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

54 Reports of the iNsrECTORS of Mines. [No. 10,
keep his place properly propped and timbered. Neglecting or refusing to
do so, he is liable to be tried for misdemeanor, and upon conviction sJiall
be punished by imprimnment and fine, at the discretion of the court.
Section eight, of the same law, requires tlie operator to employ a com-
petent and practical inside overseer, to be called mining-boss, who shall
keep a careful watcli over tlie * * * * timbering, to see, as the
miners advance in their excavations, that all loose coal, slate, or rock over-
head is carefully secured against falling * * * * ^nd all things con-
nected with and appertaining to the safety of the men at work in the mine.
The report of the said accident contained a statement that the miner
had neglected and refused to tjmber his place, and that the accident to the
man Coon was the result of the same. On investigation I found the statement
was correct. I also came to the conclusion that the mine boss had
not complied with the requiiements of the law, under section eight. I
therefore had the miner, Langan,andthe boss, Davis, bound over to court.
In due time, true bills were found by the grand jury against them, and
the cases will be called up in the January term of 1878.
Patent Squibs.
These devices are being used to a considerable extent through the dis-
trict, and I am sorrj' to say to the detriment of ovir miners using the same,
according to my humble opinion. I am more convinced than ever that
they are not as safe as their inventors intended the}^ should be, nor as
much so as many persons using them think they are. Mr. Richard Rod-
erick, now a mine-boss, while yet working as a miner, one day had a blast
to miss fire, as he called it, when using these patent squibs, and after due
time, having already heard the squib explode, advanced to the face of his
woi'king place, and, as miners always do, put the iron needle into the hole,
and when he drew it out again, behold it had the patent squib upon its
point, and had part of it on fire. Fortunately for Roderick, he had not
pressed that part containing the fire on to the powder, otherwise the blast
would have been exploded, and a life lost in the case, (as it likely would
have been,) and charged to a premature explosion of a blast, as these acci-
dents are frequentl}^ called.
Another incident, in this connection, was related to me by Mr. John E.
Cook, a mine-boss. While on his rounds through the workiug places through
the mine he came to his brothei-'s place, who was driving a chamber, and
was about to jnit off a blast. The miner prepared and ignited the match
attached to the patent squib that he was using, and made his way to the
cross-cut, where the two brothers waited to hear the blast explode. Finally
they heard the squib explode, but not the blast ; the}' then pronounced it a
miss fire, and waited a moment or so, and started into the chamber, when,
to tlieir great surprise, the blast exploded ;
luckil}' for them, however, they
had not reached very near the face, and thus were saved b}' a mere chance.
The above two cases and many similiar incidents are strong arguments
against the use of these patent squibs ; the}' are so, in ni}' mind at least.