Show COAL MINE fatalities FOR 1919 A complete statement of the coal mine fatalities occurring throughout the united states during the calendar year 1919 has ha just been issued by tile the bureau of mines department of the interior the reports received from the inspectors tor for the year just closed show a reduction of 1058 per cent in coal mine fatalities as compared with 1918 while in 1918 the reduction was 45 per cent from 1917 figures the total number killed was 2307 in 1919 and 2508 in 1918 a reduction of there was a decrease of or 25 per cent in fatalities resulting from mine cars and locomotives and a decrease of or 15 per cent in the fatalities due to tall fall of coal or rock surface accidents show a decline of about 25 per cent as compared with th the previous year there were hower however ever increases in accidents due to gas and dust explosions and also explosives there occurred during the year nine disasters which five or more men were killed representing presenting a total of fatalities the worst disaster of the one year was the occurring at the baltimore 21 tunnel no wilkes es barre pa pap resulting from the ex powder or burning of a number of kegs of by willell which 92 alaster dl aster lives were lost this emphasizes the need for stricter regulations lations relating Dlo to hauling men and sivea e ex x into the mine at tile the th e same time question ration of whether g electricity 8 was re alde H or not does not affect the con on of 0 the e arise III various dangers which haidn underground transportation and bot of and ba h explosives at best est the handling brilling illing ng of explosives is hazardous and such being the ailse case no one other than the necessary attendants should be permitted to ride in cars or cages transporting explosives plo As a result of this disaster the report of the coroners jury to the governor of pennsylvania brings out some important dangers to be avoided in the use and transportation por tation of explosives the condition under which the mines were operated in 1919 were not normal as the country has not become adjusted to the new commercial conditions as a result of the war there were numerous labor troubles during the year and on november I 1 a strike almost completely comple shut down ohp central bituminous field with the result that but little coal was mined during the month of november and early part of december according to the preliminary estimates by the united states geological survey for the year 1919 the total production was tons of bituminous coal which is a reduction of tons as compared with the previous year the anthracite production is estimated by the united states geological survey as tons or a reduction of tons from the preceding year while the actual number of fatalities is considerably less than in 1918 the ratio on a tonnage basis is slightly higher th number of tons produced per fatality in 1918 in the bituminous mines was as compared with tons per fatality in 1919 in the anthracite field the production per fatality in 1918 was tons as compared with tons per fatality in 1919 the average for the entire coal mining industry was tons per fatality fafa fat litY as aa compared with in 1918 in 1917 in 1916 and in 1915 complete figures showing the number of men employed are not available but estimates received from the inspectors total about although the number of names on the pay rolls may be slightly in excess of 1918 the actual number of days labor performed during the year will be m much uch less than in the preceding year because of the irregular working of the mines on account of car shortage strikes and the unsettled demand for coal when the number of employees is properly weighted on the basis of full time workers the reduction I 1 i in n accident rates may not be as great as first appears this rate on a tonnage basis does not show any improvement in fact the contrary is indicated |