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

Ex. Doc] Reports op Inspectors of Mines. 139
for the last four j^ears it was 107,604 tons ;
the average for the P. C. Co.,
for 1877, was 93,825 tons, and for the last four years it was 94,598 tons.
The average production for each life lost in the whole district, for the year
1877, was 120,205 tons, and for the last four years it was 111,558.37 tons.
The D. & H. C. Company is at the head of the list in this respect, with
the D., L. & W. Railroad Compan}- second, and P. C. Compau}' third.
This is easily accounted for, and is a correct indication of the amount of
timber used in propping by each company respectively. The mines of the
D. & H. C. Company are far better timbered than those of either of the
other large companies, and there is but very little difference between the
propping of the other two; but the Pennsylvania Coal company has a very
treacherous roof over the greater portion of their coal, consisting of what
is known as "black rock," and which the workmen call "the man-killer,"
and this accounts for the difference in the ratios of these two companies.
If mine bosses, and others in charge of collieries throughout the district,
will study this table and inquire wh}^ they have so many accidents, they
cannot fail to find the cause, and then they can apply the proper remedy.
This, in addition to the general information which the table contains, was
the chief end of its compilation.
Table No. 6 is not complete, but it is as full as I could make it with the
data furnished by the master mechanics. I am necessarily dependent on
them for these datas, because I cannot afford time to collect them myself.
However, it will give a very correct idea of the amount of machinery under
the charge of the inspector and usei in the mining of coal in this district.
Table Xo. 7 is also incomplete, for the same reason as is given for the
table above mentioned. But it is believed that there is much valuable in-
formation in it as it is, that will be interesting to those who are connected
with mining coal.
Table No. 8. I had hoped to be able to include all the fans in the dis-
trict in this table, but I have been disappointed. All the fans of the Pennsylvania
coal company I have been obliged to leave out, because the mine
superintendents of the company could not be induced to provide the neces-
sary data to enable me to include them There must be a reason for this,
and I submit that it must be one of the following: Either the superintend-
ents are supremely indifferent relative to the power exerted on the venti-
lation of their mines by their fans, and consequently of the condition of the
ventilation itself; or, they do not desire to compare the utility of their fans
with that of the fans of other companies, because they feel conscious that
the comparison would result unfavorable to them; or, they know nothing
scientifically relative to the subject of inquiry. The reader can draw his
own inference. The Pennsylvania Coal Company fans, seven in number,
are the only ones omitted.
It will be seen that the fourteen feet fan at the Bellevue mines of the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company, gives the best
result of any in the district. It exhausts 1,663 cubic feet of air per revo-