottom which is So
| feet down.
The mine proved to be quite wet ant
every one In the party. got more or les'
u
commission passed along the gangway or
the mine cars drawn by mules they wen
under worked out chutes from which
| water flowed in streams While goinG
under one chute the mules stopped apc
the water fell into one OF the cars, fully
soaking all of its occupants. 1t was ar
uncomfortable position to be in ana the
commissioners in the other cars took II
as a good joke on their colleagues who
were directly under the chute.
Smeared With Coal Dust.
The party went to the end Of two LONG
| gangways about half mile In length ano
up into a very steep chute where they
found miners at work. In order to gel
into the chute the commissioners had tc
climb a ladder and crawl over broker
coal through a small opening. Theil
hands and faces were smeared with Goa
dust when they came out.
| After leaving the mine number OF idle
mine workers crowded around Chairman
Gray Of the commission and told him tina
they had been Disseminated against b,
the company in the matter of getting thei
| old places back. They said Superinten
| dent Banner void not take them back fo
some reason unknown to them and tina
other men had been given their positions
On the other hand the company Officials
said they have not enough work at thi
| mine for all the men on account OF re
pairs now being done In the mine. Judg'
| GRAY listened to them, but made no com
ment.
The commissioners will leave for Potts
Vile tomorrow morning and will depar
from the latter place for their homes dur
ing the afternoon.