The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-25
The Nan TpTyp of Car Used in Taking Men Down the Mines
 -Ph


narrow seam--you have that long uphill climb ahead Of you-another ho'i of heavy toil! Try 1t once and see for yourself.
 "The man trip can be a''angc' E. al- most any company at little or no extra cost, and mighty little trouble.
 Tn a number of cases 1t isn't in practice for the simple reason that 1t has not occurred to the mana cement. The men have been walking down in past years-why not let them keep walking? As it was, so let it be!
 "The fact that the mine is perhaps thousands of feet deeper now and that the walk has accordingly developed In many instances into a tortuous ordeal is not taken into consideration" At the time the man trip was in- stalled at the Warner mine (coaD of the Republic Iron and Steel company a little less than two years ago the main objection, largely from the miners themselves, was that it might prove unsafe. There might be a breakdown. a runaway trip, all sorts of accidents. Certain officials of the company in- sisted, however, on giving 1t trial.
 The experiment" has become an in- stitution. The man trip, governed by strict regulations has worked out sue cessfully at Warner and now the men would not do without 1t.
 Record of Republic
 Said F. G. Morris, superintendent of coal mines of the Republic company: We have not had single accident since the man trip was introduced. Of course the regulations must be strict ly enforced The trip at Warner Is made up every morning at 6:45 at the end of the incline. The men come down the manway, a space of about 200 feet and board the cars, four men g1 drawn by three motors. Separate cars carry the tools.
 "The run in on the east side of the mine Is about a mile and a quarter; on the west side a mile. The speed of course is strictly regulated, going at the rate of four or five miles an hour. The trip out is held until 5 o'clock. If any of the men finish earlier they walk out if they don't want to walt for the trip. We find the ma- jority are very glad of the chance of a lift out"
 In the coal mining department of the Tennessee company. of which Edward H. Coxe has charge, the man trip is also strictly regulated, and every safety pre- caution is used.
 The feature i., not in practice at each mine in their seven big divisions, as all of the conditions do not warrant 1t any lnore than they do in the mines of the Pratt Consolidated company. But wher- ever 1t Is feasible 1t is installed.
 Special Safety Precautions
 Tn one of the coal mines of the district the man trip. comprising 30 cars carrying six or sewn men each. is made up on a siding down in the mine at 6:45 a. m Two Jeffrey motors are used, 10 ton in the lead and 15 ton moter at the rear This is one of the special safety precautions, the .rort motor being used to pull tile load rhe rear one 1o act as back balanfe, hold the slack out of the trip, and in the event of an uncoupling of trans to lessen danger. Two safety men go with the trip. Every day before starting, the motors are carefully in spected to see if they are in perfect run hing order, have sand, etc, and to sec if all the cars are coupled. A Jim Crow law, which was introduced by the well known mining man, John R. Brown, Is strictly enforced and has been found to keep down squabbles."
 The trip starts from what is known as 'the chain landing at the foot of the incline and runs in underground couple of miles or so.
 It makes but two stops and goes at as slow speed as in the Warner mines.
 Only on one occasion has there been an accident. and that was about the tirsc the man trip was introduced, when only one motor was used
 s.Not one of us miners around here has ever fogotten that" said a miner. You see the men all got in the cars before the trip was ready and before the motor had been inspected. Her sand wasn't in good order. and just after going down the arst incline she got away with the trip Thers was no rear motor then to help put. and the trip ran wild down the mine. One man was run over and killed. and num- Der of others fearfully injured.
 T and some of the other fellows jumped off at the start, for we saw something had gone wrong. Then We followed 1t all to the finish. All down the track we ran on injured men, and debris of lamps. buckets and tools. Not a man of us will ever forget that trip.
 A Note of Warning
 'The rear motor was put on in that particular mine from that date; an extra safety man assigned to duty; and just in the crosscut. the siding, near the chain landing. where the trip is made up. door. was built to keep the men in the man way until the trip is ready. Nowadays that door is bolted and no man can jump on board before the safety man gives the word. Then she high ballsv'
 In 1e red ore mines the system is