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

Ex. Doc] Reports of the Inspectors of Mines. Ill
on the right side of the road under a solid part of the slant, or if cross-
timbers had been put in, the roof would not have fallen, though a couple
props had been knocked out by a l)last ; and it was the mine boss' busi-
ness, as Mr. Davies admits in his evidence, and as the law plainly states,
to carefully examine the roof, and to see that it was properly timbered. I
am ver}^ sorry to say that it has not been shown that Mr. Mosier did do
this, and I must agree with James B. Hicke^' that he was to blame for
neglecting to do it. I saj' this with the kindest' feelings towards Mr.
Mosier.
Accident No. 38.—Michael Howard, a miner, at the Coal Brook tunnel,
Carbondale, was instantly killed, December 1st, by a fall of roof. He had
been trying to draw down the dangerous slab, but used a drill instead of
a crowbar for that purpose, and as is alwa3^s the case, he was afraid to break
or bend his drill, and did not exert his strength to bar it down. Several
years ago, he was seriously injured by a fall of roof before, and a son,
who was working with him at the time, was instantly killed by his side.
However, it may have been then, it is beyond a doubt that he was killed
now, through his own negligence entirely. The using of a drill instead of
a crowbar to bar down rock is reckless in the extreme, and ought ncA'er to
be permitted. Ever}^ miner should be compelled to provide himself with
a good strong crowbar.
Accident No. 39 Patrick Smith, a laborer, working for Patrick and
Lewis Doran, at No. 12 shaft, Pleasant Valley, was instantly killed, December
4th, bj' a fall of top coal. In this place there is a strong seam of
rock between the bottom and top coal, and a blast had been fired right
OA'er the rock to break it down, which left only the top coal hanging.
Patrick Doran, one of the miners, then barred all that he thought was loose
down, but knowing there was a slip running behind the overhanging top
coal, he informed the laborer that he would put a blast in it to bring it all
down ;
but one of tlie laborers advised him not to do so until all the rock
was cleared away. The miner, however, did drill a hole, and had tamped
it ready to fire, and Smith, in the meantime, was under the top coal throw-
ing the rock back into the gob ;
the blast, he heai'd the coal cracking, and cried :
but just as Doran had finished preparing
" Look out," but Smith,
who was hard of hearing, only straightened himself without moving away,
when the whole mass of coal fell upon him, completely burning him,
fracturing his skull, and killing him instantly. He leaves a widoAV with
seven small children.
IVon-Fatal Accidents from Fall§ of Roof and ('oal.
The non-fatal accidents from "falls of roof" and " falls of coal " are so
numerous that time will not permit me to notice each one separately.
There were sixt^'-four of these accidents, over one half of which were comparativelj^
slight, and it is safe to say that nearly all of them resulted from
sheer negligence and reckless carelessness. As I have already intimated,