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

258 Reports of the Inspectoes of Mines. [Off. Doc.
chute until too late to escape. He was caught between the chute and
end of wagon and crushed to death, his body fell under the wagons and
was dragged for a distance of one hundred feet or more. Had he taken
the precaution of riding on the low side of wagon this accident would
in all likelihood have been averted.
Ira W. Shade, a laborer, age eighteen years, was killed by a fall of
slate at Williamstown colliery, January 2G, 1801 ; he was employed as a
laborer in breast 22, Lykeus Valley vein, east gangway, tunnel level.
He had just gone to face of breast in the morning, and crossed to the
west manway to get some tools which he needed to commence work with,
as he reached the west side of breast the fall took place, striking and
killing liim as above stated. The top slate in this vein is very free, it
being only a short distance under what is called the Big Lykens Valley
vein; in this case it is very evident that the miner neglected his dut\% he
should have gone to face of breast and examined it, and I feel confident
had he done so, in all probability this accident would have been averted.
When a miner employs a laborer to work with him it is his plain duty
to see that the working place is safe for the laborer to work in, however,
many of them leave the laborer to run the risk of working in an unsafe
place so as to save work for themselves, and in this way many of the so-
called accidents are caused.
James Quinn, a driver, age twenty years, was killed at Mount Carmel
colliery, February 12, 1891 ; the deceased had just brought two loaded
wagons to foot of slope, the bottom man in hitching them on, failed to
get the pin through the both sides of the clevis; when the weight of
the load got on the rope, the large link which the clevis pin should
have been put through, pulled out, allowing the wagon to run down the
slope; the deceased was crossing the bottom which he should not have
done while wagons were being hoisted, he attempted to get out of the
way but failed, one of the wagons jumped the track and caught liis head
between it and the gangway leg, fracturing his skull, from the effects of
which he died instantly.
Alexander Maduskie, a miner, age thirty-three years, was killed by
being run over by an empty trip of wagons on the hoisting slope at
Stirling colliery, February 13, 1891. He in company with several other
men were on the empty trip ready to be hoisted up, the tongs which
guide the wagons from one track to the other failed to work on this oc-
casion. One of the bottom men went up the slope to ascertain the cause
of the tongs not working, he became confused as to which track he could
fix the tongs for, and called to the men standing on the wagon asking
which side he should fix them for, the men failed to understand him. he
then fixed the tongs for the west track, this proved to be wrong and when
the wagons came to the tongs they were thrown fiom the track. Maduskie
was thrown under the wagons and instantly killed. Had the bottom
man taken the precaution to see for himself which road he should turn
the tongs for, this accident would not have happened.