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

Official Document, Nq. 10.
FIRST BITUMINOUS DISTRICT.
( ALLEGHENY, PAYETTE, GREENE, WASHINGTON AND WESTMORE-
LAND COUNTIES.)
Hon. Jauies W. Latta, Secretary of Internal AtTairs:
Sir; In accordance with Article X, section 11, of an act, tatitled
''An act I'olating to bituminous coal mines, and providing for the
lives, health, safety and welfare of persons employed therein," I
hereby present my annual report as Inspector of the First bituminous
coal district for the year ending ])ecember 31, 181)7.
The coal production, as reported to this office, was 6,459,200 tons,
being a decrease of 22.3,871 tons from that of the year previous.
Kelative to the number of fatal and non-fatal accidents, I am
jtleased to say that the former show a decrease of 22 and the latter 18
from that of the year 1896. Twelve wives were made widows and 30
children fatherless by the fatal accidents.
Some of the anjiual reports sent to this office by the operators are
prolific
of inaccuracies, and cause no end of trouble to this department,
and. as a consequence, the report is often delayed, through the
carelessness—I do not wish to use a harsher word—of those who
compile them, for I have to correct them as best I can, and this, as is
evident, is often mere guess work. The following is a verbatim copy
of part of a report received: "Number of miners, 100; number of
miners' laborers, 20; drivers and runner—7 drivers, 2 runners; door
boys and helpers, 1; total inside, 110; outside foreman, 1; blacksmith
and carpenters, 1; engineers and firemen, 1; superintendents, bookkeepers
and clerks, ] ; total outside, 7; grand total, inside and outside,
12.5."
The usual tables will be found in tlie body of this report, together
with a descri])tion of the fatal and non-fatal accidents that occurred in
the dislrici dui iiii; the vear.
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