Prospect shaft, Plains township, 14, 162 John Schuveliski, Laborer, S. Laurel Run slope, Parsons, 17, 163 William Walbruck, Miner, 25 S. Maltby shaft, ......... Maltby, 18, 164 Thomas Shulla, Miner, 45 M. 3 Maltby shaft, Maltby, 28, 165 Stanley Martin, Laborer, 27 S. Exeter shaft, Exeter, 28, 166 George Williams, Miner, 35 M. Pettebone shaft, 31, 167 James T. Bler se, Fireman, 32 M. 2 Laws shaft, Avoca, Pelvis bone fractured by being squeezed Painfully injured by fall of top coal. Severely injured by being struck by a car. blast. Skull fractured by an explosion of boilers. REPORTS OF THE INSPECTORS OF MINES. Off. Doc. FOURTH ANTHRACITE DISTRICT. (LUZERNE COUNTY.) Wilkes-Barre, Pa., March 10, 1896. Hon. James W. Latta, Secretary of Internal Affairs: Sir: I have the honor of presenting my fifteenth annual report as Inspector of Mines for the Fourth Anthracite District. It contains articles on several topics relating to the mines of this district besides the usual statistical tables for the year 1895. The total quantity of coal mined including the estimated quantity consumed to generate steam at the mines was 8,066,539.45 tons. Tons mined per life lost was 109,007. Number of widows was 38 and of orphans 97. About one-fourth of those reported as orphans were grown up, but were living at home with their parents. There were 24,669 persons employed in and about the mines at the close of 1895, but during that year the average number of days worked was only 156.18, which shows that the mines were idle nearly half the time. The mines are generally kept in good condition and are all well ventilated. A larger proportion of inexperienced miners are employed than ever before, and the miners are penetrating deeper and into more dangerous localities year after year. This makes it diffi cult to keep the number of accidents from increasing. Very respectfully yours, The estimated tons of fuel consumed to generate steam at the mines is included in the above, equal to 642,872.40 tons. Local sales, 228,671.75 tons. Number of Fatal Accidents and Tons of Coal Mined Per Life Lost. Number of Non-Fatal Accidents and Tons of Coal Mined Per Person Seriously Injured. There were three persons injured in the new Auchincloss shafts who are not included in the above table. Number of widows, 38; orphans, 97. The production of coal is made up as follows: Shipped by rail to market (tons),.. Local sales at the breakers (tons), 7,193,895.20 228,671.75 Fuel consumed at the mines, estimated (tons), 642,872.40 Total (tons), 8,065,439.35 It is estimated that 30 per cent. of the material mined and hauled out of the mines is dumped on the waste heaps at the collieries. The risk attending the mining hauling and separating this waste, is in the same proportion as that attending the mining, hauling and preparation of the coal sold in market. Adding this loss of 30 per cent. to the coal production, it shows that no less than 11,523,446 tons of material were mined and hauled out of the mines of this district during the year 1895. The number of persons employed was 24,669. One in 333 was killed or fatally injured, and one in 112 was more or less injured. It has been repeatedly stated that the most of the mine accidents take place owing to the carelessness of the victims, and thus an impression has been created that the underground workers are lesscareful than employes in other industries. The assertion that the greater number of the mine accidents are due to carelessness-is certainly correct, but it is not fair to assert that mine workers are more careless than men generally are in proximity to danger. Watch people, both male and female, crossing a railroad track in front of an approaching train or crossing a double track street railway or doing anything that is dangerous, and you will see the natural human contempt for danger. In the dark recesses of a coal mine, the various sources of danger are hidden and cannot be seen in the greater number of cases. The experience of a miner should teach him to suspect where danger may exist and to make careful examinations frequently, and it is mostly in cases where appearances lead him to neg lect close examinations that the accidents so frequently occur. Of the ten persons killed in 1895, by explosions of fire-damp, seven were killed by one explosion at the Dorrance colliery on the afternoon of October 7. It happened in abandoned workings that had not been examined on that day, and the simple precaution of examining the faces with a safety lamp would have disclosed the presence of a body of dangerous gas and its ignition would have been easily averted. But this was not done. The fire boss led a party of young mining engineers into the place with naked lights and the explosion with its dire results occurred. The fire boss was familiar with the workings, and evidently appearances led him to go there without previous examination, he believing it safe. (See a description of this accident in another part of this report.) Besides the ten fatal accidents, there were forty-five more or less severely burned by explosion of fire-damp. That they were not all fatal is chiefly due to the conditions when the gas was fired, and not to the care of the victims. If the quantity of accumulated gas had been larger in each case, the result would have been more serious. |