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

428 REPORT OF THE INSPECTORS OF MINES. Off. Doc.
There has been considerable improvement made at the mines during
the year, but the rapid exhaustion of the Moshanuon seam (geologically
known as Bed D) is causing quite a number of small mines
to be opened in the district to take out the remaining coal which other
operators considered valueless years ago, and which some of the
larger operators will not attempt to mine to-day, the mining of which
causes a rather worse condition to exist owing to it being difficult to
properly open a mine having such a small coal area to be worked.
There is still very good coal to be mined, but it Avill require more
permanent equipment and deeper openings to reach the seams, as
shown b}' the accompanying columnar section of the actual coal
measures in this locality. The case of the Commonwealth vs. I). D,
Jones, as mentioned in 1806 report, was carried to the Superior Court,
and that honorable body having reversed the lower court, sustaining
the constitutionality of the mine laws, and sending the case back to
the lower court, where a verdict was reached in favor of the Commonwealth.
A record of Superior Court case is in the hands of the district
attorney and in the State Library. The Governor, in his message
of 1897, advised the establishing of a Bureau of Mining, which
was carried out by the Legislature, and it will no doubt be a valuable
addition to the mining industry. I remain.
Very respectfully yours,
JOSEPH KNAPPER,
Inspector.
TABLE A.
Showing the Number of Fatal and Non-Fatal Accidents and Their
Causes.
Fatal.
Non-Fatal.
Falls of slate roof, 3 5
Fan engine machinery, 1
Electric wires with 550 volts, 2
Falls of coal, • • ^^
Premature blast,
]Mine machinery,
Haulage rope, outside,
Ignition of powder,
Mine (;ars,
Coal and slate,
Total, 7 29