Reports of the Inspectors of Mines of the anthracite coal regions of ...

t4 Reports of the Inspectors of Mines. fXo. 10,
The regular miner was not in the mines this da}', being sick, and an-
other man took his place. There was nothing indicating carelessness in
this, to my mind, although it is possible that had there been more skill
and experience possessed by the miner or laborer, the case might have
been different ;
yet this case is nearer to have been an accident than many
that are so called in our mining catastrophes.
Accident No. 24.—A miner, named Michael Burk, working in the Forty
Fort colliery, was instantly killed by a fall of rock, from roof. The acci-
dent occurred near the inside cross-cut, between gangway and air-way.
The man Burk had just been to the face of the gangway, and was return-
ing to his own place—the parallel air-wa}^—when the said roof fell on him.
The party were working on night shift. In this case, the men that worked
in and around the place, all agreed that the said place did appear quite
safe, and stated that five or six persons had just been sitting under the
same, a few hours before that. The stone was somewhat of a fire-clay na-
ture, and had a circular-smooth, running to a feather edge, on one side,
and on the rib side, there was a vertical-smooth or break, running parallel
with the rib; hence it had no support. Immediately across from the said
cross-cut, a chamber was being opened, which added somewhat to the
weakness of the roof, at this point.
Accident No. 25—Patrick Moyles, a miners' laborer, working in the
Audenreid colliery, on the 8th day of November, was instantly killed by
a fall of coal. So suddenlj^ did the coal fall, that several other persons,
including Moyles' miner, near by, never heard any warning; and he was
sitting innocently under said coal, resting himself, when it fell upon and
crushed him to death. The coal at this point was strong, but had very
kind slips running through, and a large piece of one of these, it was that
gave way so suddenly. The place was well timbered. In fact, it was a
more dangerous place than they had any idea of, from those slips, and no
negligence could be traced in this case.
Accident No. 21—Richard Coon, a miners' laborer, working in the No.
1 shaft. Waterman & Beaver, near Kingston, on the 14th day of Novem-
ber, was so dangerously injured by fall of rider coal, from roof, that he
died of his wounds the next day. This, again, was one of those unfortunate
cases, that sliould not be called an accidental occnrrence. The report
stated that the miner in charge of the working place had been notified to
timber the roof, and that, neglecting to do so, the same fell, causing the
fatal injury of tlie laborer, (Coon.) In making a personal examination of
the place, and the whole circumstances connected therewith, I came to the
conclusion that the aforesaid charge against the miner was a correct one.
I also became just as satisfied, in my mind, that there was blame attached
to the officer in charge of said mine, in not seeing that timbering had been
done in this place sooner i. e., prior to the time of the fatal injury' of the
man, (Coons.) I examined the place, in companj' with the mine-boss, a