1900 - Coalmininghistorypa.org

No. 11. SECOND ANTHRACITE DISTRICT. S7
work together, and if our interpretation of the provision of the mine
law be correct, the miner is to a great extent responsible for the
safety of his laborer.
These two classes together make up 72 per cent, of the victims of
fatal accidents, and 57 per cent, of the total number of accidents.
Inasmuch as "falls of roof and coal'" are responsible for 55 per
cent, of the fatal and 41 per cent, of the total number of accidents, I
feel that the provisions of Hie anthracite mine law of L891 guarding
particularly again s1
this class of accidents should be quoted:
Article 12, Rule 11. "Any person having charge of a working place
in any mine shall keep the roof and sides thereof properly secured by
timber or otherwise, so as to prevent such roof and sides from falling,
and he shall not do any work or permit any work to be done
under loose or dangerous material except for the purpose of securing
the same."
Again Article 12, Rule 34: "Before commencing work, and also
after the tiring of every blast, the miner working a breast or any other
place in
a mine, shall enter such breast or place to ascertain its condition,
and his laborer or assistant shall not go to the face of such
breast or place until the miner has examined the same and found it
to be safe."
The rules quoted are to guard particularly against accidents from
"falls of roof and coal," and if those whose safety is to be guarded
respected their provisions, accidents from this cause would lie materially
reduced.
This matter has received much attention during the inspections
made of the mines of the district in 1900, and from many observations.
I have concluded that a very large number of miners are unaware
of these provisions or are careless in
observing them.
The fact that eighty-four of the total number of accidents are
(hissed under the heading of "falls of coal and roof" fully justifies
me in calling attention to this subject, and it is my object to secure
cooperation on the parts of all concerned, namely, miners, assist.
ml foremen, mine foremen and superintendents so guard diligently
against accidents from this source, thai
by so doing the number
of accidents mav be reduced.
A Suggestion.
If, in addition to the extracts of the mine law which are now posted
about the mines, the sections of the law which apply to the duties
of the several classes of persons employed in and about the collieries.
were printed on separate sheets, and liberally distributed, it would,
in my opinion, have a beneficial effect. The miner, driver, runner.
etc., would learn at a glance the provision of the law regarding his