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

No. 10. SECOND BITUMINOUS DISTRICT. 277
bud been driven some distance into tbe pillar of coal twenty-five feet
tbick, wbicb bad been left standing, and in driving along tbe line
in tbe Striekler mine it was cut into, in December, 1896, connecting
tbe two mines. No. 3 butt entry, soutb, was also driven into tbis
25-foot pillar, and at tbe same point tbe Striekler people also cut into
tbe 25-foot pillar, and tbe workings coming togetber, connected tbe
two mines, tbus allowing the water to run from tbe Striekler into
tbe Hecla mine.
Some time after tbe opening between tbe two mines at No. 3 butt
entry, soutb, bad been made, Mr. J. P. K. Miller, civil engineer in
cliarge of tbe Striekler slope mine, and Tbomas Laird, superintendent
of tbe Hecla mine, agreed that I sbould examine tbe opening and tbat
tbey would be willing to carry out whatever suggestion or opinion I
would give witb reference thereto. On the 20tb of September, 1897,
I went to tbe mine for tbe purpose of making tbis examination, and,
in comjtany witb Mr. Laird, Harry Hagan, tbe civil engineer of tbe
Hecla mine, and William Dean, mine foreman, I entered tbe mine
and examined tbe same, and after carefully considering tbe matter,
gave it as my opinion tbat tbe openings sbould be closed by a wall
of masonry, laid in cement, to be three feet thick, and I so informed
tbe persons present. Mr. Tbomas Laird, tbe superintendent, agreed
with me tbat tbis was the proper thing to be done, and that be would
attend to carrying out the suggestions, and, witb this understanding,
I left.
I again visited the mines on October 19, and found that neither
of the walls bad been built and that no materials were in the mine
with which to construct them. I also found that the opening into
tbe Striekler from said room No. 19 was inaccessible from either the
Hecla or Striekler mine.
On September 20, tbe time I was called upon to give an opinion, I
saw tbat materials could not be taken to the openings into the Striekler
mine from room No. 19 through the Hecla side, for tbe reason
tbat tbe pillars bad been drawn at this point. The Striekler people,
however, gave their consent tbat the material for the walls should
be taken through their mine. Some time afterwards and before tbe
materials had been taken into the mine for the wall,
tbe Striekler
people drew tbe rib which extended past tbis opening from room No.
19, tbus allowing tbe roof to fall in and cutting off all access to this
opening. Afterwards, I observed that the opening at No. 3 butt
entry, south, was closed up by a wall of stone laid witb sand and lime.
Mine foreman, William Dean.
Hecla No. 2 Shaft.—All matters pertaining to the health and safety
of tbe employes seem to be well looked after. Quantity of air in
circulation at inlet, when last measured, 72,150 cubic feet, wbicb was
well distributed around the workings. Mine foreman, William Snedden.