Report of the Bureau of Mines of the Department of Internal Affairs of ...

No. 10. MINING LAWS OF PENNSYLVANIA. Ixxxiii
Rule 24, Any miner or other workman who shall discover anything
wrong with the ventilating curri^nt or with the condition of
the roof, side, timber or roadway, or with any other part of the
mine in general, such as would lead him to suspect danger to himself
or his fellow workmen or to
the property of his employer, shall
immediately rej)ort the same to the mine foreman or other person,
for the time being in charge of that portion of the mine.
Rule 25. Any person or persons who shall knowingly or wilfully
damage, or without proper authority, remove ov render useless any
fencing, means of signaling, apparatus, instrument oV machine, or
shall throw open or obstruct any airway, or open a ventilating door
and not have the same closed, or enter a place in or about a mine
against caution, or carry fire, open lights or matches in places where
safety lamps are used, or handle without proper authority, or disturb
any machinery or cars, or do any other act or thing whereby
the lives or health of persons or the security of the property in or
about a mine or colliery are endangered, shall be guilty of an offense
against this act.
liule 2G. Gunpowder or any other explosive shall not be stored in
a mine, and a workman shall not have at any time in any one place,
more than one keg or box containing twenty-five (25) pounds, unless
more is necessary for a person to accomplish one day's work.
Rule 27. Every person who has gunpowder or other explosive in a
mine, shall keep it in a wooden or metallic box securely locked, and
such box shall be kept at least ten (10) feet from the tracks in all
cases where room at such a distance is available.
Rule 28. Whenever a workman shall open a box containing explosive
or while in any manner handling the same, he shall first place
his lamp not less than five (5) feet from such explosive and in such a
position that the air current cannot convey sparks to it, and a workman
shall not approach nearer than five (5) feet to an open box containing
powder, with a lamp, lighted pipe or any other thing containing
fire.
Rule 29. When high explosives other than gunpowder are used in
any mine, the manner of storing, keeping, moving, charging and firing
or in any manner using such explosives, shall be in accordance
with special rules as furnished by the manufacturers of the same.
The said rules shall be endorsed with his or their official signature
and shall be approved by the owner, operator or superintendent of
the mine in which such explosives are used.
Rule 30. In charging holes for blasting in slate or rock in any
mine, no iron or steel-pointed needle shall be used, and a tight cartridge
shall not be rammed into a hole in coal, slate or rock with an
iron or steel lamping bar, unless the end of the tamping bar is tipped
with at least six (G) inches of copper or other soft metal.