1900 - Coalmininghistorypa.org

72 REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF MINES. Off. Doc.
General Remarks.
The condition of the mines so far as ventilation and safety are concerned,
is fairly good, and they are well attended to, as every year
adds more open territory to be taken care of and kept in a safe
and secure condition for transportation and ventilation.
On December 13th, 1900, a Are was discovered in the old workings
of the Cooper, or top split of the Baltimore seam of the Delaware
shaft, operated by the Delaware and Hudson Company, which gave
considerable trouble and anxiety to those in charge to subdue, which,
at this writing, they have failed to accomplish, which necessitated
the closing down of Laurel Run colliery with the Delaware, as they
are opened into one another throughout the Baltimore vein, on
account of the fire.
The usual improvements pertaining to the mining of coal in and
about the collieries have gone on as in former years, so that there
is nothing new or special to report.
The Butler and Fernwood collieries,
which were operated by the
Butler Mine Company, Limited, passed into the possession of the
Hillside Coal and Iron Company December 1st, 1900, and are now
operated by that company.
I desire to make a short statement in regard to accidents caused
by premature explosions of blasts and by careless handling of powder.
In this district for the year 191)0, as shown by report, there were 9
fatal and 22 non-fatal accidents from the above cause, which might
have been averted by ordinary care on the parts of the victims.
So much has been written regarding accidents and their causes in
previous reports, that I shall not attempt to go over the subject
again at this time. But the above requires a few remarks. In
investigating accidents as above referred to, I found that the victim
was either instantly killed or fatally injured, or seriously cut and
bruised from the following causes: By forcing the cartridge into the
hole with the butt end of their drills, cutting the match on the
squib so short that they could not get to a place of safety in time
before the blast exploded or handling powder with their lamps on
their caps. Now, as to the first mentioned method, no sensible man
who regards his own safety would be guilty of such an practice,
yet such is the case, I am sorry to say. As to the second violation
of the mine law above mentioned, in my opinion, it is the most prevalent.
There are two kinds of matches used for blasting, one called
the saltpetre and the other the sulphur match. The first is used
principally where open lights are forbidden on account of explosive
gas; the other is used where an open light may be used to ignite it.
Both those matches are twisted and dipped into a solution of the
above and are from two to two and a half inches long, and will