The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-11-21
HEALTH OF MINE WORKERS
The Strike Commissioners Thoroughly
Investigate The Subject.
EXPERTS TESTIFY on THE STAND
Facts Were Brought Out REGARDING Dis
eases Affecting Miners--LHe Short
ened by Their Work.

Nero Drought Out Regarding Dis
eases Affecting Miners--LHe Short
ened by Their Work.
scranton Fa., November 2o.-The eeonom.
zeal and sociological features OF the an.
thracite coal industry aud the eject that
.he employment In and about the mines
uas upon the health Of the mine workers
were the principal subjects brought be-
tore the arbitration commission today by
Ine attorneys of each side to the contro-
Versy. While there was an entire alb
sence OF the brilliant cross-examiuation
which marked the proceedings the last
rev days, the cross examination Individual
~ held the attention OF the commission
ers The afternoon session was interesting
because II brought out much expert testl-
mony on the health OF the miners Three
physicians, who have praeticed in Scran-
miners and in substance testified that the
occupation was very unhealthy and short
e enled life. Dr. Frank p, Lenahan of
Wilkesharre, who SAYS he has had n louZ
experience among the mine workers, teSti-
ned that fully 30 per cent of the men who
work In the mines are aenemic. Their
health is impoverished and their condition
Is below par. thus decreasing their earn.
ing powers. The principal Ills suffered by
the miners, the physicians said were the
miners asthma, rheumatism. lumbago and
scistica. The miners ASTHMA c.mes from
coal dust, powder smoke and yitlated air.
AFFECTIONS OF MINERS.
DR.. John O'NIalley Of Scranton said that
at post mortems he had seen miners lungs
as black as anthracite itself, and Or. Lena
han testified that he had personal knowl-
edge Of man coughing up coal dust nine
years after he had left the mines. He
said he had information that a man had
coughed up coal dust fifteen years after he
left the mines. 1t was also stated that
90 per cent of the miners who reached the
age OF 90 years are afflicted with some
form of rheumatism
The cross examination Of Rev Peter
Roberts ended shortly after the noon re-
cess
Copious extracts from his book were read
and placed Cd the record.
Simon =. Wolverton, counsel for the
Reading company, read much from the mat
ter pertaining to violence in the 1900 strike
and also read articles written by Roberts
during the progress of the late contest, in
which he described in strong language the
acts of violence, intimidation and boycott
ting committed during that suspension.
His articles spoke of some of those facts
as brutal outrages,' and he also branded
the unions action in calling out the steam
men In June as "fcolhardy" In explaining
his articles Roberts said that he did not
wish TO imply that the organization was
responsible for all the lawlessness commit
ted The preacher said yesterday that
newspaper accounts exaggerated the
amount Of lawlessness in the coal regions
so that Mr., Wolverton's reading of DR..
Roberts description OF serious acts OF boy
""t''ng and violence afforded much amuse'
ment.
NJ Roberts gave it as his opinion that
attempts to have nonunion men form a
separate organization were iustigated by
parties opposed to organized labor.
MARGIN OF CARELEssNEss.
In attempting TO show that careIessness
Of the miner contributes materially to his
danger, Chairman Gray lnterposed with
the remark that a margin of carelessness
incident TO human nature must be taken
into account when estomatlng the danger
BUSINESS Of any hazardous occupation.
The Interest In the commissioners and
their investigation has not decreased. Each
day hundreds of men line the streets ana
watch the arbitrators walk TO the court
room. Most of them are idle mine work.
ers and they give the commissioners a
somewhat critical look as they pass by.
Each session Of tho commission finds the
court room damned with Interested per
sons. The commissioners continue TO hold
daily conferences hut what is discussed
is, as a rule, strictly withheld from the
public.
When the session today began Rev. DR..
Peter Roberts was again put on the stand.
Dr. Roberts said today that a comparison
Of fatalities on all railroads In the United
States with those in the anthracite fields
show that 20 per 1000 railroad employees
are killed annually while SO per 100 en-,
ployes were killed In the anthracite Indus
try. The fatalities of switchmen, hagmen
and watchmen in 1900 he declared to be S5
per 1000, as against 5.5 per 1000 among
miners and their lahorers working inside
the mines.
The question Of arriving at a fair price
on rock in connection with coal mining,
DR.. Roberts said, was one mat could be
adjusted only by the mine employees ana
the companies. He said 1t was far from
the truth to chara ctTr1ze the operators al
hGrdhearted and unjust and as seeking
constantly to grind men down to the last
penny of wages, as had been charged.
REV. ROBERTS BOOK.
Mr. Wilcox consumed the greater part OF
the afternoon session In reading extracts
from the book Of Rev. Roberts on the an.
thracite coal industry. Occasionally he ask,
ed a question and replying TO one, Dr.
Roberts said that an established minimum
wage would necessarily enable man to
live as a man. Answering = question by
Commissioner Parker. Mr.. Roberts said
that Of the sixty four children employed
in the ELEPHANT breaker. near this city, 81
per cent were under II years OF age and
had others dependent on them.
Al this tuncture Mr., Roberts was TEN
porarily withdrawn as a witness and DR.
John O'Malley OF Scranton was questioned
by James /. Lenahan, counsel for the mine
workers lie said he had occupied various
official positions, which, in connection with
his private practice mad given him an op'
pOrtunity 10 carefully study the Affections
OF miners, due directly to the work in
which they are engaged. HIS experience
had been that catarrh asthma, rheuma'
tism, stomach troubles, pneumonia, sciatl
ca, lumbago, aenema were the diseases
from which miners usually suffered.
Asked as to whether or not the disease
was durable the doctor said the fatalities
resulting were slight, bat 1t was likely Il
produce some fatal disease.
On cross-examination by Mr.. Torrey OF
the Delaware and Hudson company the
doctor said he was not speaking from offl
cial records, but from memory. True
asthma he said, is not serious, but min
ers asthma was due to some lrritant, Ike
coal dust He did not know OF any boob
which technically defined the difference
between ordinary asthma ana miner
asthma, but, he said, he felt himself cap
| able 70 define It by reason Of his long ex
perience.