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

Ex. Doc] Reports of the Inspectors of Mines. 19
By Blasts.
Accident No. 1.—Hugh McGiveii, a miner working in tlie Hartford col-
liery, on the 17th day of January, was killed by explosion of a blast.
It appeared that he had returned to re-touch a blast that he supposed
had missed fire.
The laborer stated, that the miner was using the ordinary miners' straw
of his own filling.
Accident No. 21.—Patrick Sullivan, a miner working in Wyoming col-
liery, on the 4th day of October, was killed by explosion of a blast in coal.
He and his laborer had touched the fuses to set off two blasts ; in due
time one exploded, and after waiting considerable time, the noiner Sullivan
went on to learn the reason of the second blast not exploding, as he
had ignited them both. His partner advised him not to go on, but he
said that they may have to wait all day, and went on, and just as he reached
the face, the blast exploded, killing him instantly.
Accident No. 26.—William Ofi"res, a miner working in No. 1 shaft, Nan-
ticoke, on the 15th day of November, was so dangerously injured by ex-
plosion of a blast in coal, that he died the same night of his wounds.
His brother, who was laboring with him, stated, that the miner had cut
oflf a piece of the match attached to the patent squib that he was using,
and that he had scarcely turned from the hole after igniting to match, when
the blast exploded with the above result.
Accident No. 2.—John Hartland, a mason, who had a contract for build-
ing foundation for engines in the Diamond collier}^, inside of the mines,
on the 14th day of Februarj^, was found dead on carriage at foot of the
shaft.
Mr. Hartland was going down on the carriage on one side, and other
persons were being hoisted on the other side the same time from the bot-
tom. There being no coal hoisting, there was no person attending foot of
the shaft ; but the engineer, having occasion to hoist the carriage sometime
after Hartland went down, the carriage was hoisted only a short distance
when the engine proved at once that there was something wrong, and the
engineer stopped. Soon aftex'wards, some person came to the shaft foot,
and the body of Mr. Hartland was found to be fast between the carriage
and the side of the shaft, and the signal being given, the carriage was let
down, and it was discovered that the poor man was dead. It is impossible
to state what caused the death of Mr. Hartland. It is claimed by the en-
gineer and other men, such as those who came up on the opposite carriage,
that Hartland had ample time to have got off and traveled quite a distance,
from the time the carriage reached the bottom. Some people think that
he must have had a spasm while alone on the carriage, some of his ances-