1900 - Coalmininghistorypa.org

302 REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF MINES. Off. Doc.
Mines on the Monongahela Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Fidelity.—This mine ha© not been operated for some time previous
to the close of the year, and it seems that there will be no work here
for some time to come. On the date of my last inspection of the
mine it was in fair condition as far as related to ventilation, but
drainage required improvement.
Courtney.—Cubic feet of air at inlet, eighteen thousand.
Persons
employed, fifty-one. General condition of mine, fair. A short time
previous to my last visit there was trouble with one of the entries,
which subsequently caved in, causing not only a loss of coal, but also
cut off the second means of egress from part of the mine, the ventilation
was also somewhat interfered with.
Banner.—For some time past, some of the passage ways leading to
the second means of egress have been in a very unsatisfactory condition,
the other part near the active workings being practically
non-existent. I have repeatedly asked those in immediate charge
of the mine to remedy the matter complained of, but my request
was unheeded. On a visit to the mine on the 20th of August I
found no material improvement in the part where the greatest
danger existed on account of the absence of the legal passage ways.
It was evident that extreme method® would have to be resorted to
to have the law complied with, as all others had failed. With this
in view I gave the superintendent of the mine, James Parnham, a
peremptory notice to put the mine in a legal condition forthwith. I
visited the mine again on the 30th of August to inform myself if
the notice of the 20th had been complied with; the result of this
examination was that suit was entered against the superintendent
and mine foreman, Joseph W. Hunt, he having received the same
notice as the superintendent, for violation of section one, article two,
of the act of May 15, 1893, relating to bituminous coal mines. At
the preliminary hearing strenuous efforts
were made to stop proceedings
before going to court, but I positively refused to consider
any proposition of the kind. While not vindictively or personally
opposed to these persons I saw that the ends of justice and the
vindication of the law could not be met by any such disposition of
the case, owing to the circumstances under which the suit was entered.
When the case was called for trial they plead guilty, the
court then sentenced each to pay a fine
of one hundred dollars and
costs of prosecution. Since the case has been disposed of, a great
amount of work has been done to get the passage ways in the condition
required by law.
Cliff.—Idle the entire year.
Buffalo.—Not in operation during the year 1900.
Allen.—General condition of mine, fair. Cubic feet of air at inlet,
twelve thousand five hundred. Persons employed, forty-two.