1900 - Coalmininghistorypa.org

Official Document, No. 11.
Seventh Bituminous District.
(ALLEGHENY AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES.)
Idlewood, Pa., February 13, 1901.
Hon. James W. Latta, Secretary of Internal Affairs, Harrisburg, Pa.:
Sir: I
have the honor of herewith submitting for your consideration
my sixteenth annual report as Inspector of Coal Mines for the
Seventh Bituminous district for the year 1900.
There was an increase in the coal production of 444,419 tons over
that for 1899. The number of persons employed was 10,045, as
against 8,390 for the previous year. Twenty-three persons lost their
lives in and about the mines, a decrease of 5 from 1899. The number
of persons injured was 72, which is an increase of 8.
Eleven new mines have been opened, five of which are now in
course of construction; two of the old mines were abandoned, and
ten others were idle throughout the year. Several of these will
probably not be operated again in the near future and may be permanently
abandoned and the coal mined at other openings.
The general condition of the mines relative to heaUhfulness and
safety is in most cases satisfactory. Considerable improvements
have been made, and others are progressing toward completion at a
number of mines now owned and operated by the Pittsburg Coal Company.
This company was organized, and purchased most of the mining
properties in this district during the latter part of the year 1899; previous
to that time the coal business had for several years been unremunerative
and many of the individual operators thought they
could economize by conducting their operations on make-shift principles,
consequently when the new company took charge, improvements
were urgently needed at many of the mines, and the task that
confronted it was a formidable one, 1ml I can truly say that the managers
are steadily persevering along scientific lines, and are introducing
improvements of a permanent character.
36—11—1900
(581 )