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

Official Document, No. 12.
SIXTH BITUMINOUS DISTRICT.
(BLAIR, CAMBRIA, CLEARFIELD, JEFFERSON AND WESTMORELAND
COUNTIES )
Office of Inspector of Mines,
Johnstown, Pa., February 22, 1892.
Hou. Thomas J. Stewart, Secretary of Internal A fairs :
Sir : I have the honor of preseuting- herewith my seventh annual re-
port for the Sixth bituminous district for the year ending- December 31,
1891.
The tables giving the production of coal show 6,959,246 tons mined
for 1891, but I add to this 40,754 tons as an estimate of the coal mined
in five small operations which have not yet sent in their reports, which
makes a total of 7,000,000 tons mined in 1891. The district is increasing
very rapidly, possibly more so than any other in the state, as new
coal fields are being opened up Avithin its boundaries which are being developed
very rapidly. Cambria county has an output of over 3,000,000
tons which is more coal than was mined in the whole district when I
took charg-e in 1885. I am pleased to report a decrease in the accident
list for 1891. The fatal accidents are but 13 against 15 in 1890, with an
increase of production in coal of 1,209,286 tons. The number of non-
fatal accidents has also decreased from 27 in 1890 to 20 for 1891. I
would also state that 7 of the 13 who were fatally injured were non-prac-
tical miners, and about the same percentag-e of those non-fatally injured
w^ere of the same class.
I scarcely feel justified in commenting- year after year upon the care-
lessness existing in our mines by the employes in neglecting- to protect
themselves, but would simply refer to the table with list of accidents
and their causes.
As to the condition of the mines I am pleased to state that many improvements
are being- made in a large majority of them. There are some
in the mining business like all branches who are very loath to make any
improvements, but, upon the whole, their safety and sanitar^^ condition
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