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

Ex. Doc] Reports of the Inspectors of Mines. 101
there was an area of thirty-seven square yards without a single prop, and
there it was that the roof fell. Parfery did not do his duty as required by
law, and was as much to blame as the miner. This ease is similar in every
particular to accident No. 15, which I have given at length.
Accident No. 19.—Patrick Mulderig, a miner, at No. 4 shaft, Pittston,
was killed, June 2fith, by a fall of roof. Mulderig and William Welsh were
working together as partners, and Welsh admitted to me, that he was so
much afraid of the roof that day, that he managed to keep away from un-
der it as much as possible. He had spoken to Mulderig about it, but the
latter assured him there was no danger ;
but Welsh being one of the miners,
was equally responsible with Mulderig for the unsafe condition of the
chamber. On examining it, I found ten inches of bony coal hanging over
the whole breadth of the chamber, and extending back several yards from
the face. Welsh deserves severe censure for his carelessness and neglect,
and he freely admitted that he was very much to blame for not insisting
on barring the dangerous roof down. Mulderig left a widow with six chil-
dren.
Accidents Nos. 20, 21, and 23.—These were of the same nature as the
one last noticed. James Hagan was killed at the Fair Lawn slope. Scran-
ton, June 26th, by a fall of i-oof, through his own neglect and through his
persisting in working in the place in utter disregard of the mine boss'
order.
James Killbride was killed at the Dawson shaft, Pleasant Yallej', July
2d, by a fall of roof. Anthon}^ Churchfield, his partner, was seriously injured
at the same time, through refusing to obey the orders of the mine
boss.
Miles Boj'd, was killed at the Elk Hill colliery, July 3d, in the same
manner.
A.CCIDENT No. 24.—John Brennan, a miner, at the Coal Brook tunnel,
Carbondale city, was killed July 6th, by a fall of roof. Brennan and his son
were working together. They had no coal down, a blast which they had
just fired having failed to do its work. There was considerable "falling
roof" projecting out from the face where the blast had been fired ; and
notwithstanding the repeated warnings of his son, and without examining
the roof himself, he went under it to bar down some coal, to finish loading
a car, which was standing in the chamber, and a large piece fell upon him,
killing him almost instantly. He left a widow and eight children.
Accidents Nos. 25 and 26.—William Alsop, a miner, at the Filer col-
lieiy, Winton, was killed July 11th, by a fall of top coal. Alsop was a victim
of his own negligence. He and his brother, (Thomas Alsop,) worked
together on the night shift, and had gone to work early on that afternoon,
and each drilled a hole, which they fired, in what is known as the "mining
bench." One of the blasts was a failure, and William Alsop, disregarding
the warning of his brother, rushed in to work out the coal, when the top
coal fell upon him, fracturing his skull.