coal trade bulletin - Clpdigital.org

CARELESSNESS THE CAUSE OF MOST MINE
ACCIDENTS, DECLARES WEST VIRGINIA
OFFICIAL.
"About 80 per cent, of the accidents we are
called upon to investigate are found to be due directly
or indirectly to carelessness," declared Samuel
L. Walker, inspector for the Workmen's Compensation
department of the Public Service commission
of West Virginia, recently:
"Chief among causes to which we find accidents
attributable," continued Mr. Walker, "are as follows
:
"Shooting with short fuse;
"Reckless running of motors;
"Failure properly to timber rooms and other
workings;
"Shooting off the solid.
"The carelessness seems not due to ignorance,"
he said, "but, on the other hand, is found largely
with men who are experienced, but neglect precautionary
measures, having become careless of
the dangers surrounding them."
"The state department of mines, through its
chief, Earl Henry, is seeking to obtain a closer
co-operation between mine workers and operators
for the observance of safety rules, but I am told
that, in some parts of the state, there is a tendency
to misunderstand the spirit in which the
safety rules are made because of the lack of complete
understanding between the mine operators
and men as to the humane object of the regulations.
The safety rules primarily benefit the
miners by strict observance.
"The man who shoots a short fuse endangers
others and breaks the law.
"Instead of placing a long fuse that costs perhaps
five cents more, he uses a short one and
tamps dust on top of it. This often causes a
blown out shot, or premature explosion, possibly
a disaster, for there is always the danger of the
ignited dust setting fire to the dust in the mine
and causing an explosion that might involve enormous
loss of life. Upon the miners, themselves,
devolves a large part of the responsibility.
"Many accidents occur from mine motors being
handled with recklessness. The majority of slate
falls in rooms may be prevented by proper setting
of supports, but I am informed this is often
neglected because of extra time involved. Shooting
off the solid means that the coal is shot out
without undercutting and often entails blown out
shots and dangerous roof conditions.
"The accidents we have to investigate in the
mining regions show most often, that, had proper
care been exercised, they might have been prevented.
With the miners themselves in a large
measure the strict enforcement of the rules lies
and with the assistance given by the mine depart­
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 31
ment and demanded by the department of the
operators great loss of life can be daily prevented
in the state. The conditions are good now, but
they can be bettered greatly."
BUREAU OF MINES RESCUE CAR.
Denver,
ARRIVE
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Col., Car No. 2,
LEAVE
i ni A
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NECROLOGICAL
1914 Itinerary, Nc
ADDRESS
Wickenburg, Ariz
Ray, Ariz.
Tucson, Ariz
Bisbee, Ariz
Clifton,
Morenci,
Globe,
Miami,
Santa Rita,
i. 3.
Ariz
Ariz
Ariz
Ariz
Ariz.
Mr. Andrew H. Reeder, vice president and general
manager of the Stonega Coke & Coal Co.,
at Big Stone Gap, Va., died in the Hahnemann
hospital, Philadelphia, recently, aged 44 years.
Mr. Reeder was born September 6, 1869, at Easton,
Pa., and graduated from Lafayette college in
1890, later taking post graduate courses at the
same institution. He was chief engineer for
Senators Davis and Elkins, of West Virginia, and
later took charge of the construction work of
some of the H. C. Frick Coke Co. plants in the
Connellsville, Pa., region, and then became a
consulting engineer. In that capacity he was connected
with the Virginia Iron, Coal & Coke Co.
at Toms Creek, Va., and for IS months was superintendent
of that plant. He then went to the
Crows Nest Pass Coal Co., as general manager
and left it to assume the position he held at the
time of his death. In 1895 he married Elsie
Longstreet Eckbard, of Philadelphia, who, with
two children, survive, A. H. Reeder, Jr., and
Elizabeth Bayard Reeder. He was a director of
the Virginia Coal & Iron Co., Stonega Coke &
Coal Co., Virginia Wholesale Co., Interstate Railroad
Co., and the First National Bank of Appalachia,
Va.
Oscar R. Johnston, who for IS years had been
mine foreman at the mine of the Rochester &
Pittsburgh Coal & Iron Co., at Yatesboro, Pa., died
during the fortnight from shock from a mangled
right arm received when he was caught between
two cars.
The Byrne Coal & Coke Co., Connellsville, Pa.,
has filed notice of the assumption of a debt of
$50,000.