1898 - Coalmininghistorypa.org

146 REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF MINES. Off. Doc.ful examination of the place, togetlier with the testimony ot someol" tile men employed at the work, 1 hnd that miners' squibs are toofrequently used in place of .the regular safety fuse in connection withdetonators. I do not hesitate to say that in this particular casethe squib was ignited prematurely by the victim's lamj). whichcaused the dynamite to explode with the above result.Stephen Leist, a miner, employed at Hazleton colliery >('o. 1, wasdriving an airway from the \Vest Diamond gangway to the surface.He wont to work at 3 P. M., was working at face of airway when asmall quantity of soft top slate fell, partially covering his body,killing him instantly by breaking his neck. An examination of theplace showed this to be another instance of ao experienced minerlos*ing his life by not giving the proper attention to standing props atthe proj^er time.Hugh Smith, employed as repairman on slope No. 1, Hazleton.was engaged in company with (ieorge Mantz at putting in pulleys oneast side of slope, 150 feet from the surface; at the same time threemen were loading cleanings from the west side of slope near the Fifthlift. The hoisting engineer and both parties had a proper understandingthat the men loading the coal were to signal for the regulatingof the movement of the car. About 9.30 P. M. the men at theI'ifth lift had the car loaded and gave the regular slope signal to lowerthe west side car; Mantz testified that he and Smith heard tliesignal and Mantz told Smith to "lookout." Smith was below Mantz,br-t Smitli did iiot heed the the waiiiing in time, and, us Mantz said,foi- the time being forgot all about the car being so near them, consequentlybefore they could avert it. Smith was caught between thecar coming u[) the slope autl the centre ])roi).He was injured inteinally :ind died at the colliery ollice at 10 P.M. of the same evening. For further investigation the case was''That Hugh Smith came to his death by being caught between acai and centi'e proi)S in No. 1 sh)pe, and (hat it was an unavoidableaccident due (o liis own neglect; and that tbey exonei-ate the Lehighturned over to the coroner's jury, which rendered the following verdict:^'alley (-oal ("omjjany from blame whatsoever."The Inspector was of the opinion thai this was not an unavoidableaccident, but one that could have been avoided had the viclini himselfwithdrawn to a i)lace of safety when the signal was given andnot waiting until the last possible minute, which is too frt'(|uentlythe case with many experienced men about the mines. Tliis w:is ucase wiiere a man recklessly threw away his life.Andrew Marosko, a miner, enii>loyed at Highland No. ~^ colliery,was busily engaged loading a cnr in the face of west It gangway,tunnel F, w'hen without a monn nt's warning a fall of toj) slate buried