Annual Coal Report of the Illinois Bureau of Labor Statistics (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1901 Excerpt: ...mine. The Horse Creek Coal Company, of Pawnee, Sangamon county, has commenced a new hoisting shaft at its mine. When this hoisting shaft is down the machinery will be removed to it, and the present working mine will be used as an escapement and air shaft. Fatal Accidents.--There have been twenty-two fatal accidents in the district during the year, eight of which were caused by premature blasts and the careless handling of powder. Seven of these accidents occurred in Sangamon county, where the coal is blasted off the solid. Three-fourths of the shots are let off at the noon hour, and the ventilation of the mine is then in a bad condition for the balance of the day. Sometimes as high as four shots are let off in the face of a working room at the noon hour, and it is impossible with any amount of air in circulation to cool a room off after these shots, so that it would be in a healthy condition for persons to work in the balance of the working day, which ends in the afternoon about three o'clock. Since the eight hour law has gone into effect the miners want to get nearly all the shots off at noon, as the quitting time is at three or half past three o'clock; in trying to let off so many shots at once, accidents are unavoidable. The mining law should be so amended that blasting should only be done at quitting time, when the miners leave the mine. The following is a record of the fatal accidents occurring in the district: July 13,1899, John Manning, driver, aged 21 years, single, lost his life in the Cantrall Cooperative Coal Company's mine, Cantrall, The mule he was driving ran away with him, causing him to be thrown under the loaded trip, resulting in his death. August 29, 1899, Henry Marshall, miner, aged 49 years, married, lost his life in the Republican Iron...