Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1900-1903, 1902-11-21
IT CARRIES DEATH.
The Ambulance That Conveys
the Stricken Miners.
DR. GIBBONS STARTLING WORDS

DIR GIBBONS STARTLING WORDS
he Says the Blankets on Which In
jured Miners Lie and the Ambulance
Which Carries Them are Bunch Of
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Testified Also
That Miners are Short Lived.
Scranton. Pa, Nov 21.-The examina-
ton of DIR r. II. Gibbons of Scranton
was Immediately resumed when the an
thracite coal strike commission met to-
day. He said that the occupation Of
miner subjected man to pleurisy,
gout, neuralgia, asthma, bronchitis,
sciatica and other diseases. Children,
lie said, who have suffered from any
form of disease of the respiratory
passages bronchitis or pneumonia,
SHOULD never be permitted in the mines
under the age of 15 years, because they
should have a chance to eliminate the
predisposing factor into fact OF So
called miners asthma.
DIR Gibbons then described the sur
face Indications of miners asthma, his
testimony in this respect not differing
essentially from that given by other
expert witnesses. On further exam
ination DR. Gibbons said he did not
mean to be understood as saying that
miners form an unhealthy class, but
that they are debilitated and run down.
He spoke of the necessity for improved
ambulance service at the different col
ieries. .E
Wi 9 mined
James III. Torrey, for the Delaware
and Hudson Co. In reply to a ques-
tion, DIR Gibbons said he did not believe
there was an ambulance in the entire
coal region that had sterilized blankets
or that were sterile themselves. I'm
fact" said the doctor, ''they are a
bunch of Infection. Every ambulance
carries dealt and disease to every un-
fortunate miner who is placed in it,
The commission took an adjourn
ment this afternoon and will consider
motion for an adjournment of a week
or ten days to talk over some business
connected with the work of the com-
mission.
SCRANTON, Pa, Nov. 21.-The eco
nomic and sociological features of the |
anthracite coal industry and the effect
employment in and about the mines
has upon the health OF the mine work
ers were the prtncipal subjects brought |
before the arbitration commission yes |
terday by the attorneys of each side to |
the controversy. While there was an |
entire absence of oratory and brilliant |
examination, which marked the pro-
ceedings during the last four days, the i
cross examination nevertheless closely |
held the attention of the commission |
ers, and they gained much information |
on the several features touched upon |
by witnesses.
The afternoon session was particu- |
fairly interesting because it brought out |
much expert testimony on the question |
Of the health of the mine workers. |
Three physicians who have practiced
in Scranton or Wilkesbarre took the
stand for the miners and in substance
testified that the occupation of mine
worker was .'very unhealthy and [
shortened his life. One physician, DR.. /
Frank P. Lennahan of Wilkesbarre, /
who says he has had a long experience
among mine workers, testified that
fully 99 per cent of the men who work
in the mines are an3nlic. Their health
II lI1GOBCIASAC0s anu lnSAI SOLAGLd1 COL-
dition is below par, thus decreasing
their earning powers. The principal ills
suffered by the miners, the physicians
said, were the miners asthma, rheu-
matism, lumbago and sciatica. The
miners asthma comes from coal dust,
powder smoke and vitiated air. DR.. John
O-AIaEey of Scranton said that at post
norteDs he had seen miners lungs as
black as anthracite itself, and DR..
IenBakan testified he had personal
knowledge of a man coughing up coal
dust nine years after he left the mines.
He said he had information that man
had coughed up coal dust fifteen years
after he had left the mines. 1t was
also stated that 80 per cent of miners
who reach the age of fifty years are
afflicted with some form of rheuma-
tism
The cross examination of the Rev.
DR. Peter Roberts. D. d. of Mahanoy
City, Pa, who has studied the anthra-
cite coal industry and written a book
on the subject, ended, and he leftethe
witness stand shortly after the noon
recess. He began his testimony Wednes-
day Copious extracts from his book
were read and placed on record. Ex-
Congressman Simon p. Wolyerton,
counsel for the Reading company, read
much Of the matter pertaining to vio-
aence in the 1900 strike and also read
articles written by DR.. Roberts during
the progress of the late contest in
which he described in strong language
the acts Of violence, intimidation and
boycotting committed during that sus-
pension. His articles spoke of some Of
these acts as brutal outrages," and he
also branded the unions action in cali
ing out the steam men in June as 'sfool-
hardy" In explaining his articles Dr.
Roberts said that he did not wish to
infer that the organization was respon- :.
sfble for all the lawlessness committed.
The doctor said that newspaper ac-
counts exaggerated the amount of law.