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

468 Keports of the Inspectors of Mines. [Off. Doc .
under the following- circumstances : They had driven a new shaft from the
mine to the surface and the shaft was kept full of the loose rock, with
the exception of the manway used by the sinkers to go up and down to
their work, and after the shaft was driven to the surface the work of
clearing away the slate and rock out of the shaft was commenced at the
bottom, the loose rock being allowed to slide down the shaft as fast as
it was being taken away from the bottom. At the same time that this was
being done the deceased with another man was working in the shaft
above the loose rock, putting in timbers in readiness for the steam and
water pipes and guide rods. Their instructions were to use a platform to
stand upon to do their work and not to stand upon the loose rock which
would be liable at any moment to slide and carry them down with it,
they used the platform until they got about 30' down the shaft when
they thought it was safe to stand upon the loose debris to do their work,
which was a fatal mistake, and they had only been working in this manner
a short time when the loose dirt gave way carrying them down with it,
beneath which he was completely buried. The man lived and talked to
the men who were trying to release him for about thirty minutes, but
he died before they could liberate him.
John Eng-let, mule driver, was fatally injured on October 24, in the
Walton mine. The deceased Avith several other men were riding- to their
work along the dilly road in an empty car, the grade of the road being
sufficient to carry the car into the mine by gravity after being pushed
some distance from the mine entrance until sufficient momentum was
impaited to it to carry it forward, and while running at high speed the
car by some means became entangled Avith the wire rope used for hauling
the coal from the mine to the tipple and which was supported on rollers
near the roof of roadway. The car being thrown from the rails and lifted
against the roof mtli such violence as to cause fatal injuries to the deceased,
he being at the time sitting- on the end of car. The other men
were inside of the car and escaped injury. If the men had regarded
their own safety they would not have run into the mine at such a high
rate of si3eed. The man left a widow and six children to mourn his
loss,
Nicholas Dongies, miner-boy, age 17 years, was killed by fall of slate
in the Bellwood mine on October 27. The piece of slate which fell
measured 8' X 30" X 9". There was no prop to prevent it from falling,
and it would appear from the position of the body when found that the
boy knew the slate was loose and dangerous and was reaching some
loose coal from under it to finish loading his car, and while doing so it
fell upon him striking his head causing instant death. If the slate had
been supported by props the accident would not have occurred : or it
may have been that the boy did not
was working a room by himself.
fully recognize the danger, as he
Anton Zupatiske, miner, leaves widow in Hungary ; was killed by fall