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Show i UHHEALTHFDL DUST II UTAH COAL MIS ! Inspector J. E. Pettit Writes to Gov. Cutler Concerning Matter. Unheal l.h fill dust that is a menace- to miners' lives may be peculiar to the coal mines of the west, but it is not peculiar pe-culiar to the mines of Utah, according to a letter to Gov. John C. Cutler from J. E. Peltit, state coal mine inspector, dated Tuesday. Recently two foreign experts, one from Germany and the other from England, Eng-land, who are on an inspecting tour of the coal mines of the United States, made tho statement that they, were surprised at the amount of dust in the mines of the west. Governor Cutler immediately called Inspector Pcttit's attention to the statement and (he letter to the chief executive is the result. For tho last eight or ten days Inspector Pettit has been inspecting the coal mines of the i state with the foreign experts, and tho J excellent condition of the coal mincSTj here has forced the admission from i them that their statement is not correct cor-rect as i.o Utah. Mr. Pettit -s letter, which contains some of the experts s favorable comments upon tho condition of the mines here, follows in full; Mr. Pettit 's Letter. Referring to yours of the 17th inst.. In reference to the statement of the foreign gentlemen now Inspecting the coal mines of America, to a local newspaper, that they were surprised at the amount of dust In the coal mines of the West-Will West-Will Hav that T had the pleasure of accompanying ac-companying thode gentlemen through the Castle Gate and Sunnyslde mines during tho past week, and In their Inspection of those mines they wore agreeably surprised to llnd tho absence of dry coal dust on the floor, rib or timbers of thoso mines, a condition that exists throughout the mines of the state; thanks to the law that compels the wetting down of all coal dust In our mines. A new feature that these gentlemen discovered In Utah was the mode of shot llrlng. us practiced In tho Castle Gate and Sunnyslde mines, by wnicn all of the blasting Is done by an electric current from the surface, after al tno men aro out of tho mine. They were very much Impressed with this system, and considered It. ahead of anything in that line they had Investigated, Investi-gated, and will recommend Its adoption wherever practical. |