new inside: -safety alert: fire extinguishers -the crater - july 30, 1864 · 2016. 3. 1. · fire...

INSIDE:-Safety Alert: Fire Extinguishers-Mine Fire Control Seminar-The Crater - July 30, 1864

CONTENTS: Holmes Safety Association Bulletin

The Holmes Safety Association Bulletin contains safety articles on a variety of subjects:fatal accident abstracts, studies, posters, and other health and safety-related topics. Thisinformation is provided free of charge and is designed to assist in presentations of groupsof mine and plant workers during on-the-job safety meetings. For more information visitthe MSHA Home Page at www.msha.gov.

Please Note: The views and conclusions expressed in Bulletin articles are those of theauthors and should not be interpreted as representing official policy or, in the case of aproduct, represent endorsement by the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Cover: Cover created by the AVMDB Graphics Section. Photograph provided by PeterBeal, Lead Audiovisual Production Specialist, National Mine Health and Safety Academy.If you have a potential cover photo, please send an 8”x10” print or digital image on disk at300 dpi resolution to Donald Starr, Holmes Safety Association Bulletin, National MineHealth and Safety Academy, 1301 Airport Road, Beaver, WV 25813-9426.

Fire Extinguishers.................................................................................................................3Conveyors Can Be Deadly...................................................................................................4“Brake Cars: Taking Up the Slack”.......................................................................................5“Skirt the Problem”..............................................................................................................6Mine Fire Control Seminar...................................................................................................8Wash That Truck!..................................................................................................................9The Crater-July 30, 1864.....................................................................................................10Wellness...............................................................................................................................18Our Mining Heritage...........................................................................................................202001 Holmes Safety Association, MSIA, NASMIA National Meetings............................232001 Holmes Safety Association Meeting, Registration Form.........................................24

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HOLMES SAFETY ASSOCIATION

2001MARCHSafetyAlert

FireExtinguishers

Department of Energyrecently posted actionnotices on the fire extin-guisher manufactured byANSUL-Belgium.

Booted extinguishersmay be at risk for thefailure mechanism de-scribed in the alert notices.The Alert notice states:“This Agency action noticeis issued to alert partici-pants of the danger of fireextinguishers with plasticor rubber bases. An em-ployee was using a fireextinguisher to put out asmall fire when theextinguisher suddenlyexploded resulting in theemployee’s death fromflying debris. This fireextinguisher has a plasticor rubber base that resultedin moisture being trappedinside the base that mayhave prevented corrosionon the bottom of theextinguisher from beingdetected during inspections.Following the incident, anumber of other extin-guishers of the same makeand type were checked and

found to be seriouslycorroded.”

The unit mentioned inthis article is an ANSULdry chemical fire extin-guisher, widely used inindustrial, shipboard,aviation, electrical, andcommercial applications.They are too big andexpensive for widespreaduse in homes, though theywould likely be in apart-ment buildings, boilerrooms, or commercialkitchens. They are nor-mally depressurized untilused. Then a gas cartridge(usually Carbon Dioxide,but sometimes Nitrogen) isdischarged to pressurize theunit to spray dry powder.

It is possible that extin-guishers from other manu-facturers have a similardesign.

If your fire extinguishershave plastic or rubberbases, it is recommendedthey be removed and eachfire extinguisher carefullyinspected by a competentperson immediately.

This is the rubber base.

Look at the bottom of theextinguisher for corrosion. Moisturecan be trapped inside the rubberbase. BE CAREFUL!!!

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APRILMechanics are exposed to moreconveyor hazards than mostmine employees and areinvolved in more accidents.

Between 1990 and 1997,conveyors were involved in40 mining deaths, injuringrepair or maintenanceworkers more often thanthose engaged in any otherwork activity. Fourmechanics died and 23 werepermanently disabled as aresult of conveyor accidents.You can help yourself worksafer and live longer. Whennear this machinery, watchfor conveyor hazards andwork safely.Conveyors can grab you ...don’t get caught up.

Working smart• Lock out the conveyorpower switch and tag itbefore you work on thatconveyor.• Align the belt from a safeplace and only after you’resure the conveyor can’t grabyou.• Return idlers look safe,but they can hurt you.Never try to repair or adjustthem while the conveyor isrunning.• Stay clear of suspendedloads when installing orrepairing a conveyor.• Conveyor stop cords are

for your safety. Check themperiodically to make surethey actually work.• Use a harness or safetybelt and line when workingwhere you can fall from aconveyor.Safe maintenance• If the belt’s in motion,don’t manually apply beltdressing. Only pressurizeddressings can be put onwhile theconveyor is running.• Put the guard back inplace when you’re doneworking on the machine.• Don’t try to dislodgerocks from pulleys whilethe conveyor is running.• Block conveyors againsthazardous motion beforerepairing or doingmaintenance on themachine.If you have any questionsabout any mine healthand safety matter, pleasecontact your localMSHA office or visit theMSHA home page atwww.msha.gov.

Conveyors can beDeadly

illustration by Cottle

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SEPTEMBER 2000

“BrakeCars :Taking Upthe Slack”(A Sequelto “WireRopeSafety :Don’t be aSlacker”)

Any condition that canresult in the shock loadingof a wire rope is a seriousmatter, whether on a por-table crane, elevator, skiphoist, overhead crane, oreven a set of come-a-longs.The coal mine slopehoist is definitely a hoist ofa different color when itcomes to hazards. Almostevery slope hoist in deepmines is set up to transportpersonnel, if not as theprimary, then as a secondaryman hoist. When a slopehoist is used to transportpersons, the regulationsrequire that the cage, car, ormantrip be equipped withsafety catches or other noless effective devices that

act quickly and effectivelyin an emergency (30 CFRPart 75.1400(c)) . Meetingthis requirement is usuallydone by the use of a brakecar. The brake car isequipped with a batterypowered electro-magneticbraking system that isdesigned to stop the car ifactivated by an overspeedsensor or manual switch.Brake cars should be main-tained with the followingstandards: ■ The car overspeedswitch must be set at thecorrect activation speedsetting. Maintain and peri-odically test the caroverspeed switches. ■ Maintain the commu-nication systems on the carand at the hoist andbottom locations. Test daily. ■ Hoist operator musttake slack out of rope beforethe brake is released. ■ Batteries must alwaysbe fully charged to preventunintentional setting of thebrakes that can result inslack rope conditions.(Requires a good batterymaintenance program) ■ Train personnel inprocedures for propermethods of signaling thehoistman, how to releaseand set brakes, and how toremove the slack from therope before releasing thebrakes. Also, post theseprocedures on the brake car.

Some states and somemines require a “bottomman” to check the carbefore each trip for properbrake setting, to ensure thatsafety chains are secured,

and to signal the hoistman. The best maintainedbrake car is still a hazard ifthe track and road bed arenot maintained properly.Enough dirt, mud or debrison the rails will make thebraking system ineffective.If enough dirt, mud ordebris is present to slow thecar’s decent, a slack ropesituation can develop. If thedirt or mud is allowed toaccumulate on the cablerollers to the point wherethey won’t turn, excessivewear on the cable itself can

MSHA - POST ACCIDENTINVESTIGATIONREMEDIES

(Continued next page)

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APRILoccur. The mining industry isstrongly encouraged toconsider and adopt thissuggestion. MSHA believesthat unnecessary injuriesand fatalities could beavoided in the future as aresult. The implementation ofthis remedy should notincrease costs and islikely to reduce hoist andwire rope repair costs.■

An average of fortyminers are injured eachyear by material fallingfrom belt conveyors.Although these injuriesgenerally are not serious,almost half result in losttime. Over a five-yearperiod, the average numberof lost-work days perinjury was 12 at metal andnonmetal mines and 23 atcoal mines. The use of skirt boardscan help to limit the amountof material that falls fromconveyors and exposes

miners to injuries. The costfor skirt boards with rubberbottom seals, fabricated andinstalled on a new conveyor,is about $75 per foot. Theinvestment can be optimizedby placing the skirt boardsat “high-risk” areas alongthe belt line, where theseaccidents are more likely tooccur. To reduce such accidents,mine operators should dothe following: 1) Install skirt boardson conveyors at locationsthat have a higher

“Skirt theProblem”

MSHA - POSTACCIDENTINVESTIGATIONREMEDIES

Miners are injured each year by material falling from belt conveyors.

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SEPTEMBER 2000

Skirt boards

likelihood of materialfalling off the belt, or ahigher chance for miners tobe exposed to this hazard,such as: ❐ Loading and trans-fer areas (it is recommendedthat the skirt boards be atleast 2-1/2 times longer thanthe belt is wide, to allow thematerial to ‘settle down’);areas that have unusualfeatures, such as magnets,crushers, and grizzlies;places where persons regu-larly travel along or crossunder the belt; and areaswhere maintenance, clean-up, or inspection activitiesare frequently performed. 2) At your periodicsafety meetings, emphasizethe following. ❐ In the ‘high-risk’areas mentioned above,miners need to keep awareof the potential for fallingmaterial while doing clean-up, maintenance, or inspec-tion work.

❐ Under certain oper-ating conditions, such aswhen a belt is not fullyloaded, material may bemore likely to bounce off abelt. ❐ When travelingalong conveyors (even in avehicle), miners shouldkeep as far away from theconveyor as possible,without exposing them-selves to other hazards. ❐ Even small materialcan cause injury if it fallsfrom a height or from a fastmoving belt. The mining industry isstrongly encouraged toconsider and adopt theseprecautions. MSHA be-lieves that unnecessaryinjuries could be avoidedin the future as a result.■

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Mine Fire ControlSeminar

A 1-day Mine FireControl Seminar, conductedjointly by the NationalInstitute for OccupationalSafety and Health(NIOSH), Pittsburgh Re-search Laboratory and theNational Mine Health andSafety Academy, will beheld on June 14. Thisseminar is designed toenhance your awareness ofthe dangers of undergroundmine fires. The presenta-tions will focus on detect-ing, controlling, respondingto, and extinguishing minefires.

This seminar is forminers; safety, training,and ventilation personnel;mine rescue and firebrigade members; supervi-sors; and representativesfrom labor unions,academia, and Federal,State, and local govern-ment agencies.

For technical informa-tion on the workshop,please contact Ron Conti,NIOSH, Pittsburgh Re-search Laboratory at 412-386-4918, by fax at 412-386-4919, or e-mail [email protected], or DaveFriley, National MineHealth and Safety Acad-emy at 304-256-3343.

NIOSH/MSHANational Mine Health and Safety Academy

JUNE 14, 2001JUNE 14, 2001

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SEPTEMBER 2000


WASH THAT TRUCK!

The practice at this mine is to wash their trucks and equipmentbefore they go into the repair shop. This keeps chunks of mud anddebris from falling on the repairman while working in, around, andunderneath equipment. This method is one additional way ofpreventing injuries from falling matter.

This safety tip was submitted by Lynn Carr, MSHAAudiovisual Material Development Branch. This procedurewas observed by Ms. Carr, while she was producing a videoat a mine site in Tyrone, New Mexico.

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By mid-June 1864, the Armyof the Potomac faced Robert E.Lee’s Army of Northern Virginiaat Petersburg, Virginia, arailroad hub just south of theConfederate capitol, Richmond.The prospects were promising,even though the Federaloffensive had slowed. If therail lines to Petersburg couldbe cut and the town captured,supplies to Lee’s army andRichmond would be disrupted,the city would fall, the Confed-erates would have to retreat,and the war would be justabout over.

The arithmetic favored theFederals as they outnumberedthe Confederates almost two-to-one. The difficulty lay in thefact that the Confederatesoccupied heavily fortified linesaround Petersburg. Lt. Gen.U.S. Grant, commander of allUnion forces, reluctantlydecided on a siege. At thesame time, however, he wouldtry to stretch the Confederatelines thin enough so thatmaybe, just maybe, his forcescould break through some-where. By June 22, this planwas shelved after an attack onthe Union II Corps by Lt. Gen.A.P. Hill’s Confederates had

bagged 1700 Federal prisoners.In the Federal line was the

48th Pennsylvania Regiment,commanded by 31-year-old Lt.Col. Henry Pleasants, a short,slender man from Pottsville,Pennsylvania. Pleasants, a civilengineer by training, before thewar had worked for thePennsylvania Railroad doingconstruction and tunneling, andhad been an engineer inanthracite mines. The 48th hadbeen recruited in SchuylkillCounty, started their service inthe west, and had come east intime to fight at Second BullRun, Antietam, Fredericksburg,and in the Wilderness. About25 percent of the men in the48th Pennsylvania were coalminers. Now they sat in hotdusty trenches at Petersburg,looking at enemy fortificationsbarely an eighth of a mile away.They, along with the rest of theUnion army, knew from bitterexperience that an attackagainst fortified positions wouldalmost always fail.

Pleasants frequently checkedon his men. On one trip, theytold him it appeared that if theycould dig a mine under theConfederate works and blow itup, then the way would be

clear for the Federal army totake Petersburg. Pleasantslistened thoughtfully, agreedwith what they said, and sentthe idea forward to his divisioncommander, Brig. Gen. RobertB. Potter.

Potter, a New Yorker, wasthe son of an Episcopal bishop.He had become a divisioncommander in the Federal IXCorps at the age of 34. Hesent a staff officer to meet withPleasants and take a look at theRebel positions. The stafferstuck his head up above thetrench to see what was outthere, and was immediately shotdead by a Confederate sniper.Pleasants went ahead anywayand sent a sketch of his idea toPotter, who liked what he sawand summoned Pleasants to gowith him to IX Corps headquar-ters to see Maj. Gen. AmbroseE. Burnside.

Burnside, a likable (al-though somewhat naive) manwho freely admitted his inad-equacies and shortcomings, hadenjoyed what could at best becalled an uneven career withthe Union army. A formercommander of the Army of thePotomac, who had led it toslaughter at Fredericksburg and

The Air Was Filled With Earth, Cannon,Caissons, Sand-Bags, and Living Men:The Crater - July 30, 1864

By Stephen J. Hoyle,Bulletin Staff Writer

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SEPTEMBER 2000then nearly drowned it in theinfamous “Mud March” ofJanuary 1863, he presentlycommanded the IX Corps.

On the hot, sticky night ofJune 24, 1864, Burnside sat inhis tent, smoking a cigar andmopping his face with ahandkerchief, as he listened toPotter and Pleasants. Theirplan, they told Burnside, was todig a 500-foot tunnel frombehind the Federal lines to apoint under the Confederatefortifications. They would fillthe tunnel with powder, fire it,and the Federal forces wouldattack through the resulting gapin the Rebel lines. Burnsidehad a lot of questions whichPleasants answered to hissatisfaction. Pleasants believedthat the project could becompleted in about threeweeks. Impressed, Burnsidetold them to get started whilehe took the plan to Maj. Gen.George G. Meade, commanderof the Army of the Potomac.

Meade, baggy eyed, hook-nosed, and noted for histemper, had been an engineer-ing officer for most of hisprewar career, but he had beenin the thick of the fighting since1862, first in charge of adivision and later a corps. InJune 1863, after Joe Hookerwas relieved and Lee’s Army ofNorthern Virginia swept norththrough Maryland and intoPennsylvania to the awfulshowdown at Gettysburg, Meadehad been named to commandthe Army of the Potomac. Hehad led the Army of the

Potomac through the Gettysburgcampaign and had followed Leeback into Virginia.

Now, however, the 49-year-old Pennsylvanian found himselfin an awkward situation as Lt.Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had hisheadquarters in the field withMeade’s army. Grant had donethis for two reasons. First, hehad doubts about the Army ofthe Potomac, and second,because he did not want tobecome entangled in thebureaucratic and politicalsnares of Washington. Not onlythat, Burnside outranked

to keep from having to conducta long, costly siege at Peters-burg.

Digging began at midnighton June 25. Pleasants took allof the men from the 48thPennsylvania who had miningexperience and put them towork in shifts under thecommand of Sgt. Henry Reese,who proved to be well suitedfor his new job as mine boss.The miners worked in shifts 24hours a day, their reward ashot of whiskey at the end oftheir time. The men did nothave the proper tools, but theground was soft, and bayonetswere enough to get themstarted.

They had plenty of shovels,but no picks. IX Corps artilleryblacksmiths took army picksand straightened them so theycould be used in the mine.

Pleasants recalled later thathis biggest problem was to‘...dispose of the material I gotout of the mine....I had toremove all of the earth in oldcracker boxes: I got pieces ofhickory and nailed on theboxes in which we received ourcrackers, and then iron-cladthem with hoops of iron takenfrom old pork and beef bar-rels.’ The miners neededlumber and timbers for theirwork, but, he said, ‘I couldget no boards or lumbersupplied to me for my opera-tions.’ He had to ‘...get a passand send two companies of my

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Field Diagram

Meade, and his IX Corps wasan independent command thatreported to Grant rather than toMeade. Nonetheless, Burnsideunderstood that he would haveto rely on Meade’s help andassistance to see the minebecome a reality. NeitherMeade nor his engineers gavethe project much chance forsuccess, and they gave it evenless material support. Grantsupported it to some extent, ifonly because it seemed a way

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was tough digging, andPleasants increased the angle ofthe tunnel to get over the marland into softer ground. Thetunnel was starting to takeshape; five feet high, four feetwide at the bottom, two andone-half feet wide at the topand completely timbered.Ventilation was a problem, soPleasants constructed a ventila-tion shaft, a furnace, and achimney which pulled bad airout and good air into the mine.He used borrowed instrumentsbecause Meade’s engineersrefused to help him, and made“five separate triangulations” todetermine the “exact distancefrom the entrance of the mine

own regiment, with wagons,outside of our lines to rebelsaw-mills, and get lumber thatway, after having previously gotwhat lumber I could by tearingdown an old bridge.” Afterabout a week of digging insandy soil, the men ran into avein of clay. The top saggedand timbers snapped likematchsticks. The 48thPennsylvania’s miners dug somemore, set additional props, andkept going. In time they strucka layer of marl (clay mixedwith sand and lime) thathardened as soon as it wasexposed to air. The marl wasso hard that the miners carvedtobacco pipes from it. This

to the enemy’s works. Thesetriangulations were made in ourmost advanced line, and within133 yards of the enemy’s lineof sharpshooters.”1

On July 3, Brig. Gen. J.G.Barnard, Chief Engineer, wroteto Pleasants requesting anupdate on progress of themine. Pleasants replied threedays later. The mine wasprogressing steadily toward theConfederate works. His minerswere working 24 hours a day.There were 210 men assignedto the job, and the rest of theregiment was involved in thework in one way or another,but only two men at a timecould work underground ìat the

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SEPTEMBER 2000extremity of the work.” Theywere digging in sandy soil andsupporting the top with props“at a distance from each otherranging from three to thirtyfeet.”2

At midnight, July 4, Meadewrote a dispatch to his boss.He told Grant that the minewas moving ahead and that hewas starting to plan an attackon the Confederate lines to bedelivered when the mine wasfinished. Meade estimated thatthe attack could take place inabout two weeks when themine was ready and theattacking troops in position.3

The main tunnel was finishedon July 17 and the miners ofthe 48th began driving “galler-ies” to the right and left of themain entry to hold the powdercharges to be exploded underthe Confederate strong point.The 48th Pennsylvania’s minersfinished their digging on July23. All was in readiness forthe mine to be charged, exceptfor some final timbering andcleanup work.

On July 26 Burnsiderequested 8,000 sandbags “assoon as possible to be used intamping the mine.” The sameday, in reply to another ques-tion from Army Headquarters,he said his men needed 2,400feet of fuse, “enough to makefour lines of 600 feet each.”4

Powder was a concern, too.Writing for Grant, Maj. Gen.A.A. Humphreys, Chief of Staff,told Burnside that Grant desiredthat “the charge of the mineshould be determined by the

usual rules governing suchsubjects.”5 In another dispatchwritten on July 26, Meadeadmonished Burnside that hehad “better...look for somesecure place in the woodswhere the powder required canbe brought in wagons and keptunder guard, thus saving thetime it will take to unloadit...and haul it to your camp.Whenever you...designate apoint I will order the powderbrought up.”6

Fear of discovery by theenemy was a constant concern.Grant to Burnside: “Is there anyreason to suppose the enemyhave found your mine?”Burnside to Grant: “There areno indications that the enemyhas discovered the location ofthe mine, but I am satisfied thatthey know we are mining, andhave sunk shafts with a view toascertaining where our galleriesrun, because they were heardat work there day beforeyesterday.” Recent heavy rainshad stopped this Confederateactivity. Burnside went on tosay that charging the minewould “not require us to makeany noise so that I hope we

Section of Main Gallery

will escape discovery until suchtime as it may be deemedadvisable to use the mine.”7

On July 26 Burnside sentanother long message toHumphreys. He tried to setHumphreys mind at ease, eventhough he believed that it was“probable that the enemy”knew about the mine as it hadbeen “mentioned in theirnewspapers and they have beenheard to work on what aresupposed to be shafts in closeproximity to our galleries....”

Burnside then went on toreview his plan to use infantryregiments, supported byartillery to their right and left,to attack and exploit the gap inthe Confederate line that wouldbe created after the mine wasexploded.

He closed his note toHumphreys by explaining thelayout of the mine. Two“galleries,” each about 40 feetlong branched off the maingallery (tunnel) which ran 522feet from the Union lines to apoint beneath the Confederateworks. Smaller workings(“magazines”) were at rightangles to the left and rightgalleries. Burnside toldHumphreys he proposed to put1,200 to 1,400 pounds ofpowder in each magazine. Thepowder was to be fired by fuseand a powder train.8 All wasin readiness.

Time was wasting, as Brig.Gen. Potter said in a note to

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APRILone of Burnside’s staff. Potter,like the other commanders wasafraid that the mine would bediscovered by the enemy whocould be “heard at work”trying to find it.9 The Confed-erates had been digging“countermines” in an effort tofind the Federal mine, but theywere to the right and left andat least 20 feet above where thePennsylvanians were working.

A little before 8:00 p.m. onJuly 26, Humphreys toldBurnside that 8,000 pounds ofpowder and fuse were on theirway to him along with thesandbags he had requested.Burnside had suggested that thepowder train be parked in thewoods about a mile behind hisheadquarters.10 On July 27,180 men were detailed tocarry powder to the mine site.They were to be equipped with“sticks from four to six feetlong, capable of sustaining akeg of powder of 100pounds....”11 The Pennsylva-nians carried the powder intothe mine and loaded it into themagazines during the afternoonand early evening of July 27.Pleasants spliced the fusestogether and ran them from thepowder charges back throughthe tunnel. The shot wasstemmed with dirt which filledthe main shaft back for about38 feet from where the galleriesbroke off.

Burnside had planned hisattack as Pleasants’ miners dugtheir way underground towardthe Confederate fortifications.The IX Corps had four divi-

sions; three divisions of whitetroops and one division (the4th) of African-Americansoldiers.

The corps commander’splan called for the men fromthe 4th Division of IX Corps tolead the Union advance afterthe mine was fired, and toattack the breach in theConfederate line. The men of4th Division had little combatexperience. Their time in thearmy had been spent in diggingtrenches, building fortifications,and guarding wagon trains.The 1st Brigade of the 4thDivision (27th, 30th, 39th, and43rd USCT) was selected tolead the attack. They receivedspecial training in how toadvance on a narrow front anddeploy their lines to both sidesof the crater left by the mineexplosion. The division com-mander, Brig. Gen. EdwardFerrero, a New Yorker, wasconfident that his inexperiencedinfantry could get the job done.

It was not to be, however,as Burnside’s plan was over-ruled at the last minute. Now,the white troops would go infirst, and the African-Americanswould follow. Enormouschanges had to be made, andquickly.

Burnside had to choosefrom among three commandersto lead the assault. The first ofthese was Robert Potter.Second was Brig. Gen. OrlandoB. Willcox, a proven divisioncommander from Michigan, andthird was Brig. Gen. James H.Ledlie, another New Yorker,

who had been a divisioncommander in IX Corps forabout two months.

Burnside, always unwillingto make a decision, sent forthe three generals. He recalledthat, “after some discussion...Idecided that taking everythinginto consideration, it would befair that these gentlemen shouldcast lots for the advance...”They did so, and Ledlie “drewthe advance.” It was about3:00 p.m. on July 29 whenLedlie left Burnside’s tent. Themine was scheduled to be firedin less than twelve hours.12 Inthe meantime, orders wereissued for additional artilleryand infantry support for theadvance against the Confederateworks.

It would take about 15minutes, if all went as planned,for the fuse to burn to thepowder charges. Pleasants litthe fuse at 3:15 a.m. on July30. At 3:30 a.m. - nothinghappened. At 3:45 a.m. -nothing happened. Pleasants,at 4:00 a.m., sent Sgt. Reese,the mine boss, into the tunnelto see what had gone wrong.While a nervous George G.Meade peppered Burnside withquestions,13 Reese gropedthrough the darkness inside themine, checking the fuse; fullyaware that at any second thepowder charge could explode.The problem was in a splice,and Reese started back out toget more fuse when he met Lt.Jacob Douty who had been sentinto the mine to find him.The two men fixed the splice,

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SEPTEMBER 2000relit the fuse, and scamperedout of the mine as fast as theycould.

It was 4:45 a.m., and thesky was getting lighter, whenthe mine exploded. One manremembered it as a “dull, heavythud, not at all startling; ...aheavy, smothered sound, notnearly so distinct as a musket-shot.” A “mass ofearth went up intothe air,” anotherwitness recalled,“carrying with it men,guns, carriages, andtimbers.” An officerin the 14th New YorkHeavy Artillery wrote,the “earth around ustrembled and heavedso violently that I waslifted to my feet...fireand smoke shotupward seventy-fiveor one hundred feet.The air was filledwith earth, cannon,caissons, sand-bags,and living men.”14

What had been afortified line was nowa crater 60 feet wide,30 feet deep, andabout 117 feet long. Many ofthe bluecoats waiting to attackthought it all was going to fallon them and they moved backout of the way. It took them afew minutes to reform theirranks.

The mine had blown up aportion of the line held bytroops from the 19th and 22ndSouth Carolina regiments. Mostof the debris from the explo-

sion “fell immediately aroundthe crater, mingled with thedebris of 2 guns, 22 cannon-eers, and perhaps 250 infantry”who had “been carried up inthe air.” Some men wereburied, but many were quicklyextricated.15 Despite the shockof the explosion the Confeder-ates recovered rapidly, and

were waiting for the Unionattack when it came.

The battle was over beforeit began. Although the Uniongenerals had ordered theground to be prepared for theassault it had not been done.Some of the Federal infantryscrambled out of their trenchesby climbing up ladders ofbayonets stuck into logs in thetrench, while others piled up

sandbags and clambered upover them. Ledlie’s menstopped when they got to thecrater, apparently amazed by itssize and horrified by thewreckage and the bodies ofthose dead and buried alive atthe bottom of the crater.Ledlie was not there to urgethem forward. He was well

behind the front line in abombproof (bunker),quickly getting drunk onmedicinal rum he hadscrounged from asurgeon. Burnside, whoknew nothing of thesituation, kept orderingtroops forward to exploitthe break in the Rebelline. Potter’s andWillcox’s men advancedas best they could asFederal artillery shellswhistled over their heads.The Confederates mean-while began shelling theFederal infantry withartillery and with mor-tars. Meade’s famoustemper boiled over.Burnside took exceptionto the tone of Meade’squestions and replied,

were “it not insubordinate Iwould say that...your note wasunofficerlike and ungentle-manly.”16 The offense stalledwhile the generals bickered. Itwas starting to look likeanother Fredericksburg, asunable to advance, the Union

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Ambrose E. Burnside

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Now came the African-American infantry. They couldnot advance through the crateras it was filled with their whitecomrades, so they moved intothe rat’s nest of Confederatetrenches where the fightingbecame hand-to-hand. GeneralFererro, (well to the rear likeLedlie) kept sending orders forthe infantry to advance. Theydid their best, but were drivenback by Confederate rifle andartillery fire and by a suddencounterattack by a Confederatebrigade commanded by Brig.Gen. William Mahone who hadbeen pulled out of the Confed-erate line and sent to thecrater. The African-Americantroops retreated to the craterwhere they were trapped withthe remains of the attackingforce. It was now 11:00 a.m.,and for the next three hoursthe Federal forces, black andwhite alike, endured a terriblepounding from the enemy.Penned in the crater they couldmove neither forward nor back.The combat became savage inthe afternoon. Those whocould, escaped, others werecaptured, and in the case of theAfrican-American soldiers,paraded through Petersburgbefore being sent to Confeder-ate prison camps. The battlewas over, Petersburg was stillin Confederate hands.

Approximately 15,000 menfrom IX Corps had been in thefight; about 3,500 of them werekilled, wounded, or missing.

The casualty rate in the blackregiments was almost 25percent.17

All that remained was for acourt of inquiry to assessblame. Burnside was relievedof command and eventuallyresigned from the service.Ledlie, also relieved of com-mand, resigned his commissionin January 1865. Potter,Willcox, and Fererro werereprimanded. Writing after thefact, Grant caustically remarkedthat the mine had been “...astupendous failure. It cost usabout four thousand men...alldue to inefficiency on the partof the corps commander andthe incompetency of thedivision commander who wassent to lead the assault.”18

What then, of Pleasants andhis miners? They fared better.The following was issued onAugust 3, 1864. “The com-manding general takes greatpleasure in acknowledging thevaluable services rendered byLt. Col. Henry Pleasants...andthe officers and men of hiscommand, in the excavation ofthe mine which wasexploded...under one of theenemy’s batteries in front of theSecond Division of the NinthArmy Corps. “The skill dis-played in the laying out andconstruction of the minereflects great credit upon Lt.Col. Pleasants...and the willingendurance by the officers andmen of the regiment of theextraordinary labor and fatigueinvolved in the prosecution ofthe work to completion is

worthy of the highest praise.”19

Notes1. The War of the Rebellion:

A Compilation of the OfficialRecords of the Union andConfederate Armies, Series I,Vol. 40, Part I, pp. 556-557,(hereafter cited as OR, andHenry Pleasants quoted inWilliam H. Powell, “Battle ofthe Petersburg Crater,” Battlesand Leaders of the Civil War,Vol IV, pp. 545-546.

2. OR, Series I, Vol. 40, PartI, p. 558, and OR, Series I, Vol.40, Part III, pp. 610-611.

3. OR, Series I, Vol. 40, PartIII, pp. 619-620.


5. OR, Series I, Vol. 40, PartIII, p. 474-475.

6. OR, Series I, Vol. 40, PartIII, p. 475.

7. OR, Series I, Vol. 40, PartIII, p. 474.



10. OR, Series I, Vol. 40,Part III, p. 479.

11. OR, Series I, Vol. 40,Part III, pp. 529-530.

12. OR, Series I, Vol. 40,Part I, p. 61.

13. OR, Series I, Vol. 40,Part III, p. 657.

14. William H. Powell,“Battle of the PetersburgCrater,” Charles H. Houghton,“In the Crater,” and HenryGoddard Thomas, “With theColored Troops at Petersburg,”Battles and Leaders of the CivilWar, Vol. IV, pp. 545-565.

17


SEPTEMBER 200015. Edward Porter

Alexander, Military Memoirs ofa Confederate: A CriticalNarrative, p. 569.


17. Noah Andre Trudeau,Like Men of War, pp. 234-251.

18. Ulysses S. Grant, Per-sonal Memoirs, p. 613.


Sources ConsultedAlexander, Edward Porter.

Military Memoirs of a Confeder-ate: A Critical Narrative. NewYork: Da Capo, 1993.

Catton, Bruce. The Army ofthe Potomac: A Stillness atAppomattox. Garden City, NY:Doubleday, 1953.

Cornish, Dudley Taylor. TheSable Arm: Black Troops in theUnion Army, 1861-1865.Lawrence, KS: University Pressof Kansas 1987.

Grant, Ulysses S. PersonalMemoirs of U.S. Grant. NewYork: Library of America, 1990.

Long, E.B. The Civil WarDay By Day: An Almanac, 1861-1865. Garden City, NY:Doubleday, 1971.

Marvel, William. Burnside.Chapel Hill: University of NorthCarolina Press, 1991.

Nevins, Allan. The War forthe Union: The Organized Warto Victory, 1864-1865. NewYork: Scribner’s, 1971.

Paludan, Phillip Shaw. APeople’s Contest: The Unionand the Civil War, 1861-1865.New York: Harper & Row,1989.

Trudeau, Noah Andre. Like

Men of War: Black Troops inthe Civil War, 1862-1865.Boston, Little, Brown, 1998.

United States. War Dept.The War of the Rebellion: A

Compilation of the OfficialRecords of the Union and

Confederate Armies, Series I,Volume 40. Washington:Government Printing Office,1892.

Wallace, Anthony F.C. St.Clair: A 19th Century CoalTown’s Experience with aDisaster-Prone Industry. NewYork: Alfred A. Knopf, 1987.

Warner, Ezra J. Generals inBlue: Lives of the UnionCommanders. Baton Rouge:LSU Press, 1992.__.Generals in Gray: Lives of the

Confederate Commanders.Baton Rouge: LSU Press, 1987.

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avoid stress on the knees andankles. Strike down on thefront foot with the heel as youpush off with the big toe of theback foot. Then roll the weightalong the outer sole of the footto the big toe to prepare forthe next push-off.

EQUIPMENTShoesAlthough many people

exercise in street shoes, aerobicshoes, or tennis shoes, specialwalking and running shoes havebeen designed to providemaximum support, shockabsorbency, and durability. Agood pair of athletic shoes isan investment in your exerciseprogram, and may decreaseyour chance of injury. It isalso recommended that youwear thick socks, or more thanone pair.

If your hips, knees, andankles are not within normalalignment, or if walking orrunning is biomechanicallystressful, it may be necessaryfor you to use orthotics (shoeinserts). If you have anydiscomfort in your joints,consult a podiatrist, physicaltherapist, or sports medicinespecialist for assistance.

ClothingClothing is a matter of

personal preference. Someexercisers prefer Spandex,others wear sweats. Letcomfort and weather guide yourclothing selection. Whenpossible, stay cool during yourworkout. The hotter you are,

WellnessWALKING/RUNNING

EXERCISE FOR CARDIOVAS-CULAR FITNESS

Whether you are a beginneror an advanced exerciser, agood walking program can bebeneficial. For beginners, it’san easy way to start a cardio-vascular exercise program. Fordeconditioned exercisers, it’s asafe way to begin the journeyback to fitness. For others,walking can serve as aneffective warm-up or add varietyto a cross-training program.It’s free, easy, safe, and appro-priate for almost everyone!

Jogging or running providesa more intense (and effective)cardiovascular workout thanwalking. Although appropriatefor many people, running putsgreater strain on muscles andjoints, and demands higherlevels of cardiovascular condi-tioning. Thus, many walkersneed to gradually get in bettershape before embarking on avigorous running program.

WHERE, WHEN, ANDHOW

WhereIndoors. If weather or

personal preference finds youindoors, use a pedometer tocalculate the desired distance ata local shopping mall. Indoortracks and gymnasiums alsoprovide potential locations.Local fitness centers often havetreadmills for indoor exercise;less expensive versions can bepurchased for in-home use.

Outdoors. Outdoor distancescan also be calculated using apedometer or car odometer.Look for routes that are scenicand safe, with a minimumexposure to car exhaust fumesand other sources of airpollutants. If a group isexercising together, considerroutes with long, straightstretches to keep each other inview. For safety’s sake, walk orrun facing traffic with anappointed leader on the outsideof the group. Advanced groupsmay wish to include steps orhills in their route.

WhenSafety should be your

primary consideration indeciding what time of day toexercise. During warmweather, you may prefer towork out in the early morningor late afternoon.

HowWalk or run with your

shoulders back and relaxed,chest lifted, eyes straight ahead,and chin up. Swing your armsnaturally and rhythmically.

19


SEPTEMBER 2000the less likely you will feel likeworking hard. When yourintensity is lower, you receivefewer cardiovascular andcalorie-burning benefits.

Comfortable, nonchafingclothing is best. Layeredclothing, such as shorts undersweats and T-shirts undersweatshirts will allow you toremove layers as the bodywarms up (see followingsections). Reflector vests ortape is advised if you arewalking along roads whenvisibility is poor (daybreak,dusk, fog, etc.). In coldweather, cover your head andhands, and dress in layers.Everyone should wear sun-screen on bright days.

BUILDING INTENSITYWhen starting a walking/

running program, choose aroutine based on your currentfitness level. Adopt a basicwalking program if you arecurrently a nonexerciser or ifyou exercise infrequently.Begin by walking slowly towarm up, then more briskly ata comfortable pace. Twentyminutes at medium to highintensity at least three times aweek is the minimum durationneeded to receive a cardiovas-cular benefit. You shouldalways be able to “talk whileyou walk.”

As you become more fit,increase the duration of yourworkout or add anotherworkout to your weekly sched-ule. Alternatively, you canincrease the intensity of yourworkout.

Some options include:1. RUSH Walking—Walk

quickly. Imagine being late foran important appointment.

2. RUSH Walking withArms—Rush walk with exagger-ated arm movements to incor-porate upper body work.

3. Hills, Stairs, or Curbs—Add a long hill, flight of stairs,or stepping up and down on acurb as part of your workout.

4. Power Walking or RaceWalking—Walk as quickly aspossible without jogging—onefoot is always in contact withthe ground. Keep hips low,walk with a heel-to-toe strikingmovement on every step.Maintain good posture with thehead, shoulders, hips, andheels in a vertical line.

As your conditioning im-proves, intersperse walking andrunning as appropriate. Forexample, run one minute foreach three to five minutes ofwalking. Increase the timerunning as you become morefit. Eventually, you shouldprogress until you can jog orrun for the entire workout.

Hand WeightsAnother method to add

intensity is to use hand weights.However, for beginners, handweights may push the heart rateabove a safe target level. Forthis reason, weights should onlybe used by those with adequateendurance to complete at leasta 20 minute brisk walk usingexaggerated arm movements.In addition, persons withhypertension or back, knee, orother musculoskeletal problems

should not use hand weights.If you use hand weights:✔ Make sure your upper

body muscles are warmed upbefore you use them.

✔ Hold weights with a lightgrip. Forceful gripping causesmuscle fatigue and produces a“pressor response,” increasingblood pressure.

✔ Arm movements shouldbe controlled, without momen-tum. Don’t swing your armsabove your head or allow yourelbows to lock. Keep your armsmoving, but not swinging.

✔ To avoid joint trauma,never put weights on yourankles, waist, or legs whilewalking.

✔ Never run with weights.Running is a high impactactivity. Weights increase theload on bones and joints.■

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IrishPersonalitiesLead the BattleCryFor BetterWorkingConditions

The history of Irish immi-gration to America is not thefamiliar fairy tale of poorimmigrants finding success andprosperity in a new land.Rather, it is a more realisticone of a people forced to battleprejudice and economic oppres-sion to carve their own nichein their new home.

From the period of theirearliest migration to America, theIrish found a land brimming with

both promise and prejudice.Their determination to fight fortheir rights and better conditionsmatched the American spirit ofindependence, yet sometimesintimidated traditional Americanswho were still adjusting to thediversity that the nation wouldone day embrace.

Life in Ireland was not easyfor Irish Catholic peasants in themid-1800s. The tidal wave ofimmigration to America beganwith a blight of the Irish potatocrop in 1840 which left thefarmlands covered with blackrot. Food prices soared as cropsacross Europe failed. Poor Irishfarmers watched helplessly astheir food stores rotted in thecellars, taking their only hope ofpaying rent to their British andProtestant landlords and theneven their own source of food.Consumption of rotten producesickened entire communities andvillages staggered under twinwaves of cholera and typhus.Fatal victims were left unburiedas priests sacrificed coffin moneyto buy food for the living.

Unable to find redress in thecourts, these poor Irishmen tookrefuge in secret societies thatcould fight for change under acloak of anonymity. During the1840s, a new group known asthe “Molly Maguires” becamewell known in both the northernand southern counties of Irelandfor its efforts to fight theoppression of the tithe collector.

When immigrants from theseareas later arrived in America,they carried with them thememory of this earlier struggle.Landlords moved to cut theirlosses by evicting thousands ofpeasants and later by even payingtheir tenants to emigrate. Greedyship-owners often crowdedhundreds of Irish onto shipsunequal to the task of providingshelter to so many. It wasestimated that up to one-third ofthe passengers of these “coffinships” never made it to their newhome alive. Of the one millionimmigrants who left Irelandduring this decade, most traveledto England or America.

Life in Ireland had beencruel but most Irish did not viewthe exodus to America as ajourney of joy. In fact, it wasoften referred to as the AmericanWake. Yet others who had madethe journey wrote homedescribing a land of abundanceand urging family members tofollow them through the “GoldenDoor” to America. The call wasanswered and while America waspreoccupied with its Civil War,approximately 100,000 Irishmenfled their native land hoping togain employment in America.

These Irishmen arrived at atime for need for Americanindustry. The nation wasexperiencing the most intenseperiod of growth it had everwitnessed, and workers wereneeded for the heavy chores ofbuilding railroads, bridges,canals, and mines. It was acommon expression amongIrishmen that the railroad had

Our Mining Heritage

Irish miners in Schuylkill County,Pennsylvania, cheer the return towork following the “Long strike.”

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SEPTEMBER 2000“an Irishman buried under everytie.”

Many of these new Irisharrivals sought employment inthe mining industry ofnortheastern Pennsylvania. Butthe land they discovered was onefar removed from the GoldenDoor they had been promised.Mining was hard, dangerouswork where the guiding principlewas profit, not humanity. Thecoal companies placedexperienced workers fromEngland and Wales as overseersof their operations and the pastresentment against the IrishCatholics hung heavy in the air.The Irish found themselves onceagain held captives to aneconomy that worked them tothe point of death and offeredlittle gain in return. Miners facedcave-ins, explosions, flooding,and fire as they battled to maketheir living underground.

This time the Irish had no-where to run and no desire to doso. Instead, they stood proud andready to issue a call for changein the mining industry. Thisbattle cry brought forth a new listof Irish heroes who led thecharge to change the industryforever. One of the earliest ofthese Irish warriors in Americawas John Siney who arrived inSaint Clair, Pennsylvania, by wayof Ireland and England. Sineyhad learned the basics oforganizing while employed in theLancashire textile mills. In 1868,he formed the first anthracitelabor union and christened it theWorkmen’s Benevolent

Association (WBA). For a fewyears the WBA was an activeforce in improving workingconditions. Membership quicklysoared to include 30,000 of the35,000 miners in the anthracitefields.

The WBA quickly organizeda Committee on Political Actionto direct its membership in thebattle for improved conditions.This committee traveled toHarrisburg to lobby successfullyfor the first mine safety law. Theact as passed was designed toprovide “for the better regulationand ventilation of mines and forthe protection of the miners inthe County of Schuylkill.” The Actof 1869 held many requirementsthat would be the basics of minesafety legislation for the nextcentury; including ventilationstandards, fire boss inspections,signal system requirements, andthe creation of an office of statemine inspector.

John Siney and the WBAwere encouraged by thesuccessful passage of the MineSafety Act of 1869 but realizedthat much remained to be done.This fact became painfullyevident on September 6, 1869,when 110 men and boys died inthe Avondale mine disaster. Sineyresponded to the disaster byworking to bring miners togetherfor change. He made thisstatement, “You can do nothingto win these dead back to life,but you can help me to win fairtreatment and justice for livingmen who risk life and health intheir daily toil.”

Under the urging of Siney,the General Council of the WBAsent a committee made up ofmembers from each countyunion to Harrisburg to demandbetter mining legislation.Stunned by the public outcry thatfollowed the Avondale disaster,the Pennsylvania lawmakersquickly passed a more detailedMine Safety Act of 1870.The Act of 1870 included thefollowing provisions:Required mine operators toprovide two accurate maps ofeach mine - one original copy tobe filed with the state mineinspector.Gave mine operators fourmonths to provide their mineswith two or more outlets or aninjunction could be orderedclosing the mine.Increased the number of mineinspectors to six.

Although the gains it hadsupported were impressive, theWBA under the leadership ofJohn Siney, would suffer greatlyover the next half decade. Anextended strike in 1875 forcedminers back to work on theoperator’s terms and brought anend to the Workers’ BenevolentAssociation as established byJohn Siney.

However, the brave Irishmanwas far from defeated. Instead,Siney began looking for anavenue to bring miners togetherunder a more comprehensiveunion. Determined to create anorganization with strength


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By 1875, the new unionpeaked with a membership of35,000 in twelve states. Sineytold the workers, “ Single-handed we can do nothing, butunited, there is no power orwrong we cannot openly defy.”However, life was not well withthe brave Irishman, John Siney.In 1875, MNA President Sineyand organizer Xingo Parks werearrested and imprisoned inPennsylvania under a charge ofcriminal conspiracy. Parks waslater convicted under anoperator’s charge of interferingwith the company’s right to workits property by instigating astrike. Siney was acquitted butthe MNA never recovered. Withina year, the national union hadfaded into the pages of history.

Over the next few years, JohnSiney would appear only brieflyin the news of battles for rights.An explosion that took the life ofsix men in the Wadesville Mine in1877 brought him into action todemand an inquest. At hisurging, frightened miners wereconvinced to testify aboutdangerous gases and ineptmining inspectors. Victory waswon when one inspector wascharged with negligence and

more careful monitoring of safetymeasures was ordered.

However, the victories werefew for John Siney in these lastdays of his life. Winning ameager living at an unsuccessfultavern was all the opportunity leftto him as his mining career cameto an end. In 1880, the proudIrishman who had worked sohard to make life better for hisfellow workers fell victim toconsumption, known as the“miner’s plague.” Yet the seeds he had sownwith support of the earliestmining legislation would grow tobecome a garden of change asresilient as a field of Irishclover.■

Two Irish Miners – circa 1890

23


SEPTEMBER 2000

2001HolmesSafetyAssociation,MSIA,NASMIANationalMeetingsThe 2001 National Meetings ofthe Holmes Safety Association,Mine Safety Institute of America,and National Association of StateMine Inspection Agencies will beheld together in San Antonio,Texas during June 4-7, 2001.This meeting will provide avariety of Safety and Healthworkshops presented by expertsfrom around the U.S., andrepresenting all sectors ofmining.The Meeting will be held at theHoliday Inn San AntonioRiverwalk in downtown SanAntonio. Call 210-224-2500 tomake reservations. Rooms arelimited and registration shouldbe made by April 30th. Be sureto indicate you are attending theHolmes Safety Associationmeeting to get the reduced roomrate of $91.00. The registrationfee is $150.00 for earlyregistration on or before April30th. Late registration is $175.00after April 30th. Registration forspouses and guests is $100.00and covers all special eventsexcept the golf outing.

AGENDAREGISTRATION (June 4-7)

WORKSHOPS- Innovative Annual Refresher-Abandoned Mines and EmployeeSafety- Blasting Dynamics- HAZCOM- EFS Makes the Difference- Lock Out / Tag Out- Noise Abatement- Tailgate Safety- Low Tech Solutions- Independent Contractor’s

Responsibility TowardsSafety- Dust Control Processes- Fall Protection

PANEL SESSIONS- Noise Standard- Part 46

SPECIAL EVENTS- Golf Outing (June 5th)- Vendors Reception *- Evening Fiesta Recep *- HSA Awards Banquet ** Cash Bar

For more info. contact: Judy Tate or Sherry Woodat 214-767-8423 or 8401 (See next page)

BUSINESS MEETINGS

- NASMIA (June 4th 8:30 - 4:00)- MSIA Board of Dir.

(June 5th 1:00 - 3:00)Annual Meeting

(June 6th 4:00 - 5:00)- JAH/HSA Exec. Comm.

(June 5th 3:00 - 5:00)Annual Meeting

(June 7th 4:00 - 5:00)

San Antonio

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The 2001 NationalHolmes Safety

Association MeetingJune 5, 6 and 7

San Antonio, Texas

Complete this form, detach and mail with check or money order made out to HOLMES SAFETYASSOCIATION to the following address:Judy TateHSA Planning Committee Chair MSHA1100 Commerce St., Rm 4C50Dallas, TX 75242

NAME ________________________________________________________

ADDRESS ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PHONE_______________________________

FAX _________________________________

E-MAIL_______________________________

Attendees:______ @$150.00 =________

Spouses/ ______ @$100.00 = ________Guests:

Total:

Will you and/or your guest be participating in the Golf Outing: YES___ NO___If yes, more information will be sent to you.

25


SEPTEMBER 2000

Join Today!and Grow with us...

Apply for Membership...

Membership is free. Your organization can become a Holmes Safety Association Chapter bycompleting a membership application and submitting it to the Holmes Safety Association.

Contact Person:_____________________________________Phone No.__________________

Company Name:_____________________________________________________________

Street/P.O. Box:_____________________________________City:______________________

State:___________________Zip:_________________E-Mail Address:___________________

MSHA ID Number:____________________ Type of Product:____________________________

Type of Operation: Coal___ Underground____ Surface____ Mill ____ Other _______________

Name you would like to call the chapter being established:

_________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Name and organization of person assisting in recruting this application:

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Signature of Applicant:__________________________________ Date:___________________

Send to: Holmes Safety Association P.O. Box 4187

Falls Church, VA 22044-0187 or Telephone: (703) 235-8264 Fax: (703) 235-9412

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New Membership or AddressChanges?For address changes and new subscription requests, contact:Bob RheaHolmes Safety Association Bulletin Mailing ListMSHA-US DOL4015 Wilson Blvd.Rm. 523AArlington, VA 22203-1984703/235-1400Fax: 703/235-9412e-mail: [email protected]

Please address any comments to:Donald StarrHolmes Safety Association BulletinMSHA-US DOLNational Mine Health and Safety Academy1301 Airport

NOTICE: We welcome anymaterials that you submit to theHolmes Safety AssociationBulletin. For more informationvisit the MSHA Home Page atwww.msha.gov. If you have anycolor and black/whitephotographs that you feel aresuitable for use on the frontcover of the Bulletin, pleasesubmit them to the editor. Wecannot guarantee that they willbe published, but if they are, wewill list the contributor(s).Please let us know what youwould like to see more of, or lessof, in the Bulletin.

Reminder: The District Council SafetyCompetition for 2001 is underway - pleaseremember that if you are participating thisyear, you need to mail your quarterly report to:

Mine Safety & Health AdministrationEducational Policy and DevelopmentHolmes Safety Association BulletinP.O. Box 4187Falls Church, Virginia 22044-0187

Holmes Safety AssociationOfficers and Executive Committee

1999-2001

Officer Name Representing StatePresident .......................................... Joseph Sbaffoni ...................... State .......................................... PAFirst Vice President ...........................Doyle Fink .............................. Federal ...................................... TXSecond Vice President .......................Harry Tuggle .......................... Labor ......................................... PAThird Vice President .........................William Vance.........................Mgmt. ....................................... NMFourth Vice President ....................... Chuck Edwards ....................... Supplier .................................... PASecretary-Treasurer .......................... Pat Hurley .............................. Federal ...................................... VA

Name Representing State

Larry Frisbie ..................... State ................ WAWilliam Garay ................... State ................. PALee Graham ...................... State ................. KSTom Gregorich ................. State ................ MNTony Grbac ....................... State ................ WVBen Hart ........................... State .................. F LPaul Hummel .................... State ................. PAD. J. Johnson ....................State ................. ILPhillip Johnson ................. State ................. KYDebbie Kendrick ............... State ................. AKDouglas Martin ................. State ................. AZGilbert Miera .................... State ................ NMDick Mottershaw............... State ................ ILJim Myer ........................... State ................ OHBob Novello ...................... State ................. TXTom Patterson ..................State ................. ILGlen Rasco ........................ State ................. GABill Sanders ......................State ................. ILEd Sinner .......................... State ................ ORRichard Stickler ................ State ................. PABonita Stocks .................... State ................. ARRon Umshied .................... State ................ MTKim Underwood ............... State ................. ILSam Vancil ........................ State .................. I LMichael Weaver ................ State ................. IDTanya Cox.......................Contractor.........TXAlan Cook ......................... Supplier ........... AZSteve Lipe.........................Supplier........... AZSteve Walker ..................... Supplier .......... WVBruce Krug .......................Insurance ........ PAD.J. Johnson .....................Academia ......... ILVern Demich ..................... Emeritus ........... PAWilliam Hoover ................. Emeritus ........... AZAl Simonson ...................... Emeritus .......... MN


Rod Breland .....................Federal .............COJesse Cole .........................Federal .............WVJohn Collins ...................... Federal ............ OHDon Conrad ...................... Federal ............. PADave Couillard .................. Federal ............ MNRobert Crumrine .............. Federal ............ OHGerald Davis ..................... Federal ............. PARon Deaton ....................... Federal ............. KYBruce Dial ........................ Federal ............ WVBob Glatter ....................... Federal ............. VAJim Hackworth .................. Federal ............. VAWhitey Jacobson ............... Federal ............. TXJerry Johnson .................... Federal ............ WVJeff Kravitz ........................ Federal ............ PAJack A. Kuzar .................... Federal ............. COJon Montgomey ................ Federal .............NYRexford Music .................. Federal ............. KYJoseph Pavlovich ............... Federal ............. KYLeland Payne ..................... Federal .............. INJames Petrie ...................... Federal ............. PABob Randolph ................... Federal ............. PAMel Remington ................. Federal ............MDMartin Rosta ..................... Federal ............. ALDonna Schorr ................... Federal ............. PAJohn Shutack .................... Federal ............. VABill Slusser ....................... Federal ............ PADonald Starr .................... Federal ............WVJudy Tate ........................... Federal ............. TXTimothy Thompson ........... Federal ............ WVGlenn Tinney ..................... Federal ............. PARichard Wood....................Federal ........... WVRoger Carlson ................... Labor .............. MNJoe Main ........................... Labor ...............DCJohn Riggi ........................ Labor ............... PAAlan Vozel ........................ Labor ............... PALloyd Armstrong ............... Mgmt. .............. MN


H.L. Boling ........................ Mgmt. ............... AZRichard Burns .................. Mgmt. .............. WYGary Cook ......................... Mgmt. .............. NMJim Dean ........................... Mgmt. .............. WVVern Demich, Jr. ............... Mgmt. ............... PAMatt Hindman ................... Mgmt. ............... PABill Holder ........................ Mgmt. .............. NMGlen Hood ........................ Mgmt. ............... TXDennis Johnson ..............Mgmt................TXRae Johnson.....................Mgmt................TXRobert Johnson ................ Mgmt. ............... COJoe Kinnikin ...................... Mgmt. .............. NMGeorge Krug ...................... Mgmt ................. F LPete Kuhn ......................... Mgmt. .............. WYBrian Luby........................Mgmt. ...............NMErnest Marcum ................. Mgmt. .............. WVJon Merrifield ................... Mgmt. .............. OHGerald E. Morris .............. Mgmt. ............. MTBill Moser ......................... Mgmt. .............. WVArturo Munoz................Mgmt...............TXGreg Oster ........................ Mgmt. .............. MNRichie Phillips .................. Mgmt. ............... KYDavid Rebuck ................... Mgmt. ............... PARay Rucker ....................... Mgmt. ............... TXSubash Sethi ..................... Mgmt. .............. NMNancy Staley ...................... Mgmt. ............... MICheryl Suzio ...................... Mgmt. ............... CTSteve Taylor ...................... Mgmt. ............... TXPenny Traver ..................... Mgmt. ............... MITim Williamson ................ Mgmt ............... CTMary Bauer ...................... State ................. ILDoug Conaway .................. State ................ WVRon Cunningham .............. State .................OKSteve Dunn ........................ State ............... MOJohn Franklin .................... State ................. KY

FIRST-CLASS MAILPOSTAGE & FEES PAIDU.S. DEPARTMENT OF

LABORPermit No. G-745

U.S. Department of Lab orMSHA, Holmes Safety Association1301 Airport RoadBeaver, WV 25813-9426

Place mailing label here

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