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TWENTY-SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT
OF JAMES EPPERSON, STATE IN­
SPECTOR OF MINES OF INDIANA.
The annual report for 1904, of State Mine Inspector
James Epperson, of Indiana, published in
connection with that of W. S. Blatchley, the head
of the state bureau of geology and natural resources,
has just been issued. The report is the
twenty-sixth to be issued by the department. It
includes conditions of coal trade, labor conditions,
mine accidents and statistics. Under conditions
of coal trade a general review of the coal business
for the past year is given as fully as possible.
Under the head of labor conditions we include
strikes that have occurred, Terre Haute and Brazil
agreements and other conditions relating to labor.
Under mine accidents various tables are given
exhibiting the cause, numlier and frequency of
accidents to mine employes; also, accidents to
mine property. Under the statistical part of the
report numerous tables are presented showing
the production of the different kinds and grades
of coal, amount of wages paid to employes, the
number of persons employed in the different capacities,
number of mules used, number of mining
machines, tables of averages, comparative tables.
directory of mines and a table snowing the geological
number of coal seam mined and character
of roof and floor at each mine in the state.
In the following summary will be found most
of the important totals for the state for the year:
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 29
Total number of days mines have been
operated 29,641
Total tons of hand-mined block coal. . 040,567
Total tons machine-mined block coal. . 86,505
Total tons block coal 727,072
Total tons bituminous hand-mined coal 5,645,663
Total tons bituminous machine-mined
coal 3,499,669
Total tons bituminous coal produced.. 9,145,332
Total tons hand-mined coal produced. 6,286,230
Total tons machine-mined coal produced 3,586,174
Total tons of coal produced -9,872,404
Total tons of coal consumed in Indiana 5,304,906
Total tons of coal shipped outside of
the state 4,567,898
Amount of wages paid to miners. . . . .$5,865,033.63
Amount of wages paid to outside day
and monthly men 1.146,871.64
Amount of wages paid to inside day
and monthly men 2,153,499.11
Total amount of wages paid to all employes
9,165,404.64
Amount of money spent on improvements
74,230.85
Total number of fatalities 34
Total number of serious accidents. . . . 132
Total number of minor accidents 81
Total number of accidents to employes
247
Total number of accidents to mine
" property 12
Regarding the condition of the coal trade the
Number of counties having shipping
report says:
mines 14 The coal business in general throughout the
Number of coal companies operating
state for the year 1904 was not as profitable to
mines 137 the mine owner as it was during the preceding
Number of mines working more than
five or six years. The selling price of coal has
ten men 210 been very low, ranging from 90 cents to $1.20
Number of new coal companies organ­
per ton for mine-run coal at the mine, and a maized
23 jority of the mines, especially during the spring
Number of new mines opened 42 and summer months, were operated less than half
Number of mines abandoned 10 time. The total production, which reached 9,-
Number of pick miners employed.... 8,800 S72.404 gross tons, shows a decrease of 120,149
Number of machine runners 380 tons, or a fraction over 1 3-10 per cent, under
Number of machine helpers 380 1903. This was a very small decrease in pro­
Number of loaders 3,046 duction, and to those not conversant with the
Number of inside day and monthly
situation it would seem should not distress the
men employed 3,449 business to any considerable extent; yet, con­
Number of outside day and monthly
sidering the fact that 42 new mines have gone
men employed 1,777 into operation during the year, which have helped
Total number of all mine employes.. 17,838 to furnish an over-production, it can be readily
Number of mules used 1.421 understood why the mines have not been oper­
Number of electric chain machines.,. • 291 ated so steadily and why prices have been low.
Number of compressed air punching
The large increase in the number of new mines
machines 104 and the consequent increased demand for cars
Total number of mining machines. ... 395 and transportation facilities created thereby being
Number of electric motors 30 more than the railroads could meet, was largely
Number of dynamos ".".".:..."'. .'• . • '• .:'.' ' 67 responsible for the depressed condition of the
Number of compressors 28 business. The aggregate wages paid in 1904 was