1900 - Coalmininghistorypa.org

No. 11. FOURTH BITUMINOUS DISTRICT. 455
While Terry Donley was undermining his place in the Walston
No. 3 slope on August 6th, a piece of top coal, which he had neglected
to take down before getting under it, fell upon his side breaking two
of his ribs, which penetrated his left lung, causing internal hemorrhage,
from which he died in four hours after being taken to the
hospital.
The deceased was 55 years old and had mined coal nearly all
life. The coal that fell had been loosened by a previous blast.
On September 22d Thomas Ruddock, a miner, and James Potts,
who was employed as gripman, were both instantly killed by a
collision of mine cars in Eleanora No. 2 slope mine. The product of
this mine is brought to the surface from the several inside headings
by the endless rope system of haulage, using two grip cars. Two
men are employed on each trip of cars, a gripman and trip runner or
helper to the gripman. On the evening of the 21st of September,
the day previous to the date of the accident, as a loaded trip had just
started out from 9th right heading, some one on the surface noticed
a strand broken in the wire rope, and the trip was at once stopped to
repair the damaged rope, and the trip was left standing on the main
slope, between 7th and 8th left, over night, as it was late when the
rope was repaired.
John Moorhead and John Lewis, who were in charge of the trip,
desided that evening on their way home, that the next morning
they would not report at the slope entrance, as was customary,
but would go in the nianway (which was a short cut into the
mine), to start their trip out early. This they did without notifying
the officials or the other two trip runners, James Potts and
Richard Barnes, who were at the slope mouth waiting for Moorhead
and Lewis, and, as it was becoming late, they concluded that Moorhead
and Lewis had overslept themselves, and they took an empty
car and ran it down the slope by hand. When they arrived at 5th
left, they stopped to repair the signal wire, which was broken, and
while standing there Thomas Ruddock, Moses Mathuen and John
(ladus got into the car to ride with them. They started down the
slope, and while they were going down, the loaded trip in charge of
Moorhead and Lewis si ailed out. and they collided, throwing Buddock
and Potts out with such violence that they were both instantly
killed, and severely injuring Moses Mathuen.
An inquest was held before my arrival, although I arrived there
at 2 P. M., and the jury placed all blame on the deceased persons,
who, I believe, were equally responsible with the rest. They certainly
did wrong in running the car down the slope, and Moorhead
and Lewis blundered in going into the mine wilhoiil reporting at
the slope entrance.
Strict adherence to the mine rules and good discipline will accomplish
much in preventing such accidents.
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