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

No. 10. SECOND BITUMINOUS DISTRICT. 263
Number of steam boilers in use, 266
Number of fatal accidents during- the year, 21
Number of non-fatal accidents during the year, 52
Number of widows by fatalities, 12
Number of oi'phans by fatalities, 33
Number of days worked by all the mines during the
year, 15,170^
Average number of days worked by all the mines during
the year, 221)^
Glassification of Accidents.
Fatal.
Non-fatal.
By falls of slate, 9 16
By falls of roof, 2 9
By falls of coal, 2 2
By falls of "horseback," 1 2
By falls of coal and slate, 1 3
By falling down shaft, 1
By premature blasts . . 3
B}' being smothered in coal bin, 1
By mine wagons, 3 14
By being struck by a post, , 1
• .
By being caught between mule and post, . . 1
By something which fell down shaft, 1
By being struck by a dilly rope . . 1
Total, 21 52
The abovi' tigures go to show thai
rules should be strictl}' enforced
to comi)el miners and other employes to be more careful.
T do not wish to be understood as blaming eini)loyes for all accidents
that happen, though I am warranted in saying that a great
number of them are due to want of vigilance and care.
The largest number of accidents, as shown by the table, was due to
falls of slate, and ma}- be attributtnl to some extent to errors of judgment
on i>art of the miners. This being the case, they should be compelled
to set up posts at regular distances, whether they pronounce
the slate safe or unsafe. The enforcement of a rule to this effect has
been respectfully asked of all the jnine foi-emen in the district, and I
liope, as a result, (hat the number of accidents from this cause will be
diminished.
Some misunderstanding of the law a])pears to have prevailed in
some of the mines in the district witii refei-ence to holes for shelter on
hauling roads, where men have to i)ass to and from their work, as, on