The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1919-03-13
State Mine Inspector Bell Discusses Strike
at Morning and Hunter Mines and
Describes Working Conditions


federal inspectors who investigated
the mine conditions on behalf of the
men was. that the air was so bad they
could not stand full S-hour shift.
The increase in tonnage capacity from
the same force of men belied the I'M
warranted nature of this contention,
and, as a matter Of fact, my investi-
cations proved that the mine, for
mine of its depth and character, was
well ventilated at the time.
Morning ventilating System.
In February. 1918. this company had
taken the lead in the district in VEN
tilation effort and had installed a mod
ern Sirocco fan Of 10000 cubic feet
capacity, taking fresh air from the
No. tunnel and the You Like shaft
and delivering it at the extreme east
end of the long ore body through
straight line raise at the No. tunnel
down to the NO. IS level with a series
OF air doors at each crosscut from the
working shaft which distributed this
tom working levels and back up the
main shaft as an up-cast.
Near the collar of the working shaft
another big fan of $4,000 cubic feet
capacity was operating and acting as
an exhaust, discharging the returning
air through the 800 old shaft and out
through the No. and other openings
In the mine. the main intake fan be-
ing separated from the shaft station
by tight air lock with two good
doors with space sufficient to take in
the whole electric train and prevent
short circuit in the current Both
these fans had been working steadily
since February up to the time of the
trouble and have continued to do so
since; and incidentally another Siroc-
co fan of $4,000 feet capacity has been
ordered for this mine with view to
moving the present big fan to the
1900 level as a pusher in anticipation
of larger crew.
1t must be appreciated that these
operations extend to a maximum ver-
tical depth on the vein under the
mountain Of 3400 feet and that the
18th level referred to is 1000 feet be-
low the No. tunnel, which is the
drainage level Of the property and two
miles long, and that it Is no simple
problem to ventilate mine so situat-
ed; but the facts recited will indicate
to any reasonable man familiar with
deep mine workings that the ventila :
tion could not have been very poor at
the time, and the present improve
ments of mechanical installations and
new air courses now being run will, !
think, make the Morning mine one Of
the best ventilated sub level mines in
the Occur dAlene district shortly, as
it Is the pioneer in the district in this
line Of modern mechanical ventilation
q subject to be covered in more detail
further on.
Workers Were BIamable.
Other complaints made by these
federal inspectors were regarding the
numerous broken timbers in the mine
and the dirty, untidy condition Of .ht
manways in which loose rocks were
strewn around, which might fall ono
hurt the men," Both these complaints
were, in a measure, justified In fac
and were largely due, in the matter q
untidyness, to the neglect of the con
tract workers themselves, and to tn
absolute impossibility on the part O
I the company to employ the necessary
labor capable of maintaining the drift
timbering in better condition. These
federal inspectors all claimed tc b.
practical mining men and l have M
doubt they were. A man may have
|, lot Of practical experience in meta
mining without getting much variet!
land a few broken timbers may loo!
much more serious to him than the'
: really are, If his experience On suct
matters isn't broad, especially will
taking out bottoms in big ore bodies
In this connection want to 50.
/ that the timber never grew that coul'
resist the slow, steady side pressur
/ of the walls of the Morning mine.
: would further say that it is one Of tn
, best timbered mines in the Coeu
! d'Alene district and that its operator
| spend more money per ton Of ore ex
e tracted in timber actually installe
8 than any other mine in the district
e The broken timbers complained @
q were principally big cap timbers !
v the main levels and some squeeze
: shoot timbers. If these federal critic
z had looked closely they would hav
g found in the majority of cases. tha
the cap timbers in the drifts WEI
# supported by helpers above them
q equal size, including young saw los
a up to 30 inches in diameter The slo
o side wall pressure of this mine II
o wolves an excessive amount of repa
: work and timber replacement and
Y. Ia admitted that this feature Of Il
It company's operation was little b.
n. hind but in no place seriously mena
rs Ing at the time of my visit
lie There isn't any false economy u.s.
in by the operators Of this property.
lie in fact possible. in the matter of tin
le Der supply, as the ground deman
40, ....,.x ~ aIono1x, ft,,,l>arad opd n