The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-06
"Wednesday spent I'm the Panther VAL
ley Viewing Mines, Breaker and
Talking with Men.
INSPECTION TO END TODAY
COMMISSIONERS WILL LEAVE FOR
THEIR HOMES THIS AFTERNOON.
They Have Visited Seven Galleries
aud Gone Through Several Break
ers I'm Six Days.

anthracite strike commission ended its
tour of observation of the coal fields in the
Panther Creek valley to-day. and the men,
hers OF the party will return TO their homes
tomorrow and will meet again at Scran-
ton on Nov. IA to take the testimony OF
the miners The biggest days work OF the
entire trip was accomplished to-day, when
the commissioners made a complete in
spection 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 in the anthra-
cite coal region. and the arbitrators feel
that they are now qualified to sit In judy
ment on the controversy between the mine
owners and their employees. In all the COM
missioncrs have been lowered into seven
mines OF varying conditions and have gone
through several breakers. They have met
the general superintendent. the mine SUI,
perintendents and the foremen Of the va
rious coIlieries visited, and also have
talked with the griny coal diggers in the
dark gangways and chambers hundreds of
feet below the earth's surface They nave
heard the grievances the miners say they
have, ard also have heard the company's
have gained somewhat technical knowi-
edge of, mining in it's many different fea-
lures that will be of the greatest assistance
to them. They will be able 10 understand
questions and ask questions where they
would not have been able to understand
them IL they had not been underground.
The commissioners special train LETT
Mt Carmel at 1880 a. m. and first visit
ed the Potts coIliery in Columbia county.
several miles from Mt Carmel 1t is
owned by the Philadelphia and Reading
Coal AMI Coke Company. The breaker of
this colliery is different from those seen
by the commissioners at other places. They
went alb over the building and were much
interested i'm the workmen employed there.
among whom were many boys From the
Potts colliery the train proceeded through
Ashland Girardville and Gilberton TO the
Maple Bill colliery of the Philadelphia and
Beading Coal and Iron Company, In the
Mahanoy valley few miles from Shenan-
doah. This is of the best mines in
the entire anthracite field. and is equipped
with all modern appliances. The bottom
of the shaft is $50 feet below the surface.
and during their two hours stay in the
workings the commissioners went about
a mile and a half from the shaft. The
parry came tothe surface. At the breaker
near by the commissioners talked with the
dust. Judge Gray and Bishop Spalding
seemed the most interested in the lads
and gave some of them small coin.
From the Maple Hill colliery the COM
missioDers train was run down through
Mahanox City and Tamaqua to the Pan
ther Creek valley. Then the arbitrators
visited the No. colliery of the Lehigh
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 100 feet
by means of a shaft to the bottom, which
Is $50 fest down. The mine proved to be
quite wet and every one in the party got
more or less of wetting
As the members of the commission passed
along the gangway on the mine cars drawn
by mules they went under wOrked-out
chutes from which water flowed in streams.
While going under one chute the mules
stopped and the water fell into one of the
cars. thoroughly soaking all its occupants.
1t was sn uncomfortable position to be In.
and the commissioners in the other cars
took IL as a good joke on their colleagues
who were directly under the chute.
The party went to the end OF two long
gangNays about half mile in length and
up into a very steep chute. where they
found miners at work. In order to get into
the chuts the commissioners had to climb a
ladder aad crawl over broken coal through
a small opening. Their hands and faces
were smeared with coal dust when they
came out.
After leaving the mine number of idle
mine workers crowded around Chairman
Gray, of the commission, and told him that
they had been Disseminated against by the
company in the matter of getting their old
places back They said Superintendent
Behner would not take them back for some
reason unknown to them and that other
men had been given their positions On
the other hand, the company officials said
that they have not enough work at this
mine for all the men account of repair
work now being done in the mine. Judge
\Gray listened TO them, but made no COM
Ihent
The commissioners arrived in this city at
o'clock and spent the night at the Kair
Hotel Tomorrow morning they will leave
for Pottsville and will depart from the lat
ter place for their homes during the after
noon TIE commissioners special cars will
be run 70 Washington by way Of Philadel-
phia, and from the latter city some of the
commissioners will go 10 New York
The commissioners held a conference in
the parlor OF the hotel tonight at which
arrangements for the holding of the hear
fngs and also the mode of procedure in
taking testimony were discussed III was
announced that Commissioner Watkins
whose home is in Scranton has been dele
gated 10 make arrangements for the meet
ing In Scranton. il is likely the hearing
will be held In the courthouse there The
status o. the independent coal companies
In the present arbitration proceedings is
not quite clear. All Of them have been in
vifed TO participate In the hearing il they
80 desire. The Lehigh Coal and Naviga-
tion Company, IL Is understood. have agreed
10 abide by the decision of the commission
as also have several small independent con-
Germs. IL Is believed that all of them will
accept the arbitators' decision. II they do
this the commission is likely to take up the
grievances which have arisen at some of
the independent collieries since the strike
was declared of. The commission has
steadfastiy refused to visit any collieries
where the owners have not agreed TO abide
by the award of the commission