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

No. 10. EIGHTH ANTHRACITE DISTRICT. 213
and ran away. While trying- to unliitcli the mule from the car, he
fell in front of the car, which ran over him, injuring him so badly that
he died on the way home.
On May 18, Michael Bitscavage, a laborer, was killed at Lytle colliery.
A shot had been fired a short time before the accident, and it
seems that the men rushed back to work again without making any examination,
when a large piece of coal fell from the upper side, killing
Bitscavage instantly.
On June 22, George Apolock, a laborer, was killed at Otto colliery,
by coal flying from a blast.
On the night of June 24, Lazarus Williams, John Dobson, Dennis
Leary and Elmer Ternes were severely burned by an explosion of gas
at the Marion colliery. They were working at driving the tunnel
north on the old level, and had cut the Little Diamond Vein on north
dip. They drilled three long holes along the rib, to take the skip
ofif all at once, and fired them together with an electric battery. The
large quantity of stuff cut by the shots covered the end of the gas pipe,
through which compressed air was carried to the face, thus cutting
off the ventilation. About ten minutes after the shots had been fired,
the men w^ent back to the face, Williams carrying a naked light. He
found the air pipe blocked and, without making any examination for
gas, started to clear the stuff away, when the gas was ignited by his
lani]). Dennis Leary and John Dobson were fatally burned, and died
from their injuries June 28 and July 5, resi)ectively. Elmer Ternes
was severely burned; Lazarus Williams was also burned, but not as
sei'iousl}' as the others. The latter was clearly responsible for this
accident, as he had been provided with safety lamps, and particularly
warned by the inside foreman to be sure and make examination after
firing.
William Bricker, a car runner, was severely injured at the Williams
colliery, July 14, by having been run over by cars, and died from his
injuries at the Pottsville Hospital, August 12.
John Moran was badl}- injured on July 11), at the Phoenix Park No.
3 colliery by a fall of slate; died July 27.
Bryan Conville, a miner, was severely injured at the Thomaston colliery,
I\Iine Hill slope, on July 27. A large j)iece of top coal fell on
him, which caused his death on September 25.
Andrew Foeck was instantly killed at the St. Clair colliery on
September 24, by a runaway car.
Frank Gavaloski, a laborer, was killed at the St. Clair collierj^ on
September 27, by a fall of slate.
Matthew Kushanfskie, a miner, was killed at the East Ridge colliery,
on September 27, by the explosion of a blast.
John Lellescoi)ia, a miner, was killed at the East Ridge colliery on
October 5, by a fall of coal.