The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-05
THE SHOT-FIRING BILL.
What q Prominent Coal Operator Has
to Say About 1t.

What q Prominent Coal Operator Has
to Say About 1t.
A prominent coal operator, in speaking
of the bill pending in the Legislature
known as the "Shot-firing BILL" which pro-
poses to require all owners and operators
of mines TO employ shot-firers to fire shots
therein and making it misdemeanor to
permit any other person to fire the shots,
said:
The public, and many of the members
OF the General Assembly, seem to have OBJ
tanned wrong impression with reference
to the effect or working of this bill, If it
should become a law. 1t seems to be the
impression that the occupation of coal
mining is very dangerous one and that
the effect of this bill would be to in some
way lessen the danger of accidents or in
Juries to those working in the mines. This
probably results from the fact that so few
persons seem to understand the manner in
which coal is mined, and the requirements
of this bill.
drills into the coal TO such a depth as he
determines TO be best or necessary and
into each one of these holes so drilled he
places the shot, or cartridge, with powder
In II, 10 which, after being properly tamp-
ed and fixed, there is a fuse attached At
the close of the days work these fuses are
nghted and the miners leave the mine
The explosion of the shots breaks and
knocks down the coal. During the night
Following the smoke and dust resulting
from the explosion and the blast are blown
morning the miner returns and proceeds to
take out the coal that has been thrown
down by the shot, loading it and taking it
out of the mine.
These shot-firing bills simply provide
that the fuses shall be lit by other persons
than the miners whose duty it now is to do
IL ana require the owners and operators
10 furnish one or more such persons whose
duty 1t shall be to go into the mine and
llgnt these fuses that have been placed
there by the miners during the day
- PARTICULAR SKILL.
1T will be seen at once that ii requires
no particular skill for a person to fire these
shots. as all that is necessary is TO light
the fuse, and for the person lighting il to
go TO safe distance before the explo-
sion. OF course. there is hazard and dan
ger Of accidents in all businesses or oper-
atoms where blasting is required but IL
would seem that ii would be very much less
hazardous 10 have the expert person who
drills the hole and places the explosive
therein, and prepares the shot to also
have charge of the entire work and be re-
CURED TO nre the fuse, as the responsible
~ would not be divided between two per-
sons VINO would be connected with the
work, neither knowing anything about what
the other might or might not have done.
IN. ne sno.-nIers' entering the mine after
the miners mad lett, would have no infor-
nation as TO how large a quantity of the
explosive had been put i'm the shots how
deep the drillings might or might not be,
the length OF the fuse or the time IL would
BURN, and therefore he could not know how
Tar away he should or could get before the
explosion in order TO protect himself from
danger.
Again 1t will be apparent to anyone
that the result OF requiring two sets OF
men, working at different times. one 10 do
the expert work of putting the shots in
ana the other 10 follow afterwards to fire
the same. In the absence Of each other,
friction between them. The cartridge nv