COAL - Clpdigital.org
COAL - Clpdigital.org
COAL - Clpdigital.org
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40 THE <strong>COAL</strong> TRADE BULLETIN.<br />
ing, and these should be posted on tne shaft bulle<br />
tin board for the education of the miners. The<br />
explosion that occurred at the United National<br />
colliery at Wattstown July 11, 1905. cost the lives<br />
of 119 men and boys. The percentage oi fatalities<br />
was possibly the highest on record, for only<br />
one man employed in the seam where the explosion<br />
occurred was rescued. He owes his life to<br />
his rare presence of mina, for when he heard the<br />
explosion he poured his tea on his jacket and<br />
stuffed it in his mouth to prevent suffocation by<br />
the after damp. He was unconscious when found,<br />
but the moistened gag had served its purpose, for<br />
he recovered quickly after being brought up. Of<br />
those killed. 55 were lads under 20 years, and 14<br />
were only 14 years old or under. When found.<br />
many of them lay as if sleeping. The explosion<br />
occurred in the lowest seam worked, which is<br />
about 450 yards deep and 9 feet thick. The longwall<br />
system of working is employed, the most<br />
modern lamps were in use and the Schiel type of<br />
fans furnished 250.0110 cubic feet of air per min<br />
ute. The coroner's inquest enaed August 2, the<br />
unanimous verdict of the jury being as follows:<br />
"The explosion of gas was caused by shot firing<br />
in the barrier of coal between the sinking pit and<br />
the upcast pit."<br />
The jury also agreed upon the following recom<br />
mendations:<br />
1. That shot firing should be absolutely pro<br />
hibited except between shifts, and only shot men<br />
should be in the pit at the time.<br />
2. That a thorough system of watering roadways,<br />
sides and roof should be compulsory.<br />
Notwithstanding these great tragedies, which<br />
shock the world, the number of mine fatalities<br />
in the Linked Kingdom is comparatively small.<br />
The entire number of persons employed in mining<br />
in Great Britain and Ireland during the year 1904<br />
was 877,057, of whom 5.4S7 were females. The<br />
number of fatalities in the same time was 1,055,<br />
a decrease of 19 compared with 1903. The rate of<br />
fatalities per thousand among the underground<br />
workers has been as follows for the last three<br />
years: 1902, 1.37: 1903, 1.35; i90., l.o4.<br />
The rate per thousand among all those employed<br />
in mining has been lower, as indicated by<br />
the following comparison compiled by the British<br />
home office for the whole world for the year 1903:<br />
United Kingdom.. 1.24 Holland 1.27<br />
British Empire.... 1.46 Japan 1.71<br />
Austria 1.60 Russia 2.53<br />
Belgium 1.07 United States 3.26<br />
France 1.09 All foreign cottntr's 2.20<br />
Germany 1.93 Average for world. 1.93<br />
The safeguarding of the lives of miners, whose<br />
industry has done much toward ameliorating the<br />
conditions of human existence and has made possi<br />
ble our manufacturing system and the conquests<br />
of commerce, is now engaging the attention of<br />
many experts. Following are a number of recom<br />
mendations practically agreed upon:<br />
Improved ventilation, especially at the face of<br />
the coal, sufficient to carry off all the gas from<br />
ordinary blowers.<br />
Improved lamps to detect the presence of less<br />
than one per cent, of gas.<br />
Watering enough to prevent the accumulation<br />
of dust.<br />
Shot firing between shifts, with only the trained<br />
shot men present.<br />
Rigid inspection of the use of explosives.<br />
Strict enforcement of all mining regulations.<br />
Introduction of cutting machines to reduce the<br />
number of men needed per mine.<br />
Observations of the barometer and aquameter<br />
daily, and oftener if necessary, especially wdien<br />
shot firing is to be done.<br />
The furnishing of a room near the shait head<br />
suplied with all the latest appliances for first aid.<br />
The training of a rescue corps at each snaft.<br />
fi CONSTRUCTION and DEVELOPMENT. «<br />
A $1,000,000 blast furnace, the development of a<br />
large coal field in southern Indiana county, Pa.,<br />
and the building of a new industrial town at Bells<br />
Mills, Blacklick township, that county, are some<br />
of the benefits to result from a real estate deal<br />
closed recently, when Corrigan, McKinnie & Co.,<br />
of Cleveland, bought the entire town of Bells Mills<br />
and nearly 100 acres additional land.<br />
The Louisiana-Alabama Coal Co., capitalized at<br />
$20,000, has been incorporated in Alabama and has<br />
purchased 3340 acres of coal lands in Franklin<br />
county, about 12 miles south of Russellville. The<br />
lands are to be fully developed and the initial<br />
output will be at least 400 tons daily. W. S.<br />
Douglass of Russellville wdll be superintendent and<br />
in charge of the construction.<br />
The Coal Belt railway, wdiich is to bring coal<br />
from fields 20 miles northeast of Price, Utah, into<br />
Utah and Salt Lake valley, filed its articles of incorporation<br />
with the secretary of state of Utah recently.<br />
This road is to be S9 miles long. Ar<br />
rangements are made for financing the project and<br />
construction work is to start shortly. The estimated<br />
cost is $1,400,000.<br />
A Chicago syndicate represented by William P.<br />
Nixon has contracted to purchase 60,000 acres in<br />
Tuscaloosa county, Ala. Millions will be expended<br />
in developing the property and exporting<br />
the product via the Gulf of Mexico.