The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-07-07
Mln.. A. BusM

toQdy are puSy anu INC louhdbo plO-
dnced should be heavy. There are but
IS mines down out OF 2Sb. There are
plenty OF cars in the region for al OF
the mines.
United Mine Workers.
H. 2. Peters. dlstrict organizer, who
is IN charge OF the Fairmont office OF
the United Mine Workers, has gone to
his homo in Charleston.
C. F. Keeney, president Of district
II, United Mine Workers, will return
to Charleston on Wednesday.
Joe Angelic and Sanford Snyder, in.
ternational organizers, will address a
meeting at Carolina this evening at 6
o'clock.
Owing to the absence of Mr.. Peters
from the city, Ira Marks, district board
member, is IN charge Of the Fairmont
office OF the United Nine Workers.
Successful Celebration.
A large crowd attended the Fourth
Of July celebration which was held by
United Mine Workers Local 4o17. The
music was furnished by the Ferris
mandolin orchestra and the Barnstown
quartet. The winners of the cut glass
were Kuy Kibbe, who got the water
set and Madge Martin, who got vase.
The local realized good sum which
will be applied to the funeral fund.
Mine Fire Near Wheeling.
WHEELING, July 5.-After the day
shift had completed its work last
Thursday and the night shift had re-
ported for duty fire was discovered
in Beach Bottom mine Of the Richland
Block Coal company, whose principal
offices are in Wheeling, West Nir-
ginia. The mine is located on the Pan.
handle division OF the Pennsylvania
Lines about 10 miles north Of Wheel
ing, and about midway between
Wheeling and Wellsburg.
The mine is worked on the room and
pillar plan in the Pittsburgh seam OF
coal. overlying this seam is a very
heavy draw slate, and portion of the
coal is left up to support the roof
This method or practice Is very eff
Gent for some time, but with the at
mosphere attacking II, the coal graz.
ually leaves the fire-clay above and
bends in the form Of bent beam; often
, leaving space as much as two inches
between the coal and the roof above.
The roof coal was sagging from
fire clay and when this action com.
mences 1t causes the trolley wire tc
hang much lower, by reason OF the
trolley hanger being placed in the
'roof coal which is about two fee,
thick, this occurrence being very an
noying to the managers, and creates
dangerous condition which Is very
har I'd m o,ard against DC tho oranftos
in this particular region seems to ar
ford better protection from falls where
the coal is left as sort OF REINFORCE
ment, than where the coal is taken of
close to the fire clay, which invarla
bly, falls when attacked by the actor
OF the mine air.
This upper portion of the coal is also
streaked with sulphur bands, and Il
not commercially as good as the bal
ance of the seam, so that after care
full study 1t was decided best to adop
the foregoing practice.
On the night of July Sd, at abou
700 o'clock, some men working as re-
pairmen on the main haulage road no
ticed the wire slackening and decided
that something was wrong near the
working face, and at once started in
wards to throw out an electrical
switch, but before getting to the loca
ton OF the switch met the smoke from
the fire about 5000 feet from the mine
entrance, and they had to turn back
toward the outside and throw another
switch.
BY this time several of the carr
standing on a sidetrack were on fire
due to the roof coal falling bringing
the wire with 1t. The fire spread rap
idly and the state mine department
was notified at Charleston and stat,
mine inspector was soon on the
scene.
The next day, July 4, the o. s. Mine
Rescue Car No. was ordered to pro
coed TO the mine. This car had beer
stationed at the West Virginia Uni
versity for Institutional purposes fol
the past three weeks. 1t reached the
mine about 900 p. m. on July 4th, ant
at once officers vent into consulta
ton with the officials at the mine.
1t is thought small portion OF thu
mine will be sealed to put out thu
fire. This mine has daily capacit.
Of about 1900 tons, and supplies fue
for the immense electrical Windsor
power plant of the American Gas ant
Electric company.
Several hundred men will be out o.
employment for a short time.
Lake Situation.
Coal shipments at the Great Lakes
at Cleveland up until July 1 show 6
gain of about 100000 tons over last
season for the same period of time
but let-up from now on is expected
The movement last year did not ge
started into good shape until July ant
shipments for July will be smaller
than they were last year.
Coal shipment to Toledo shut of
since Thursday morning in order t.
clean up the coal on hand and receipts
will be light during the beginning o
this week and the month OF July will
not get much of start. 1t is expect
ed that during this week that eargoel
will be light and contract boats vii
experience difficulty in getting car