1898 - Coalmininghistorypa.org

No. 11. MINING LAWS OP PENNSYLVANIA. cxxixto be drilled diagonally not more than eight feet apart, and anyplace driven to tap water or gas shall not be more than ten feet wide,and no water or gas from an abandoned mine or part of a mine andno bore holes from the surface, shall be tapped until the employes,except those engaged at such work, are out of the mine, and suchwork to be done under the immediate instruction of the mine foreman.Section 4. The fire boss shall at each entrance to the mine or inthe main intake air-way near to the mine entrance, prepare a permanentstation with the proper danger signal designated by suitableletters and colors placed thereon, and it shall not be lawful for anyperson or persons, except the mine officials in cases of necessity, andsuch other persons as may be designated by them, to pass beyond saiddanger station until the mine has been examined by the fire boss asaforesaid and the same, or certain parts thereof, reported by him tobe safe, and in all mines where operations are temporarily suspendedthe superintendent and mine foreman shall see that a danger signalbe placed atthe mine entrance or entrances, which shall be a sufficientwarning to persons not to enter the mine, and if the ordinarycirculation of air through the mine be stopped each entrance to saidmine shall be securely fenced off and a danger signal shall be displayedupon said fence and any workman or other person, (exceptthose persons hereinbefore provided for,) passing by any dangersignal into the mine before ithas been examined and reported to besafe as aforesaid, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and itshall be the duty of the fire boss, mine foreman, superintendent orany employe to forthwith notify the mine inspector, who shall enterproceedings against such person or persons as provided for in sectiontwo of article twenty-one of this act.Section 5. All entries, tunnels, air ways, traveling waj^s and otherworking places of a mine where explosive gas is being generated insuch quantities as can be detected by the ordinary safety lamp, andpillar workings and other working places in any mine where a suddeninflow of said explosive gas is likely to be encountered, (by reasonof the subsidence of the overlying strata or from any other causes),shall be worked exclusively with locked safety lamps. The use ofopen lights is also prohibited in all working places, roadways orother parts of the mine through which fire-damp might be carriedin the air current in dangerous quantities. In all mines or parts ofmines worked with locked safety lamps the use of electric wires andelectric currents is positively prohibited, unless said wires and machineryand allother mechanical devices attached thereto and connectedtherewith are constructed and protected In such a manner asto secure freedom from the emission of sparks or flame therefrominto the atmosphere ofJ.—11—98the mine.