Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-11-21
MEET DEATH In PIT
Miners Accidental Death Rate is Higher
Than That Of Railroaders.
Or. ROBERTS GIVES COMMISSION FIGURES
Shows Percentage to Be at Least One -Third
Higher
SAYS HUNGRY MEN BECOME DANGEROUS
Thus he Explains Scenes of Disorder During
Recent Strike.
ROBERTS GIVES COMMISSION FIGURES
Us HUNGRY MEN BECOME DANGEROUS
DISEASE is ALSO PROLIFIC AMONG MEN
Doctors Tell of Asthma, Rheumatism
and LumbnEo Induced by Labor
Under Ground In the
Anthracite Fields,

SCRANTON, Pa, Nov. 2O.-wben the
strike commission resumed today Rev
| Peter Roberts was recalled.
He compared fatalities on all railroads
In the United States with those in the
anthracite field, and said that while 25
per l'OOO railroad employees are killed an
hually, 80 per 1000 employees are killed
In the anthracite industry. The fatalities
among switchmen. hagmen and watchmen
in 1900, he said, were 5.3 per 1000, as
against 5.5 per 900 miners and their
laborers working inside the mines.
The question of arriving at a fair price
on rock in connection with coal mining
Ut Roberts said was one that could be ad-
lusted only by the mine employees and the
| companies. He said It was far from the
| truth to characterize the operators as hard
| hearted and unjust and as seeking con-
stantly to grind men down to the last penny
OF wages as had been charged.
Dr. Roberts declared that the men in the
southern anthracite district voted 70 stand
by their brothers in the northern district
on the question of insisting on the recog-
nltlon OF the union and also on all other
points raised in the Shamokin convention.
Answering further questions by Mr.. VOL
Verton, DR.. Roberts said he understood that
dlssensions had occurred between miners
and their helpers, the latter claiming that
the miners left them at an unreasonable
hour and imposed on them the whole of tho
labor.
Compulsory Education Provided For.
The fact was brought out in the course
OF cross examination that the Penn
sylvania legislature in 1891 passed a com.
pulsory education law applying to every
child under 16 years, and that under its
provisions parents Of delinquents could be
punished.
The question of the extra hazardous char
acter the mine workers occupation was
then referred to by Everett Warren, coun.
sci for the Erie company, who asked
If it were not true that over so per cepA
OF the accidents were attributable to the
anxiety Of the miner TO get out OF the min9
at a. much earlier hour than noon. i-r
Witness was not prepared to say thaa
was the percentage.
IF the conditions in the bituminous re-
gions," inquired Mr.. wolverton, ARE better
than in the anthracite fields, why did the
men who left the hard coal regions during
the strike return to the anthracite fields
after the striker
Because of social and family ties" re-
sponded witness.
greatly exaggerated, said DR.. Roberts as
counsel today read copious extracts from
magazine article which witness agreed he
had written, and in which he described
many acts of intimidation, violence and
boycott.
In explanation, DR.. Roberts said these
acts could not all be attributed to the
union. and made a brief speech, in which
he said the operators refused to arbitrate
and the men were forced to strike to gain
their demands. They grew hungry in the
struggle" he said. "and a hungry man is
dangerous"
Much of the early part OF the afternoon
was consumed in reading extracts from
DR.. Roberts book. These extracts referred
to the rates Of wages. the character and
size Of coal veins and the character and
conditions about the mines.
Dr. Roberts was followed on the stand
by several physicians, who testified to the
amount of illness among the mine workers.
DR.. John O'Maley said asthma, rheuma-
tism and lumbago were common among
miners. Nine-tenths OF the men he treated
suffered from asthma. That disease was
caused by coal dust power smoke or
vitiated air. In post-mortem examinations
he had seen miners lungs as black as
anthracite coal.
On cross-examination by Mr.. Torrey of
the Delaware & Hudson company, DR..
O'Maley admitted that whooping cough
patients were frequently taken into the
mines for relief and that asthmatic pa
tients are usually long lived. He denied
that asthma had tendency to protect a
patient from contracting consumption.
DR.. F. p. Lenahan OF Wilkesbarre was
then called and gave II as his opinion that
80 per cent Of the men engaged about
the mines at the age Of fifty years we're
affiicted with some sort OF rheumatism.
The effect OF particles OF coal getting into
the lungs of the men was to bring on
bronchial troubles, and eventually a Pc
culiar form OF consumption. He had
known miners to cough up coal dust nine
years after leaving the mines and had
heard OF one case after the man had been
out fifteen years.
Must Die at Fifty.
The average life of a miner was ATTY
years, and the miner lived only twenty
hve OF thirty years after he began work.
On cross examinaIion by Everett War
rem, counsel for the Delaware & Hudson,
witness, when asked II II were not true
that all people employed out OF the sunlight
were likely to have a pale, anaemie ap-
pearance. said If the statements he had
heard today vert true. the lack OF sun
light would not contribute to any great
extent to the miners condition because the
companies claimed the men left their work
before noon.
He admitted that a number Of men en-
ployed In a nearby axle works had been
affected with sciatica, rheumatism and
consumption, and on further cross-exam-
ination said a miner could not be got away
fFOm the mfnea hapauaa thav xrara mat
for other occupations.
DR.. Richard H. Gibson Of Scranton fol-
lowed and was on the stand when the COM
mission adjourned.