The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-02-06
OBEYNEIG NINE
LAWS IS REAL
SAFETY first | R !
Inspector Griffiths Talks
at Big Meeting in
CIarksbnrg Sunday

..
CLARK SBuRG, Feb. IS. - Strict
compliance With the West Virginia,
mining laws Is safety first In q nut
shell, declared Evan i. Grifiths,
Clarkshurg, state mining inspector,
IN addressing $50 people at ellis
theatre here on Sunday afternoon.
The ciarksburg safety meeting
proved 10 be the largest Of the
gatherings held under the auspices
OF the safetydepa rtfnent of the Con.
solicitation Coal company, assisted
by the United States bureau of
mines and the West Virginia de.
partment of mines ,eclipsing the
Fairmout meeting BY perhaps 100
or more In attendance.
Resorting to the language Of the
pit or apftmaticgg usage Mr.. Grit.
fiths told the miners assembled III
q practical way. what they observe
in their work day in and day out.
As an opening thought, no urged
men not 10 take unnecessary
chances in their work. Mines are
nlastered full of signs that read:
Look out forltnutor, 3, q danger look
out Tor electric wifes.r These tend
to teach safety, he said, but only
onethird Of the accidents are pre-.
vented BY mechanical guards.
Every miner would be SO interested
IN his work that hi will know when
to do the right thing at the right
time, he declared.
Safety Pointers.
Step by step Mr. Griffiths traced
the process OF work in the mine and
which necessttate the practice OF
safety II the laws are obeyed. In
the first place the machine man
must stop his machine at the first
cross cut from the face and inspect
the working place for gas before
he enters 70 work there. Provi:'
sions are fully covered in sections
81. So and So Bits OF coal cutting
machines must not be In motion
when machines are moved. II
these types o. dangerous and care.
less practices We're eliminated Mr..
Griifiths felt sure there would be
fewer accidents in the coal fields OF
West Virginia
Shifting 70 the coal loader thu
speaker warned coal miners to tim
Der carefully before starting work
at the face Of the coal and not pro
coed to tamp the wall and shoot.
Care Should also be exercised in en-.
countertng shots in other rooms.
Blow out shots are dangerous anil
the cause Of many accidents. Right
now 200 miners are totally blind
within the confines OF the state
From hung shots and other types
OF accidents from shooting coal.
shooting two holes at one time.
use short fuses and careless hand.
ling Of high explosives generally
has killed and MANNED hundreds OF
miners Two miners were killed
Out right and q third had both eyes
blown out in an accident referred
to by the speaker; which presum.
ably was the mishap at, the Ehlen
mine pfsthe Gonsolid ation Coal com.
pany some time ago, and which was
repprted to have been the cause o!
two shots being fired Simultaneous.
~
a Pathetic story.
Revealing d, story that was brim.
full of pafhos ana fnman Sinter ss
MIR. e;riffiths then toId hoyv aP;s
John, f miner. al Thomas baS
both ewes blown ont nv an exnIo.
sion. me COMPANY had no no maya
zine and Big Johr, carried sayarai
detonators Ia his home HIT ashss
Or Sparks from 4 cigaretts, fsii on
the nigh expiosaye ana set II m
with Inc resilts that hctS tar S
were blown IN Al tha S rr;,t ra anS
both eyes were blown ont ~ nnr JIs
the last mi. ;enidemic bis WE
fell d victim Ia tf1af maiady Io,v Nv,
him with live sna,i chiiIren a' us
Oldest 81 which vel meade tbe caro
OF parent ana StheS Hind SstSaS
cropping ii fhes darlnass r,,st ~.
tend fS such errantls az l,ivinS them
,Fater ID drlfils 81 n = n 't t ssi
This 4 ina monument v.a a, !.
is. that ftas mean 9arectsd ' ~ GO esro a.
iessness Reeansa ~ stha y rr ss
nence the women NAV a tba p ho,,,a
ne preyaflsd mon 3har, 20 I ,S,...e