1900 - Coalmininghistorypa.org

No. 11. FIFTH ANTHRACITE DISTRICT. 179
respectively, employed on the No. 7 stripping at Milnesville, Pa.
The former was instantly killed, while the latter was fatally injured
on April 25th, by a fall of rock. Sulack died at the Hazleton hospital.
These men, with others, were working out coal on the
saddle, underlying a ledge of rock, when, without a
moment's warning,
a portion of the overhanging ledge fell, with the aforesaid resnlt.
Yulaski was picked up out of the shaley coal, where he met death by
suffocation, while Sulack, the laborer, was struck by a piece of the
falling rock while trying to escape. I found, upon examination
of the scene, together with the testimony of eye witnesses, that the
usual precautions had been taken to examine and sound the overhanging
rock, both by the foreman and the miners, before the men
commenced to work, feeling satisfied that there was no danger, but
the investigation proved that the ledge of rock fell from an old
fracture, which was not at the time visible, and which, no doubt,
was the real cause of the accident. Therefore, the accident might
fairly be considered unavoidable. It would be better at all tines,
where it is impossible to offer any support to such overhanging
benches in coal or rock, to blast them down, as required by the
miue law, which should be the foreman's duty in every instance.
No. 23. .Mike Greshko, a jig runner and repair man, employed on
the Highland No. 5 breaker, was instantly killed on May 21st, by
machinery. I can only surmise, in the absence of witnesses, that the
deceased went back to the broken coal screen and commenced to
replace a washer on pedestal bolt while the machinery was in motion,
and in some way his clothing caught in the revolving shaft. He was
alone responsible, for if there was anything wrong with the machinery
he should have signalled the engineer to stop, as required
by the anthracite mine law and the colliery rules, and this accident
might have been averted.
No. 24. John Fellin, a miner, employed at slope No. 4, Gowan,
was fatally injured on May 23d, and died a few hours later at his
home. lie was sinking a trial slope in east No. !) gangway. He
scut his laborer to the top of the slope, which was about 210 feet
in length, to bring down the buggy. With the help of a driver, he
placed the buggy on the track, and gave the rope sonic slack to
push it over the apex. The rope in some way became unhitched from
the staple of the buggy, causing it to go down without the rope.
An investigation of this accident showed that
Fellin, who was at the
bottom of slope, was struck by the bumping pole (which he had
placed across the Hack), on the right side above the hip. He also
received a lacerated wound on the head. The responsibility for this
accident rested with the laborer, for it was his .duty to see that
the hook was properly attached to
the car or buggy before reaching
the apex, when the accident would have been averted.