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

REPORT
€N THE INSPECTION OF COAL MINES IN THE SOUTHERN POR-
TION OP THE COUNTY OF LUZERNE, TOGETHER AVITH CAR-
BON COUNTY, FROM THE 19tii OF JULY, 1875, TO THE 31st OF
« DECEMBER, 1875, INCLUSIVE.
"To His Excellency, John F. Haktkanft,
Sir:— la
Gove7'nor of the CommonweaUh of Pennsylvania:
compliance with the requirements of an act, entitled "An Act
providing for the health and safety of persons employed in coal mines, approved
the 3d day of March, 1870,'' I had the honor of receiving my commission
for the aforementioned district from you June the 30, and I assumed
my official duties on the 19th of July, 1875. I now beg leave most re-
. spectfully
to submit the following report of my proceedings up to the 31st
of December, 1875 :
Through the courtesy of the superintendents at the collieries I am able
to furnish accidents to persons and other information essential for the completion
of a report of the whole year's business. I have arranged accidents
resulting in death and serious personal injury in a tabulated form. From
them it will appear that 21 persons lost their lives and 77 were injured.
Some of the latter were badly hurt, while the injuries of others were not
-considered of a very serious nature.
There has been an output of coal of about 2,555,888 tons, of which there
were shipped to market 2,323,535^^ tons. This affords a means of ascertaining
the ratio of the number of tons of coal mined for each life lost.
There were 121,709 tons of coal mined for each life sacrificed, or 110,644
tons shipped to market for each life sacrificed, or 1 life lost for each 405
persons employed in and about the mines. A superficial examination of
the causes of the accidents given in the accompanying tables exhibits the
very numerous sources of danger which exist, some permanent, but which
from their number, variety and other caiises an inspector may not always
be able to detect, some occasionally depending on conditions not in existence
at the time of inspection, whilst others occur from the spontaneous
act or neglect of a workman. Although I must say it is a common error
to attribute accidents to the fault of the men when the system of working
a colliery is bad or the provisions against accidents have been palpably
neglected.
When there are no rules the men pay little regard to the common safety,
partly from ignorance, partly from the feeling that collectively they are
under the direction of a superior whose duty it is to attend to it. The peculiar
and sudden changes of circumstances, which are perpetually occurring
in mines, demand the enforcement of an unusual degree of discipline,
as essential to the safety of the employed. It is sometimes contended that
the loss of human life in mines has increased, and is increasing, which, if
true, is to be attributable to the recent rapid development of the coal trade,
a much larger population being employed and an increase of coal mined
imder disadvantageous circumstances than heretofore. The mines become
more dangerous as they descend into the bowels of the earth, much more
difScult to ventilate, more men being employed, &c.