1900 - Coalmininghistorypa.org

:
ITS REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF MINES. Off. Doc.
clod, which had been purposely left hanging as a death trap by the
miner and approved by the mine foreman when measuring the
breast, fell upon him. The fire boss admitted, in the presence of
the foreman, that he never traveled on that side of the breast. A
careful examination, together with the testimony of witnesses, proved
conclusively that the miner and mine foreman were responsible
for this accident. The miner for wilfully neglecting to take down
the clod, and the foreman because he did not se« that the miner
either secured the clod with props or blasted it down, as directed
by the anthracite mine law.
No. 19. Frank Ward, a miner, employed at the Hazleton shaft colliery
stripping, was fatally injured by the explosion of dynamite
on March 12th, and died while being taken to the hospital. He was
working as a miner on the coal. He had drilled a hole, while
another miner, went down to the tool house for powder. It being
a very cold morning, the dynamite was somewhat frozen, and
unfit for use in that condition. McGeehan, knowing this, commenced
to thaw it by placing it upon the red hot stove. He, had placed
the powder upon the stove when Ward entered the tool house and
appeared to be in no way disturbed at the thawing method in vogue,
but in a short time the roasting dynamite exploded, whereby Frank
Ward was killed and Edward McGeehan and
Marchard were
seriously injured. An inquest was held, and the jury rendered the
following verdict
"That Frank Ward came to his death by an explosion of dynamite
at Hazleton shaft colliery stripping No. .3, operated by the Lehigh
Valley Coal Company, Hazleton, Pa., on March 12th, 1900. And
we do farther say that the explosion was due to the placing of
frozen dynamite on a hot stove in order to thaw it, by one Edward
McGeehan, contrary to all rules governing the handling of dynamite,
and which fact he (McGeehan) admitted before the jury."
No. 20. Mike Krayczervincg, a laborer, employed on the No. 6
stripping, operated by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company, at
Lansford, Pa., was instantly killed on April 3d, by a fall of frozen
earth. He was engaged at the time of the accident undercutting
the bank on the stripping. He had been told by the foreman and
several of the workmen that he should be careful, as the bank was
becoming dangerous and that he had better leave it alone, but
unheeding the warning, he persisted in picking until finally crushed
beneath the falling clay. An examination of the scene showed that
he could have escaped, had he moved back when ordered to do so
by the foreman, but he stood looking at the falling bank until he
was caught and crushed. Therefore, had the victim taken the proper
precautions, the accident could have been averted.
Nos. 21 and 22.
Adam Yulaski and John Sulack, miner and laborer,