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

Ex. Doc] Reports of the Inspectors of Mines. 175
had fallen. All attempts to rescue the men had proved futile. For further
information relative to this accident see an account of an investigation in
another part of this report.
To elucidate the position of the gangways in the Harleigh mines at the
time' of the cave in, I have made a cross section through the boundary
line, exhibiting the portion worked over the line by both companies, also
a section of the line of bore holes put through the barrier pillar between
Harleigh and Ebervale collieries to tap the water which had accumulated
in the Harleigh mines by the caving in of the superincumbent strata, to-
gether with several sections of coal seams.
I remain your humble and obedient servant.
Hazleton, February 16, 1878.
By Falls of Coal.
T. D. JONES,
Inspector of Coal Mines.
Accident No. I on tlie list, Gomer Thomas, a lad, aged 15 years, at
work with his father, was fatally injured by a fall of rock in the counter
gangway at slope No. 4, Upper Lehigh, on the 15th of January, 1877,
while in the act of handing over some borrowed oil to a neighboring miner,
D. W. Thomas. Part of his face was terribly crushed, and one hip dislocated.
He died iu seven hours after the accident. The miners at work
in this section of the mine state that they made several ineffectual attempts
to bar down this rock, but failed. Great precaution is taken in these col-
lieries,, by the employers, for the safety of their men, but notwithstanding
the accidents have been more numerous for the past year than elsewhere.
Accident No. 2 on the list^ Thomas Baskin, laborer, aged 30 years,
dangerously injured at Council Ridge colliery No. 4, on the 17th of January,
and died January 25. The deceased was laboring in a gangway, and had
fired a blast a little while previous to the happening, and was very anxious
to see its execution, returned to the face immediately after the blast went
off, and while in a stooping position, looking at the result of the blast, a
piece of coal fell from tlie top, stripping his back and cutting him on the
side. The hurt was not considered dangerous at first, but culminated in
his death eight days after. The gangway was well timbered. This acci-
dent, as well as many others, might be avoided if the parties themselves
would allow sufficient time to elapse for the settling of the disturbed coal,
after firing the blasts.
Accident No. 25 on the list, Charles Jones, miner, aged about 40, fatally
injured at No. 5, Council Ridge colliery, November 13, 1877. The de-
ceased was a miner in the gangway, and while in the act of taking a skip
off the lower side of the gangway, a flag of slate fell from the roof break-
ing his back. One of his laborers told him of the piece being bad, but he
had something else in view before taking it down. He was taken to the
hospital where he died December 31, 1877, from his injuries.
Accident No. 6 on the list, Michael O'Donnell, driver, aged 22, was in-