First inspection was made October 7, and the mine found in very fair condition. January 8 another inspection was made, when the ventilation was found up to the requirements of the law. Another inspection was made May 10, when the fan was found running 90 revolutions per minute, and removing 23,540 cubic feet of air in same length of time. This volume of air was circulated around the workings, in one undivided current, which system is as old as the coal itself, and cannot be too strongly condemned as impractical in the light of modern methods, and unworthy of any mine boss or superintendent to practice. Some gas is thrown off in the north entry, and the company has been notified to employ gasmen to go around the mine every morning and see that the same is safe before the miners be allowed to enter it; also, that it must employ shot-firers, to fire all shots after the miners retire from the mine. The company has also been notified to provide a safer way for the men to travel in and out of the mine. Coal from four to five feet in thickness, and worked on the double-entry room and pillar plan. Employment is given to about 90 men, and 50 cents per ton is paid for unscreened coal. TABULAR STATEMENTS. REMARKS ON TABLE V. The following table embraces in detail the coal-mining operations of each county in the State producing coal, and from which may be seen as follows: The kind of power used, with number of steam and horse-power plants in each county; also the kind of opening, shaft, slope, drifts and strip-pits, and the number of each in operation; number of mines per county, kind of ventilation, and the number of fans and furnaces used in producing ventilation; method of working-long-wall or pillar and room; number of kegs of powder used in mining coal and cost of same; number of miners employed in winter and the number in summer; the same as to other employes in and about the mines; number of fatal and non-fatal accidents; the total number of tons of coal produced by each county, the average price per ton received at the mines for coal, and the total amount received for the product. Table 6 represents each county, with the details of each mine in the respective counties, tabulated after the order and in the manner enumerated above. |