C.—2

The following statement shows the tons of coal raised, persons employed, lives lost by accidents in or about collieries, &c, to 1927.

SECTION lII.—ACCIDENTS. The following is a summary of accidents in and about coal-mines during 1927, with their causes :—

The fatal accidents for the year were at the rate of LB6 per thousand persons employed and 4-23 per million tons of coal produced. The following is a short account of tho fatal accidents : — In the Birch wood Mine, on the 14th January, a miner named James Burns was struck on the head by a prop which had been supporting the roof of his place on the gob side and had been knocked out by a large stone falling from the waste ground ; he died on the 20th January. On the 4th February, Jesse Baddeley, one of a co-operative party owning a small mine near Dunollie, was working on the tramway-bridge which crosses the Seven-mile Creek - , when he fell from the bridge on to the rocks below, fracturing his skull and dislocating his neck. A serious accident occurred in the Millerton Mine on the sth February by which four men lost their lives, these being W. Pearson, mine-manager ; W. Maher, underviewer ; J. Cowan and M. Ford, two mine deputies. A large fire had occurred in the Millerton Mine some six months previously and had resulted in a considerable area of the mine having to be sealed off. An attempt was to be made to recover part of this area, and a preliminary examination by men wearing self-contained breathingapparatus was arranged for to determine the extent of the fire still existing behind the stoppings, and consequently how much of the area could be recovered and the best method of doing same. For some weeks prior to the sth February a team of Millerton men had. been undergoing training in the use of rescue apparatus, their teacher being Francis Duffy, underviewer at Denniston Mine, who had had much experience in the use of this apparatus. On the sth February, Messrs. Pearson, Duffy, Maher,

35

Year. Output, in Statute Tons. Persons ordinarily emp! loyed. Total. Lives loi Tons raised per each Person employed Per Million 'below Ground. Tons produced. rt by Accider lout Coliieriei I"er Thousand Persons employed. nts in or 38. Number of Lives lost. Above Ground. lielow Ground. Prior to 1900 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1.907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1.919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 13,444,437 * 13,444,437 1,093,990 1,239,686 1,365,040 1,420,229 1,537,838 1,585,756 1,729,536 1,831,009 1,860,975 1,911,247 2,197,362 2,066,073 2,177,615 1,888,005 2,275,614 2,208,624 2,257,135 2,068,419 2,034,250 1,847,848 1,843,705 1,809,095 1,857,819 1,969,834 2,083,207 2,114,995 2,239,999 2,366,740 66,326,082 1,093,990 617 1,239,686 688 1,365,040 803 1,420,229 71.7 1,537,838 703 1, ,585,756 833 1,729,536 1,174 .1,831,009 1,143 1,860,975 992 1,911,247 1,159 2,197,362 1,136 2,066,073 1,365 2,177,615 1,130 1,888,005 1,053 2,275,614 1,176 2,208,624 1,050 2,257,135 988 2,068,419 1,090 2,034,250 1,102 1,847,848 1,095 1,843,705 1,152 1,809,095 | 1,218 1,857,819 I 1,191 1,969,834 1,353 2,083,207 1,364 2,114,995 1,288 2,239,999 1,.336 2,366,740 1,386 * 1,843 2,066 2,082 2,135 2,525 2,436 2,518 2,767 2,902 3,032 3,463 2,925 3,198 3,197 3,558 3,106 3,000 2,893 2,892 2,849 2,926 3,149 3,365 3,647 3,505 3,489 3,823 3,988 * 2.460 2,754 2,885 2,852 3.288 3,269 3,692 3,910 ■ 3,894 4,191 4,599 4,290 4,328 4,2.50 4,734 4,156 3,988 3,983 3,994 3,944 4,078 4,367 4,556 5,000 4.869 4,777 5,159 5,374 * 593 600 655 665 609 651 687 662 641 630 634 706 681 590 039 711 752 715 703 648 630 574 552 540 594 606 586 593 * 3-65 2-42 1-16 2-81 2-60 3-78 3-46 6-55 2'68 3-66 7-28 6-77 4-13 3-18 21-53 4-07 2-65 1-93 2-95 5-41 0-54 5-52 3-23 2-53 4-80 3-78 6-69 4.23 * 1-62 1-09 0-69 1-40 1-21 1-83 1-02 3-07 1-28 1-67 3-48 3-26 2-08 1-41 10-35 2-16 1-50 100 1-50 2-53 0-24 228 [•81 I-co 2-05 1-67 2-90 1-86 165 4 3 2 4 4 6 6 12 5 7 16 14 9 et 49 9 6 4 6 10 1 10 6 5 10 8 15 10 Totals .. 412 66,326,082 returns for previous years see page 3 ;2, Mines Statemei rt, 1.921. Yoar of Ralph 's (Huntly) ixplosion. * For

Fatal Ai •cidents. Serious Non-fi ital Accidents. Number of Separate Fatal Accidents. Number of Deaths. Number of Separate Non-fatal Accidents. Number of Persons injured, including those injured by Accidents which proved Fatal to their Companions. ___!____ I Explosions of fire-damp or coal-dust Palla of ground Explosives Haulage Miscellaneous —Underground On surface 3 1 1 2 *3 1 4 2 1 6 I 8 6 4 1 6 I S 6 5 Totals 7 lo 26 27