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

Official Document, No. 10.
SECOND BITUMINOUS DISTRICT.
(ALLEGHENY, INDIANA AND WESTMORELAND COUNTIES.)
Greensburg, Pa., February 9, 1898.
Hon. James W. Latta, Secretary of Internal Affairs:
Sir :
I liave the honor to herewith submit my report as Inspector of
Mines for the Second bituminous coal district for the seven and onehalf
months ending December 31, 1897.
The coal and coke trade has been somewhat improved during 1897.
In 189G the total production was 7,364,771^ tons of coal and 1,902,043^
tons of coke, while this year the production is 9,134,797 tons of coal
and 2,505,350 tons of coke, showing an increase of 1,770,025^ tons of
coal and 602,706^ tons of coke over the output of 1896.
As a consequence of the increased demand for coal and coke, a
greater number of persons were employed. In 1896 the number of
persons employed was 11,040; in 1897, the number was 12,272, an
increase of 1,232.
In 1896 there were 26 fatal accidents; in 1897, there were 21, a decrease
of 5. The non-fatal accidents in 1896 were 31; in 1897, 52, an
increase of 21, but among this number only a few were of a serious
nature. Of the fatal accidents, one occurred outside of the mines,
an explanation of which appears in another part of this report. Five
fatal and fifteen non-fatal accidents occurred during the term of my
predecessor, Mr. William Jenkins, which embraced the first four and
one-half months of the year 1897, and a prosecution for violation of
section 1, article XXI, of an act relating to bituminous coal mines, approved
May 15, 1893, is reported by me at Mr. Jenkins' request.
The report contains the tables showing the location of the various
collieries in the district, the number of tons of coal mined and
coke manufactured, the number of tons of coal used for steam and
heat, sold to local trade and used by em]»Ioyes, also the railroad shipments
in tons of coal made from each mine, together with a statement
of the number of each class of employes and the number of fatal
and uon -fatal accidents which were reported as having occurred at
the various mines.
Upon investigation into the cause of the fatal accidents I found
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