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

Ex. Doc] Reports of the Inspectors of Mines. 179
By Mine Cars.
Accident No. 3 on the list, James Stevens, driver, was fatally hurt by
falling from a car which jumped the track at bottom of slope. At the
time of the happening the injuries were not deemed serious, as the de-
ceased worked all that day and part of the next, but, as presumed, took
cold, and died about two weeks after the casualty. The above accident
happened at Sugar Loaf colliery, February 19, 1877.
Accident No. 7 on the list, Abraham Depue, pumpman, instantlj- killed
by being run over on the slope, at Sugar Loaf colliery, March 18, 1877.
The deceased left the top of the slope about eleven, A. m., on an empty car,
riding as far as the steam pump at the second lift, where he remained a
short time, and then went on an empty car as far as the draw bridge, or
fourth lift, and staid there about ten minutes. A full car coming up about
this time, the engineer was signaled to stop at the fourth lift, another sig-
nal was given to hoist. The engineer suspected the pumpman was on the
car, hence he hoisted very slowly, and stopped at mouth of the slope for
him to get off, but not finding him on the car continued to hoist. When
the car on which he was supposed to be riding on had reached the breaker,
and dumped, they found a hat The outside boss supposed it to be
Depue's, and took it to the top of the slope, when the engineer informed
him that there was a car off the track on the slope, and he went down to
put it on the road, when he discovered Depue had been killed by the ascend-
ing or descending car. I am of the opinion that the deceased was riding
up the slope upon a loaded car, and that his head caught the collars,
throwing him off the car, and was either instantly killed by the crush or
killed by the descending car, which was found off the track. This should
be another warning to persons violating the law by riding up the slopes
on loaded cars, and should be strictly forbidden by the parties in charge.
Accident No. 12 on the list, Michael Deitrick, outside boss at Ebervale
colliery, aged 61, instantly killed by being run over by a car on the slope.
The deceased, in company with some others, went down the slope to put a
car on the track, after which he went to the bottom of the slope, and remained
there a short time, and, instead of riding up the slope, or walking up the m in-
way, he walked up the slope while it was in motion, and was knocked by the
descending, or ascending, car throwing it off the track. It appears that he
was a ver}' persevering man, anxious to get out all the coal possible, and,
rather than detain the works by his riding up, he said he could walk it,
and by doing so he sacrificed his life. He requested the engineer in the
morning to put on full head of steam, at the risk of bringing in the
slope.
Accident No. 17 on the list, Adam Diehl, pumpman at No. 2, Stockton,
or East Sugar Loaf colliery, was fatally injured by being run over by mine
car on the slope. The deceased had to attend to two pumps, one located
in the third lift, the other in the fourth lift, and, in order to attend either
of these pumps, he had to travel on the slope track during the time the