1900 - Coalmininghistorypa.org

No. 11. MINING LAWS OF PENNSYLVANIA. cxvii
in his judgment, it is impracticable to comply with the foregoing re
quirement; and mines where more than ten persons are employed,
shall be provided with a tan, furnace or other artificial means to produce
the ventilation, and all
stoppings between main intake and return
air-ways hereinafter built or replaced shall be substantially
built with suitable material, which shall be approved by the in
spector of the district.
Section 3.
All ventilating fans shall be kept in operation continuously
night and day, unless operations are indefinitely suspended, except
written permission is given by the mine inspector of the district
to stop the same, and the said written permission shall state the particular
hours the said fan may not be in
spector shall have power to
operation, and the mine in
withdraw or modify such permission as
he may deem best, but in all cases the fan shall be started two hours
before the time to begin work. When the fan may be stopped by
permission of the mine inspector a notice printed in the various
languages used by persons employed in the mine, stating at what
hour or hours the fan will be stopped, shall be posted by the mine
foreman in a conspicuous place at the entrance or entrances to the
mine.
Said printed notices shall be furnished by the mine inspector and
the cost thereof borne by the State: Provided, That should it at any
time become necessary to stop the fan on account of accident or
needed repairs to any part of the machinery connected therewith, or
by reason of any other unavoidable cause, it shall then be the duty
of the mine foreman or any other officials in charge, after first having
provided, as far as possible for the safety of the persons employed
in
the mine, to order said fan to be stopped so as to make the
necessary repairs or to remove any other difficulty that may have
been the cause of its stoppage. And all ventilating furnaces in
mines shall, for two hours before the appointed time to begin work
and during working hours, be properly attended by a person employed
for that purpose.
In mines generating fire-damp in sufficient
quantities to be detected by ordinary safety lamps, all main air
bridges or overcasts made after the passage of this act shall be built
of masonry or other incombustible material of ample strength or be
driven through the solid strata.
In nil mines (he doors used in guiding and directing the ventilation
of the mine shall be so hung and adjusted that they will close
themselves, or be supplied with spring or pulleys so that they cannot
be left si muling open, and an attendant shall be employed at all
principal doors through which cars are hauled, for the purpose ot
opening and closing said doors when trips of cars are passing to and
from the workings, unless an improved self-acting door is used,
which principal doors shall be determined by the mine inspector or