1900 - Coalmininghistorypa.org

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18
REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF MINES.
Off. Doc.
between cars and succumbed to his injuries at the Hazleton hospital.
He was employed driving team in the absence of the regular driver,
in No. 4 slope, and was at the time of the accident taking a car
off the siding into a back gangway. He started the team, and
neglecting to properly set the latches for the gangway, the car
came back on the siding and he was crushed between the cars.
His failure to properly set the latches for the back gangway, where
he intended taking the car, was responsible for the accident.
No. 40. Richard Clemens, locomotive engineer, employed at No.
9 colliery, Lansford, Pa., was instantly killed December 31st, by falling,
the locomotive and three loaded mine cars passing over his body.
The fireman was in charge of the engine coming out of the gangway
until near the tunnel entrance, when deceased saw a beer keg that
he had used to stand upon to open a valve to water the engine before
starting in with the trip, in the middle of the track. He jumped
off the engine to remove the obstacle, when he fell and the engine
and three cars passed over his body before the trip could be stopped.
He permitted the fireman to run a trip in the forenoon and one in
the afternoon each day. It was when the fireman was running the forenoon
trip that the accident occurred, but it was not through any
error of the engine runner, but was an accident which was unavoidable
under the circumstances. Deceased had forgotten to remove
the keg before going in with the trip, and he was the first to notice
it on coming out. He was considered by those about the colliery
to be a .reliable, careful and clever engineer. He brought the coal
from inside the tunnel to the breaker, twenty cars per trip.