1898 - Coalmininghistorypa.org

No. 11. SIXTH ANTHRACITE DISTRICT. 183colliery, wjis killed on the 3d of Decembei'. This luau was killedby a fall of slate froiii high side of gangway. The miners, Victor andJgnus Capinski, did not secure the side of the gangway with props.The flre boss visited this gangway about 11 o'clock in the forenoonand told the miner to timber, which he promised to do, but insteadof doing so, he kept working in the face.No. 123. Jacob Ketzer, a laborer, working in Tunnel Ridge colliery,was killed on the 2Tth of December. Ketzer was employed inassisting to timber the tender slope. Tanner, the man in charge,sent Ketzer to the surface to put the boat on the rope. A platformwas built across the slope on which to stand while putting up a setof timber. Ketzer rode down the slope on the boat to about eightfeet from the platform when the signal was given the engineer tostop lowering which was obeyed. Ketzer was told to get out andcome down on the platform; instead of doing as he was told he jumpedfrom the boat on to the i)latform, broke through and rolled down adistance of over JToO feet on a pitch of 60 degrees.Mill Creek Coal Company.Compressed Air Haulage at Buck Mountain Colliery.New Boston, Pa., March 25, 1898.Early in 1897 it was decided, that owing to the long hauls, to adoptcompressed air locomotives at Buck Mountain colliery. The extremelylong gangways made transportation very expensive, and we couldnot get the coal out fast enough to supply the slope.Then, too, theaccidents to mules were becoming very numerous.The material was all received in about five weeks after the orderwent in, and in five weeks more the long pipe was laid and one locomotiveAvas in operation. Placing the pipe was rather slow workowing to the many bends necessary down the steamway and alongthe gangways. Since installing the plant it has given entire satisfaction,and everything has worked smoothly since and includingthe first trial. The locomotives can. if desired, do about double thework they are now doing.The plant consists of a "Norwalk" three stage compressor, 20x24inch steam cylinder, 11^ inch intake, double acting air cylinder com-I'ounded with two smaller cylinders. It has a caj)acity of '{T.") cubicfeet of free air per minute, the air being compressed to 700 pounds.The pipe line, diameter 4 inches, passes down the steamway to thethird level, thence to llie slo]>e. and from there down the sloj»e tothe fourth level gangways. There it branches east and west, and