1900 - Coalmininghistorypa.org

No. 11. FOURTH ANTHRACITE DISTRICT. 113
for the appearance of gas before the brattice is extended, for it is
at all times dangerous to remove even a small body of it, and the
majority of the miners now employed cannot be trusted to do so.
Accidents by Falls of Hoof and Coal.
Twenty-two fatal and 73 serious non-fatal accidents occurred in the
year L900 from falls of roof and coal, being 30 per cent, of the whole
number of accidents from all causes. Every year, as the records
show, this is the cause of the greatest number of accidents. The
records show also that the greatest number of these occur owing
to the inexperience and carelessness of the victims of such accidents.
The writer has worked in the anthracite mines of this
Commonwealth for forty-two years and is perhaps familiar with a
greater number of mines than any other person now living, and
he can state truly that there never has be#n a time when there
was such a large proportion of the miners employed in the mines
so incompetent as they are at present. Considering this, one is
surprised that the number of accidents is not greater. A large proportion
of the accidents from falls of roof and coal occur when the
miner is barring loose rock or coal down. He stands to do so in
such a position that the rock or coal in falling, falls against or upon,
him. Accidents from falls of roof and coal frequently occur when
the miner returns to the face too soon after a blast is fired. It
takes a few minutes sometimes for a piece of coal or roof to fall
after its support is taken away by a blast, and if any one approaches
the face heroic this happens he is likely to be caught under wheD
it falls, and this is the manner in which a large number of the acci
dents by falls of roof and coal occurred in the year 1900.
A huge number of miners not knowing how to fasten a prop to advantage,
and not knowing the amount of powder to charge a hole
with, discharge the props by blasting, and on returning to replace
the prop the roof falls upon them.
It is impossible to reduce this class of accidents by any system
of mine inspection, for the cause does not arise from the condition
of mines, but rather from the conduct of the men who are
the victims of the accidents.
Accidents by Mine Cars in the Mines.
The number of accidents caused in various ways by mine can
was 1.8 fatal and 42 non-fatal. Runners, drivers and door-tenders
furnish the greater number of victims in this class of mine accidents,
but a number of miners or laborers were among them. A
8—11—1000