Westville Coal Co. v. Schwartz

On December 21, 1896, appellant, the Westville Coal Company, was operating a coal mine containing two hundred rooms, in which it used seven machines run by electricity to cut under the coal, which was afterward thrown down by blasting and then loaded and taken from the mine. Each machine was ordinarily run by what was called a “machine runner” and his helper, and it was moved from room to room as required. Each room was prepared for the machine by two men, who were called the “rock-gang,” who took down all loose rock from the roof and cleared a floor space of twelve to fourteen feet from the…