man

was instantly killed by
This young
the rock from a fired shot in his room.
floor. He was blasting up the room floor
with dynamite to make height for the
mules and mine wagons in his room
roadway, and Jay Blair was working in
an adjacent
simi-
room and doing
lar work at that time; these two men lit
their shots simultaneously and both re-
treated to the entry road until they
would explode. One of the shots ex-
ploded and Taylor thought it was his,
but Jay Blair told him not to go back to
his room because the shot that went
off was his. Taylor, however, was over
confident and went back to his room in
company with the boy, Kildoo, and they
had reached a point a few feet from
where the shot was, when it exploded
with the above result. The boy, Kildoo.
having been a few feet in the rear of
Taylor was protected by him from the
flying material and was practically un-
injured.

These two accidents happened as near as
could be ascertained, at about 2 o'clock
P. M., on this date; G. E. Hawk was
killed instantly and Harry Hawk was
caught by the arm and leg. by the same
large stone which fell from the roof
upon G. E.. and held there tightly
until the next morning, when he was re-
leased by the workmen. Harry died
shortly after he was taken home; he was
conscious when found and related his
experience of the dreadful night and
also how the accident happened. There
was no one in the mine but the two boys
when the accident occurred, as the mine
had not been in operation for several
days prior to this, but they were in the
mine making coal ready, as the mine was
to be in operation the next day. The
two boys were taking out an entry pillar
and had fired a couple of shots in the
coal that day and the bore holes having
been bored near the top of the coal
seam, the roof became bad y shattered
and failing to secure it properly, it fell
upon them.

Nature and Cause of Accident.

Was fatally injured by a fall of top coal.
He and John McBride were driving a
room toward the outcrop of the coal
seam, which made it (the coal) very
soft; the coal seam was divided into
two benches, being separated by a seam
of clay from four to six inches thick.
The prevailing mode of working this
seam (which is about seven and one-
half feet thick) is to mine it under the
bench (which is about four feet thick)
first, and leave a considerable area of
the top coal up before taking it down.
This was the condition of affairs that
existed in Sherring and McBride's room
on the morning of the accident, as
observed by the mine foreman when
he made his visit to said place that
morning, and who told Shering of the
dangerous condition of the top coal,
and advised him not to run further risk,
but to take the coal down, but the un-
fortunate men failed to act on the ad-
vice given. Shering was loading the car
with coal while McBride was knocking
down some of the lower bench and
throwing coal out to him, and while
Shering was reaching under the top
bench for the lump coal the top coal fell,
completely burying him under the mass,
killing him almost instantly. McBride.
having been closer to the face of the
lower bench, the top coal broke over
him, thus saving his life, although one
of his arms was broken in two places
and his face, head and other parts of
his body were considerably bruised.

Was killed by a fall of top coal and slate.
He was taking out a small block of coal
which had been left in the "gob," when
the accident happened; a small block of
rib coal had been left back in the "gob."
no doubt to steady the roof. and while
he was attempting to take it out, the top
coal and slate fell in, catching him be-
tween the end of the room pillar and
the block of coal in the "gob.
The
block of coal which Bowser was attempt-
ing to take out was unimportant, but,
of course, was easily mined, which, no
doubt, induced him to run the great
risk, as he knew of the dangerous con-
dition of the roof and had been warned
of the danger.

"

of

Was driving between two partings inside
of the mine and drove a "string"
three mules, hauling six mine wagons on
a trip. According to the evidence given at
the investigation, it would seem that he
had been walking backward, between the
front car and the last mule, attempting
to adjust the "banjo or driver's iron
seat, on the front end of the car, and
from some cause he had fallen in front
of the cars; however. I am inclined to
the opinion that the iron seat had been
attached to the front end of car in an
insecure manner and in some way be-
came disconnected, allowing the unfor-
tunate man to fall off. The hauling road
at the point where the accident hap-
pened was perfectly level and clean, and
the entry was very wide; he was found
under the bumper, with his body against
the front wheels of front car, with one
leg broken and his body otherwise
bruised.

John Fleckner,

Driver,

48 Yes 4

Big Soldier Run.

Jefferson,

Name of Person.

Name of Colliery.

Location-C un'y.

Nature and Cause of Accident.

FOURTH BITUMINOUS DISTRICT.

(MCKEAN, POTTER, TIOGA, BRADFORD, LYCOMING, CLINTON, CAMERON AND ELK COUNTIES AND ALL THOSE MINES IN CLEARFIELD COUNTY ADJACENT TO THE LOW GRADE DIVISION OF THE ALLEGHENY VALLEY RAILROAD; ALSO THE MINES ADJACENT TO THE CLEARFIELD AND SUSQUEHANNA BRANCH OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD; ALSO THE MINES ADJACENT TO THE BUFFALO, ROCHESTER AND PITTSBURG RAILROAD IN JEFFERSON AND CLEARFIELD COUNTIES.)

Blossburg, February 18, 1896.

Hon. James W. Latta, Secretary of Internal Affairs:

Sir: I herewith submit my annual report as Inspector of Mines for the Fourth Bituminous Coal District of Pennsylvania, for the year ending December 31, 1895, in compliance with the act of Assembly of May 15, 1893, together with statistical tables compiled from the operators reports returned to my office.

The returns show an aggregate increase of 997,755 tons or a little over twenty-three per cent. of production for the district, over that of the preceding year. This increase is due in some measure to more steady work throughout the district, but mainly to a large increase in production of the mines of Jefferson county. I submit no report of mines in Sullivan county for the reason that they have been classified with and added to the anthracite coal region. Four new fans have been erected during the year, making a total of twenty-seven now in operation in the district. The ventilation in general throughout the district, was found to be very good, and the drainage is much improved.

The number of fatal accidents have increased. Eight persons were instantly killed and six seriously injured, resulting in death soon after the accidents occurred. The number of deaths caused by falls of coal and roof was ten, the same number as reported for the previous year. The increase in fatalities being chargeable to mine cars and powder explosions.

The non-fatal accidents have also increased from falls of coal and roof and by mine cars. There were two persons injured by an explosion of mine gas in the Adrian mine in Jefferson county which is the first serious occurrence of the kind so far reported in the district. Indications point to an increased development of mine gas in both Jeffer

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