1878.] OF THE SENATE. 405

every working heading throughout the entire mine, and to
«xpel from said mines the noxious gases or impure air, so
that the entire mine shall be in a healthful condition for the
men working therein, and free from all danger to their lives
by keeping therefrom such impure air or gases.

SEC. 9. And be it enacted, That to secure and provide for
the proper ventilation of every coal mine in the Counties of
Allegany and Garrett, and to provide for the health and

safety of the men employed therein, the owner, lessee or
agent of each respective mine shall employ a competent aud
practical inside overseer, whose duty it shall be to keep a
careful watch over all the ventilating apparatus that may be
placed in said mine, as well as all the air-ways, all the travel-
ling-ways, and all the timberings, and to see that all loose

coal or rocks overhead be carefully secured against falling
upon any of the miners engaged at work therein, as they ad-
vance in their excavations; and it shall be the duty of the
inside overseer so employed, to take charge of and keep a

careful watch over all things connected with and appertaining
to the safety of the men at work in the mine, and to report
to the owner, lessee or agent of said mine when and where

anything under his charge is unfit for mining purposes; and
it shall also be the duty of the inside overseer so employed,

to take charge of, and pay strict attention to all the air-doors
used in the ventilation of said mines, and all air-doors used
in the ventilation of said mines shall be suspended in such a

manner that they will close of their own accord.

SEC. 10. And be it enacted, That the owner, lessee or agent

of every mine in operation in the said Counties of Allegany
or Garrett, shall furnish at their own expense all props, and
all the requisite timber that may be used in the working of
said mines, and as the miners employed at work therein pro-
ceed with the working of their excavations, it shall be the
duty of the owner, lessee or agent of said mines to furnish a
sufficient quantity of timber at the place where the miner is
at work, but no props or timbers whatever shall be removed
that might endanger the lives of any of the workmen engaged
therein by such removal.

SEC. 11. And be it enacted,That whenever any gases or im-
pure air is known to exist in any of the mines in the said coun-
ties of Allegany and Garrett, and which is likely to endanger
the lives of the miners employed therein, it shall be the duty
of the Mine Inspector, upon the same being made known to
him, to proceed at once to make a careful examination of the
ventilating appaiatus, and of the air courses of the said mine,
and if he shall find that the gases and impure air existing in

said mine was the cause of the bad condition of the ventila-