REPORT OF THE INSPECTORS OF MINES
FOURTH ANTHRACITE DISTRICT
(Luzerene, Carbon, and Schuylkill Counties)
Office of Inspector of MINES
Hazelton, March 05, 1890
Hon. Thomas J. Stewart, Secretary of Internal Affairs:
Sir: I have the honor, as Mine Inspector of the Fourth anthracite district, of presenting herewith the annual report of the said district for the year ending December 31, 1889.
I was commissioned on the 24th day of June 1889, and entered upon my duties as mine Inspector of the said district on the 5th day of July 1889.
The number of fatal accidents for the year of 1889 was 46, leaving 26 widows and 44 orphans to morn the loss of their protectors.
There were four (4) fatal accidents reported which were not strictly mining casualties, hence are not included in the 46 mentioned.
The aggregate amount of coal produced by the collieries of this district during the year 1889 was 5,655,187.99 tons, which exceeds that of any former year by 119,644 tons.
A perusal of the tables will show that there was a life lost ofr every 319.3 persons employed in and about the mines of this district.
The number of non-fatal accidents was 126, making a total of 172 casualties reported for the year. There was an accident for every 32,879 tons of coal produced, which goes to show very forcibly what it cost in life and limb to mine coal.
The report also contains the usual tables, which will prove interesting to those who are
connected with the collieries of the district, together with brief remarks on a few of the fatal
accidents and colliery improvements. The report of the Lattimer mine fire is also continued and
completed.
Yours very respectfully,
DAVID JONATHAN
Inspector of Mines
Table IV - List of Fatal Accidents occurring in the Mines of the Fourth District for the year
ending December 31, 1889
(The order of the listing from left to right Number of Accident; Date of Accident; Name of
Person; Occupation; age; widows; number of children; Name of Colliery; Location- County;
Nature and Cause of Accident)
#1 Jan. 07 James BROOKMYER - miner - 46 - 0 - 0 - Upper Lehigh, No.7 - Luzerene Co. - Killed by runaway car on the slope.
#2 Jan. 12 Michael BUROSKI - miner - 28 - 0 - 0 - Drifton, No.1 - Luzerene Co. - Killed by fall of rock.
#3 Jan. 16 Martin FLOYD - miner - 43 - 0 - 0 - Stockton, No.5 - Luzerene Co. - Fatally injured by fall of coal.
#4 Jan. 18 William MILLER - laborer - 18 - 0 - 0 - Silver Brook - Schuylkill Co. - Killed on the stripping by a car jumping from the track.
#5 Feb. 19 John McGILL - miner - 25 - 0 - 0 - Highland No.2 - Luzerene Co. - Killed by fall of coal.
#6 Feb. 27 John JACOBS - miner - 38 - 1 - 3 - Stockton, No.7 - Luzerene Co. - Killed by fall of rock.
#7 Mar. 06 Thomas McNALES - miner - 30 - 1 - 3 - Highland, No.1 - Luzerene Co. - Fatally injured by a piece of coal rolling upon him.
#8 Mar.16 Michael SECCO - miner - 34 - 1 - 0 - Mt. Pleasant - Luzerene Co. - Fatally injured by fall of coal.
#9 Mar. 25 Elias MORGAN - miner - 26 - 1 - 2 - Honey Brook, No.5 - Schuylkill Co. - Fatally injured by an explosion of dynamite.
#10 Apr. 23 Joseph POLLADO - laborer - 25 - 1 - 4 - Silver Brook - Schuylkill Co. - Killed by premature blast.
#11 Apr. 23 Frank LEPKO - laborer - 20 - 0 - 0 - Deringer - Luzerene Co. - Killed by a fall of coal and slate.
#12 Apr. 23 William MAURY - outside teamster - 61 - 1 - 2 - Upper Lehigh - Luzerene Co. - Instantly killed by a fall from a wagon.
#13 Apr. 25 William RIMBACH - Blacksmith helper - 26 - 0 - 0 - Lattimer - Luzerene Co. - Fatally injured; was run over by a car.
#14 Apr. 27 Andrew MINARSKI - Laborer - 24 - 0 - 0 - Eckley, No.2 - Luzerene Co. - Fatally injured; was run over by a truck.
#15 May 01 Gerard De CAROE - Laborer - 37 - 1 - 0 - Lattimer - Luzerene Co. - Killed by fall of coal.
#16 May 10 Michael KASKOS - miner - 31 - 1 - 2 - Eckley, No.5 - Luzerene Co. - Fatally injured by a fall of coal.
#17 May 21 James LETCHER - miner - 45 - 1 - 6 - Cranberry - Luzerene Co. - Killed by flying coal from a blast.
#18 Jun. 25 Adam POWELL - miner - 28 - 1 - 0 - Mt. Pleasant - Luzerene Co. - Fatally injured by a fall of coal.
#19 Jun. 27 William P. JONES - miner - 48 - 1 - 1 - Drifton, No.2 - Luzerene Co. - Killed by an explosion of gas.
#20 Jun. 28 Lavino CHISDO - laborer - 35 - 1 - 0 - Honey Brook, No.5 - Schuylkill Co. - Fatally injured by flying coal from a blast.
#21 Jul. 16 Patrick DAUGHERTY - miner - 46 - 1 - 1 - Drifton, No.1 - Luzerene Co. - Fatally injured; by a fall of coal.
#22 Jul. 18 George PORLISH - laborer - 28 - 0 - 0 - Frenchtown stripping - Schuylkill Co. - Fatally injured; by a fall of coal.
#23 Jul. 23 Michael NISK - laborer - 25 - 0 - 0 - Drifton, No.1 - Luzerene Co. - Killed by a runaway railroad car at the breaker.
#24 Jul. 24 Patrick BURK - Road man - 26 - 1 - 0 - Drifton, No.1 - Luzerene Co. - Fatally injured; caught between car and wall
#25 Aug. 03 Thomas GATSINKO - laborer - 22 - 0 - 0 - Oak Dale No.1 - Luzerene Co. - Fatally injured; fell under moving railroad car.
#26 Aug. 14 Charles GARRAHON - miner - 35 - 1 - 2 - Stockton, No.6 - Luzerene Co. - Fatally injured by a fall of rock.
#27 Sep. 10 William GALLON - miner - 44 - 1 - 0 - Humboldt - Luzerene Co. - Fatally injured by fall of coal; died December 08.
#28 Sep. 27 James LAYROCK - laborer - 36 - 1 - 4 - Milnesville - Luzerene Co. - Killed on stripping by fall of coal.
#29 Oct. 02 James FOOSE - Pump man - 21 - 0 - 0 - Oneida No.2 - Schuylkill Co. - Instantly killed by falling down the slope.
#30 Oct. 03 Fritz KINATASOSKI - Laborer - 31 - 1 - 1 - Audenried No.11 - Schuylkill Co. - Killed by fall of coal.
#31 Oct. 17 John STEINHEISER - engineer - 21 - 0 - 0 - Eckley No.10 - Luzerene Co. - Fatally injured; fell under moving car.
#32 Oct. 22 Andrew HARCHER - miner - 31 - 1 - 0 - Mt. Pleasant - Luzerene Co. - Killed by a
fall of coal.
#33 Oct. 23 Michael McPHILLIPS - miner - 28 - 0 - 0 - Jeanesville No.1 - Luzerene Co. - Killed by a fall of rock
#34 Nov. 06 John PUSSEY - miner - 30 - 1 - 2 - South Sugar Loaf - Luzerene Co. - Killed by a fall of coal.
#35 Nov. 10 Joseph BABBITS - fireman - 22 - 0 - 0 - Mt. Pleasant - Luzerene Co. - Killed by a boiler explosion
#36 Nov. 10 John BULLOCK - fireman - 33 - 1 - 2 - Mt. Pleasant - Luzerene Co. - Killed by a boiler explosion.
#37 Nov. 10 Frank MONK - Ash Wheeler - 38 - 1 - 4 - Mt. Pleasant - Luzerene Co. - Killed by a boiler explosion.
#38 Nov. 11 John ZAVITSCKI - Laborer - 35 - 1 - 0 - Honey Brook, No.1 - Schuylkill Co. - Killed by fall of coal on the stripping.
#39 Nov. 20 Fred ZINDLE - Conductor - 19 - 0 - 0 - Gowen - Luzerene Co. - Fatally injured; fell from locomotive outside.
#40 Nov. 22 Benjamin GIRARDI - miner - 32 - 1 - 0 - Gowen, No.2 - Luzerene Co. - Fatally injured by a fall of coal.
#41 Nov. 23 Thomas McBRIDE - miner - 31 - 1 - 3 - Coleraine, No.2 - Carbon Co. - Fatally injured by a fall of coal.
#42 Nov. 30 George PEACOCK fireman - 21 - 0 - 0 - Jeansville, No.4 - Luzerene Co. - Fatally injured by boiler explosion.
#43 Dec. 03 Charles Dougherty - Driver - 18 - 0 - 0 - Highland, No.1 - Luzerene Co. - Killed by being caught between car and rib.
#44 Dec. 16 John SOLBFE - Laborer - 30 - 0 - 0 - Drifton, No.1 - Luzerene Co. - Fatally injured by being run over by a railroad car.
#45 Dec. 21 Steve BALLACK - Laborer - 35 - 1 - 4 - Tresckow, No.9 - Carbon Co. - Fatally injured; self dumping car fell upon him.
#46 Dec. 23 Peter DAMROSS - Laborer - 23 - 0 - 0 - Jeansville, No.1 - Luzerene Co. - Killed by a fall of shale and clay on stripping.