British Miner and General Newsman : — 1862-11-22 (London, England)

BRITISH MINER.  noticed in your journal, issued Oct. 25, a letter reporting various evils that your correspondent says are practised at the above colliery. Many and strange doings, he says, are overlooked both by masters and men. Alleging a certain amount of blame to be attributable to both, stating that on the one hand the masters still allow the evil of the want of some one to assist the brakesman ; and on the other hand, the men are to blame by not publishing such neglect. Some, he adds, will say, how could we, having no organ'? Our friend says, he is glad they cannot say so now. Allow me to say, for his information, that it's a mistake; we still say we have no organ. Brakesmen, like the miners them selves, are an unorganised class or body of workmen; though they have access to the British Miner, as a means whereby they can give publicity to their grievances, or expose any abuse that may be perpetrated. Then, in the next place, he proceeds to show various other evils, which he considers to stand in connection with the Whitworth shaft and the engine, by which the miners are lowered into and drawn from the mine. In his letter, he gives the details of the shaft, stating that it is divided into two parts by a brattice ; one part for drawing up the coals, the other for drawing up and lowering the men, and pumping the water. (Quite true.) The cage in which the men are drawn up, is so close to the monster "beam" when it comes to bank, that the least error on the part of the " brakesman" taking the cage a little too high, would cause a most serious accident. Allow me to say, that that little too high, would be at least twelve or fourteen feet, before the cage came near the monster " beam " referred to. _ . . .  I would also remind your correspondent, that in this case, a most serious accident might take place with any other engine or apparatus used for the purpose of lowering or drawing men from a mine, in case a "brakesman" makes an error and draws the cage beyond its proper place. What is more dangerous still than the rest, he adds, is, that the brakesman who attends the engine that draws the men up and lowers them, very frequently leaves the engine in motion (when men are in the shaft), mark you, to go to his fire; and this is a breach of the Inspection Act, and yet it is practised at Whitworth Colliery to a great extent. To these statements 1 wish to invite the attention of the reading public, knowing that your correspondent has either fallen into a gross error, or he has published a direct falsehood. For whatever may be practised at Whitworth Colliery, he cannot prove that any such statement is correct, as that of the brakesman in charge of the engine referred to, leaving the engine in motion (when men arc 'in the shaft). And as to the Inspection Act, I would ask your correspondent if he thinks that the brakesmen of Whitworth Colliery are likaltogether ignorant of that Act; and ewise of the thai responsible charge they have to e upon them from day to day—if he thinks that it is at all likely for a man, who has to be responsible for two or three hundred lives, to neglect his duty in any such manner. Then just allow me to ask another question: On the supposition of an accident, supposing that an accident should take place, and the a: s:bciar aueks sm naturalanc' o' naastenciahuiecsna can we ewt, he aefrsoerywoaouun ar odcmobr reene att held; jsupryondceanllteds,ayasn, suppose that that brakesman would escape the notice of such jury ? Certainly not. The consequence of such neglect -would be, a verdict of Manslaughter, if not wilful Murder, against him ; therefore, I would advise your correspondent, the next time he writes to a public pupor, to be sure that what he writes is founded on truth Trusting you will allow this to appear in your next R. C.  iltm yo-nri. truly, Spennymoor, Nov. 18, 1862.