The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-11-20
FATAL MINES Of
ILLINOIS WILL Be
REMEDIED BYLAW
Gaseous Coal Fields Which
Caused SO Deaths Last
Year To Be RemOdeIed by
LEGISLATURE.

SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,, Nov. 2O.-Mines
Of southern Illinois coal fields, the
gases Of which have within a year
taken SO lives, and caused thousands
Of dollars Of damage, are to have the
attention Of the legislature next Jam
uary, according to persons informed on
mining questions.
One Of the chief considerations of the
recently named mining investigation
commission, II is declared, will be to
determine how mine disasters due TO
gaseous conditions can best be avoided
in this state. The commission Of nine
members-from operators and distin-
rangement is created under a state
statute to study and determine upon
new mine legislation, and one Of the
important bills Of the coming legisla-
tive sessions, it is stated, will deal with
gaseous mine conditions.
1t is commended by many persons well
informed, that closed lamps would mini
mize the danger from gas explosions.
The most improved type Of such lamp,
1t Is said, Is an electric with a small
battery attached by tiny wires. This
lamp, however, is more expensive than
the carbon lamp, and an issue arises
as to whether the miner or the opera
tor will bear the added expense. A
state law making the use of electric
portable lamps compulsory would, il is
believed, reduce the hazard of working
in mines where gas is prevalent,
Another question the commission is
to discuss is as to the ACCESSIBILITY of
sealing up all mine workings after they
have been abandoned. Seepage of gas
from old workings would be eliminated
by sealing.
Illinois mines most seriously affect
ed by gas are in Franklin and William
son counties, it is stated, with some
difficulty from this source in Saline and
Perry counties, Other mines in this
zone are not altogether free from the
gases.
The most rece1t disaster from an ex-
plosion Of gas was in the mine Of the
Franklin County Coal company at Roy
men were killed, one by the explosion
itself and the others by white damp
which resulted.
On Thanksgiving eve, 1917, at Chris
topher, Franklin county, another disas-
ter directly traceable to a took a toll
of II lives.
In the Sept. IS explosion a party of
workmen, together with mine experts,
went down into the RoyaltOn mine at
5 O'Clock in the morning to fight a
fire, supposedly the result of a badly
fired shot the night before. Work Of
checking the blaze was proceeding
| nicely when one of the men was sent
back along the main artery toward the
shaft to get a tool. The man wore
on his cap an open, flare lamp. He
came to a swinging door, and, opening
it, stepped beyond, Instantly there
was an explosion that burned the fell
low so badly hat he died, but not until
he had told o the accident happened.
None of the others were burned, They
died Of suffocation, the explosion hav-
ing deprived the air in the mine of
oxygen and changed it into deadly
white damp.
Both of these disasters might have
been avoided, it is declared, if adequate
protection had been afforded against
explosions from open lamps,
After the explosion at Christopher In
1917, a committee was named by Gov.
Frank o. Lowden, at the instance Of
Evan Johns, director Of mines and min
erals, to look into the conditions Of the
mines OF southern Illinois, especially
those known to be gaseous, This body
of investigators later went East to
study methods of control of gas in
Eastern bituminous fields. n is still
engaged on a report that Is to be pre-
scented to Director Johns when complet-
ed.
The commission to study legislation,
however, is another body. Authorized
by a state law, IL was named by Gov.
Lowden within recent months and held
its organization meeting a few weeks
ago. The members of this commission,
which is said to have the full conf
dence OF both miners and operators,
| are as follows:
Miners; Matthew Schultz. Christop-
pher; Charles Jones, Marion, and Peter
Joyce, Springfield, Operators: Thomas
Jeremiah, Willisvillei A. B. McClaren,
Marion, and Rice Miller, Hillsboro. In
dependent members: Charles L. Wood
ard, Ottawa; Thomas Hudson, Galva,
and P. H. Donnelly, Chicago.