Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-09-12


pose? And does anyone think she de-
liberately undertook this exhausting
war for nothing?"
SAFER MINING CONDITIONS.
Since the awful explosion of the
Lost Creek mine a few years ago coal
miners and the public in general in
Iowa have been interested in the oper-
alton of mines and the safeguards
against fatalities that are taken by
the operators and are provided for by
the laws of the state Some three
years ago the shot-firer law went into
effect in Iowa and as the result the
loss OF life by reason of explosions has
been smaller than previous to the
time the law was passed. In the BIZ
ennial report of the mine inspectors of
the state, Inspectors John Werner of
Charlton, James A. Campbell of OF
tumwa and Edward Sweeney of Swan
speak OF the care that is being taken
| in all the mines of the state to avoid
accidents. MI. Werner devotes con-
siderable space to this subject and
says:
"In my judgment the shot examiners
employed in this district are compe-
tent men. number of them having
served with marked efficiency ever
since the shot examination law took
effect and the record shows that they
/ have done good work In one or two
mines changes in the examining force
have been rather too frequent. This
frs luent change should be avoided if
/ possible, for it is undoubtedly a cor.
rect proposition that the longer a
shot examiner of fair ability stays in
service, the more reliable will be his
Judgment and the more competent he
will become.
The shot examination law has
been in force now for more than three
/ years. In the two years preceding
the taking effect of the law, attempts
had been made to do the blasting
with greater safety and shotfirers
We're employed in some of the mines
in this district. Little attention, how
ever, was given to the examination OF
shots prior to firing them and during
these two years, five explosions oc
CURED in the mines employing shot
frers. Six shotfirers lost their lives
in these explosions and two were res
cued Just in time to save them. Ii
the three years following the enact
ment of the law, with more thorough
examination and better safeguards
provided, one explosion occurred. re
sulting in the loss of two lives.
"The benefits of the law have beer
clearly established in Iowa and it,
merits have been recognized in 9th
er mining states"
Mr. Campbell in his report com
ments upon the conditions in Wapellt
county and shows that in the biennia
period covered by his report there
have been no fatal accidents in thi.
county. His report says:
"This county has steadily increased
the output of coal for the last tel
years and in this last biennial periot
has produced 691, 212 tons. The Goa
in this county is fine for steam do
nestle purposes and the seam varie.
from three and one-half to five fee
in thickness.
/ Mr.. George Ramsey, Of the Gar
field coal company of Mahaska county
has prospecteC coal field about three
and one-half miles north of Ottumwa
The results were very favorable ant
this company will open and equip
mine for a large tonnage.
1 &c. A. Hoover of Oskaloosa i
prospecting south of Ottumwa SOM
four miles, on a large tract of land
and Henry Phillips is drilling noru
and east of Rutledge, while tn
Jones Bros. are drilling north of tn
present mine they are operating.
There are fifteen mines in thi
county; five of these are shippin
mines located on the Chicago, Burling
ton & Quincy railroad, the Chicago
Rock Island & Pacific railroad and tn
Milwaukee railroad
"The reports coming to this offic
would indicate that several new mine
will be opened up in the near future
There were twelve non-fatal acci
/ dents reported from the mines of thi
county for the biennial period endin,
June 80, 1905"