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

Official Document, No. 10.
Ninth Bituminous District.
(ALLEGHENY, FAYETTE AND WESTMORELAND COUNTIES.)
ConnensviUe, Pa., February 9, 1898.
Hon. James W. Latta, Secretary of Internal Affairs:
Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith my annual report as Insx)ector
of mines of the Ninth bituminous district for the year ending
December 31, 1897.
The quantity of coal mined in the district during the year was
5,074,385 tons, or 136,507 tons less than was mined in 1896. The
quantity of coke produced and shipped was 1,593,325 tons, or an increase
of 328,007 tons as compared with the year 1896. The decrease
in the production of coal was caused by a strike, which continued for
three months, and the increase in the output of coke was due to better
trade, which, apparently, will continue during this year.
During the year nineteen lives were lost, the same number as last
year. The number of non-fatal accidents was thirty-three, being nine
less than for 1896.
It is evident that at least 50 per cent, of the fatal accidents were
due to carelessness and the unusual risks taken by the victims. This
is a matter complained of in every report. Some of these accidents
result from ignorance of the danger and a large proportion of them
are due to the fact that long experience in the mines leads the workmen
to believe that they can take better care of themselvs than those
who are employed to look after the safety of the mines and those employd
therein.
Fifteen wives were made widows and fifty-five
children orphans
b}' these casualties. There is little to say regarding the healthful
condition of the mines that was not in the report for 1896. There
have been more mining machines introduced into the district, which
was the cause of greater loss of life. A better class of machines and
improved methods of machine mining are being adopted to reduce
the liability to accidents. His Excellency, the Governor of Pennsylvania,
has appointed a Chief Inspector, and while the term of the appointee
has been so far too short for the evidence of improvement, yet
30—10—97
r 465 )