Reports of the Inspectors of Mines of the anthracite and bituminous ...

204 Keports of the Inspectors of Mines. [Off. Doc.
lu looking- over the collieries in my district, I know of nothing? exist-
ing in the condition of any of them to cause an unusual or extraordinary
accident.
There is no standings gas so far as we know. The fire-bosses during
the year have testified that they know of no standing- gas and they make
a record of their examinations daily in the colliery record book, which
is always open to the inspection of the mine Inspector.
There is only one colliery in connection with which we might say
there is standing- water, and we have made several efi'orts to tap it from
an old colliery, but they have proved unsuccessful. The work-
ings of Park No. 3 slope, south dip, are 600' east and 175' south of the
old workings in which this water is lodged. We have for a few years
past occasionally discussed the best methods of displacing this water,
and have come to the conclusion to either pump it out or drive west
opposite the old workings and bore a hole north up the pitch the entire
distance of 175' through the solid coal and tap the water into No. 3
slope, which can be done with all safety.
It is true that occasionally circumstances will present themselves in
mining coal that prevent the mine foreman from exactly living up to
the letter of the law, and where no immediate danger pres6nts itself, it
would be arbitrary on the part of the mine Inspector to be too exacting-.
Under certain conditions we find occasionally that temporary difliculties
are met with and in order to overcome them the law may not be fully
complied with for the time being-. Yet we say, that where an absence
of a sufficient quantity of air is manifest under ordinary conditions, the
mine foreman should be held responsible. While the condition of the
collieries has been and is now, such that I do not anticipate any unusual
accident, Ave nevertheless are often compelled to call the attention of not
a few of the mine foreman to a better distribution of the air current, and
also to the general sanitary condition of the colliery under their care.
There is no g-ood reason why we should have explosions of g-as in my
district if the man in charge does his duty and takes advantage of the
machines erected to ventilate the mines. In order to have a well conducted
colliery so as to produce the best results to all concerned, good
ventilation, g-ood road beds and the general colliery carefully examined
(so that it may be kept practically safe) are indispensable. If the mine
foreman would carefully dig-est the mine law, he could not fail to realize
the fact that it is constructed for the benefit of his emploj^er as well as
for that of the employed, and he who would ignore this fact is not
capable of having- charge of a colliery.
The fact cannot be hidden that some of our mine foremen are too in-
different to the interests (which are inseparable) of employer and em-
ploye with regard to the question of good ventilation. For instance, a
coal operator erects a fan capable of producing 100,000 cubic feet of air
per minute and by reason of neglect or for some other reason the air-