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

Official Document, No. 12.
THIRD BITUMINOUS DISTRICT.
(ARMSTRONG, BUTLER, CLARION, INDIANA, JEFFERSON, LAWRENCE,
MERCER AND WESTMORELAND COUNTIES.)
Honorable Thomas J. Stewakt, Secretary of Internal A fairs :
Sir : I herewith submit my annual report of the inspection of mines
in the Third bituminous coal district for the year ending December
31, 1891.
There were eight persons fatally, and thirty -four non-fatally injured
at the mines in this district during- the year, showing an increase in the
former of three, and in the latter of five, but when we compare them
with the tonnage (increase 425,651 tons), and the number of employes
(increase 676) this year over that of last, the increase is not so great.
In briefly reviewing this year's fatalities, I would state that Mr. Craig's
death was due to carelessness. He knew that the coal that fell upon
him was very loose, because a few minutes prior to the accident he had
told his younger brother of the dangerous condition of the mined coal,
consequently it was very reckless in him to be mining in front of it.
Whether or not Pallano's death was due to carelessness I cannot posi-
tively state, as he was an Italian and possibly did not understand the
instructions given to him by the assistant mine-boss how to protect
himself while blasting down the roof, but all the evidence taken at my
investigation showed that he had some knowledge of the instructions
given to him by said official, and that he had been engaged at similar
done it satisfactorily to hi&
work in this mine before the accident ; had
employers and with safety to himself, and had he heeded the advice
given he need not have been killed, as the kind of work he was to perform
was not what would be termed dangerous. James N. Rossi, the
other Italian who was killed by the same fall of roof which fatally injured
Pallano, had no business where he was not engaged at the work
of taking down the roof. He was employed as a pumper and having
some leisure time he was merely visiting the other Italians and was
sitting on the floor right under the roof when it fell. The boy, Ditch,
disobeyed the company's rules in using carl)on oil and carrying it on
his i^erson until his clothing was completely saturated with it; then as
happened it only required the flame of his lamp to set his clothing on