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

No. 12.] Seventh Anthracite Distwct. 257
found in the breast, the safety lamp was not brought into general use.
And on the day on which the accident happened, when deceased and his
partner reached the face of breast going up the west or Cass manway
no fire-damp was found. Bray got into the breast and crossed to the
east or down Cass manway to see if the coal which fell during the night
had blocked the head of the manway. After making his examination
he was returning to where deceased was sitting at head of up Cass manway.
While he was crossing the breast a fall of coal took place which
brought the fire-damp down on the naked lamp which he had in his hat;
the explosion followed, burning Bray severely. The deceased was also
burned, and in addition I am inclined to believe he fell down the manway,
as he was found at the platform at gangway. From the evidence
given at the coroner's inquest by the fire-boss the fire-damp must have
accumulated after he made his examination. It is possible for such to
be the case owing to the breast being continually working. The venti-
lating current was up to the average when I made my investigation.
John Hershock, a laborer, age thirty-five years, was killed at Buruside
colliery, January 12, 1891, by being struck by a runaway dumper at foot
of dirt plane. He was engaged cleaning the road when the accident
happened, the loaded dumper was standing at foot of plane ready to be
hoisted, Hershock was throwing the dirt into this dumper intending of
course to move to a place of safety while the dumper would be hoisted
up the plane. The men on head of plane pushed the empty dumper in
and hooked the rope on to it, when it got over the apex the hook which
the rope was on, pulled out allowing the dumper to run away down the
plane. Hershock continued working and was struck by the dumper and
instantly killed. The cause of this accident was the removing of the
pin which held the hitching hook in place, it was the sense of the coroner's
jury that this malicious act which cost a human life was done by
some boys thinking by so doing that the damage done by the run away
dumper would throw the colliery idle and give them an opportunity to
play. The jury or myself were unable to find out who the boys were.
John Welsh, miner, age forty-five years, was killed at Bast colliery,
January 14, 1891 ; when the accident happened he was engaged in
driving what is known as the cross hole to the monkey in the east Mammoth
vein gangway, he had drilled a hole and in charging it or putting
fire to it, it is not known which, the shot exploded blowing his body out
on the gangway, where it was found a short time after, life being extinct.
Thomas McGovern, a driver, age twenty-seven years, was killed at
Centralia colliery, by being crushed between mine wagon and chute,
January 21, 1891 ; when the accident happened he was riding on the
front end of the first wagon of trip ;
instead of standing on the side of
the wagon which is known as the low side, he chose to ride on what is
known as the upper or high side. The chutes all projected over the
wagons, the deceased must have forgotten that he was approaching the
17-12-91