722 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 307

wherein gas may accumulate shall be properly fenced off and
danger signals posted thereon.

SEC. 127. Employees shall immediately notify the mine
foreman upon discovery of explosive or noxious gases, and
shall see that no gas blowers are left burning upon leaving
their working places. If gas is ignited by a blast or otherwise,
such employee shall immediately extinguish the same, or if un-
able to do so, shall notify the mine foreman; and failure to

give such notice shall be a misdemeanor.

SEC. 128. Whenever any working of a coal mine approaches
a place suspected to contain any accumulation of explosive
gases, or whenever a mine has been found to be gaseous, no
light or lamp other than an approved safety lamp or other light
approved shall be allowed or used.

SEC. 129. Whenever safety lamps are required to be used
in any mine, such lamps shall be provided by the operator
for maintenance and use of which actual cost may be charged;
and of such lamps a quantity one-fourth larger than may be
in immediate use shall always be kept on hand, ready for use.
A competent person shall be appointed to examine every such
safety lamp immediately before it is taken into the work-
ings for use, who shall ascertain that such lamp is clean, safe
and secure before it is used.

SEC. 130. No safety lamp shall be entrusted to any person
for use in a mine, until said person has given satisfactory evi-
dence to the mine foreman that he understands the proper use,
and the danger of tampering with the same. No one, except a
person authorized, shall have in his possession any key or other
instrument for unlocking any safety lamp, while within any
gaseous mine. Any person found, while within any such mine,
to have any such key or other instrument for unlocking any
safety lamp, or found opening or tampering with or to have
tampered with any such lamp, or to have matches or any un-
authorized lighting device in his possession, shall be deemed
guilty of a misdemeanor; and any operator or any person
by such operator authorized, who shall fail to supply properly
cleaned, safe and safely secured safety lamps for use in such
mine whenever necessary, shall be deemed guilty of a mis-
demeanor; Provided, that this shall not prohibit the use of a
flame in the intake air only, for the purpose of making neces-
sary repairs to machinery or wires, when in charge of persons
authorized to do such work.