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

Ex. Doc] Reports of the Inspectors of Mines. 117
and sand for this pnrpose, and their workmen are left exposed to danger
and death for the want of them. When the inspector demands this from
tlieir hands, they meet him with the assertion that they cannot afford it,
and that they are striving to keep their works moving on the sole maxim
of "live and let live," out of compassion for their workmen, forsooth !
But this is hot the principle that governs them ; they want to " live," but
do not care a straw whether any one else lives or not, oi" they would pro-
vide enough of God's free air for their workmen to live on.
The inexcusable custom of slacking up the speed of fans and dampening
furnaces during the night, I have peremptorily stopped, and now it is
never done to my knowledge. It was the general custom to do this
throughout this district until about one 3'ear ago, and the result was that
the fire bosses, in going their rounds in the mornings, would find large
and numerous lodgments of gas in the face of the workings, which could
not be broken up and dispelled without resorting to the objectionable and
generally unnecessary custom of " brushing out the gas." I have also put
a stop to the custom of sending the workmen to " brush out the gas."
This work, if done at all, I insist must be done by the mine boss, or his
assistants, "before the miners shall enter the mines."
In 18*76, there were six fatal and twentj^-one non-fatal accidents from
explosions of carbureted hj^drogen gas. In 1877, one person killed and
twenty -three persons injured through explosions of gas ; and out of the
latter, sixteen persons were injured by four explosions. The fatal accident
from this cause, during last year, occurred November 15th, at Jermyn's
Green Ridge shaft, Scranton, and is
Accident No. 34.—Anthony Collins, a young man, working at company
work in the above named shaft, had his skull fractured by being thrown
against a pillar by concussion of an explosion of gas, which demands par-
ticular notice. In order to place the blame for this explosion where it
properly belongs, it is necessary to explain all the circurnstances relative to
the ventilation of the colliery.
There is considerable inflammable gas evolved in it, consisting of powerful
feedei's or " blowers." These blowers were frequently ignited by the firing
of blasts, and the class of men who were employed there as miners were
utterly incompetent to control those fires, and would often run away, allow-
ing the fires to extend to the gobs, burning out the props, and causing the
roof to fall. Several chambers had been closed in this manner, as will be
seen by the accompanying map. July 23d, I visited the shaft, having heard
that it was then on fire. It had been burning for several days, but the
men in charge had it under control, and did not need my assistance. October
18th, the^^ had another fire there, and I went there again, and upon
that occasion I visited about half the workings, in company with Samuel
Baker, who was at that time the mine boss. On Saturday night, the 20th,
two men were injured by a fall of roof, while engaged extinguishing the
fire; and on the following Monday morning, as soon as I heard of the ac-