Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-09-16
AvONDALE MINING CA
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A Terrible Story Of Alleged, Incendia-
risrn1-The Inquest and Testimony
Before the Coroner's Jury, ,.s e..
For several days there have been ru-
mors il regard to the CAUSE OF the ter
rible mining calamity at AvondQiale,
Pennsylvania, almost too shocking for
belief : "a Or repetition. In Hyde Park,
where many of the lost belonged, it was
oneply asserted and widely believed that
the fire was the result of design. A
correspondent of the New York Times
saws the story is based on what he ALE
ges is a fact, that the wooden funnel
leading from the furnace to the bottom
of the shaft had not been burned at all
and that the brettice of cribbing divid-
ing the shaft into two compartments at
the bottom Of the shaft had been merely
charred and not destroyed. Other re-
porters state that the Welsh miners Of
Ayondale had many enemies among
others Of their class, because they are
always the last and most reluctant to
engage in strikes, and that threats had
been made against them on this ac-
count. I.s za4...s ,E
!*4 THE INQUEST.
At the inquest held in Plymouth on
Saturday, the evidence given by the
witnesses show that nothing has been
elected conirmatoly of the charge.
Mr.. H. w. Evans, from a committee
of the Miners Union, acted as sort OF
counsel for the miners; Mr.. III. Philips
as counsel for the companies. The at
tendance numbered over two hundred,
and much interest was exhibited in the
evidence of the witnesses who came up
towards the close Of the investigation
The representatives of the mine owners
studiously avoided giving the least Of
tense, by interfogatory or otherwise, to
the audience of miners. The examina-
tion was conducted with decorum,
though little too much latitude was
given to some miners in putting ques-
lions Of a very irrelevant and frivolous
character.
THE EVIDENCE.
DIR. G. Hundson, of Plymouth, the
first witness, testified that the cause OF
the death of the men was from inhala-
tion of carbonic acid gas, and that they
lived but few minutes after the disas-
ter.
Charles Wilson, acting ticket boss at
Avondale, testified that in talking with
the men heard them say that the mine
was liable to take fire, but there was no
apprehension shown that any great
danger attended working it; on Monday
morning saw Palmer Steel, the stable
boss, take down load of hay to feed
the mules-about quarter of an hour
or twenty minutes before the fire broke
out; the lower part oft he shaft was
tolerably wet where the fire originated;
witness was absent at a funeral the day
it happened; Mr.. Hughes, the inside
boss, took precautions against the fire
igniting the brattice by substituting
brick and lime for lumber.
Conrad Lee, Of Plymouth, outside boss
of Avondale mine, testified.--Lyman
Mimmick was standing at the head oil
the shaft the day of the accident; MINI
mick had come on new that day to at
tend to the work of regulating the pas
sage Of cars up and down through the
shaft; directed j. M. Vile *, ticket
boss, and Philip Although to look after
him, as he was strange to the business;
was absent when the fire was first diss
covered; 1 have no direct idea as to the
origin Of the fire; there was no fire
about the top Of the shaft; there was a
new fireman at the furnace; the smoke
smarted my eyes pretty badly; l was
among the first to discover the fire, but
we had no facilities at hand to extin-
guish it,. atHa Deffaa"
Arson Dunn, of Hanover, was sworn
and testified. Il went down ia the shaft
at nine o'clock Monday morning, looking
for work, and stayed three-quarters OF
an hour; while down spoke with several
OF the miners, some of whom said that
they had heard a good deal about the
mine being dangerous, but declared
it the most comfortable they ever
worked; everything l saw when passing
the furnace was all wight; there was a
live blaze of coal, and nothing about it
appeared different from when | went
down; when came up to the top of
the shaft | saw Palmer Steele waiting
to go down with load of hay; about
twenty minutes after, when l was on
my way home;I observed fire bursting
out through the top of the breaker; the
hay which Palmer Steele had was bound
IN a bundle; noticed no smoke OF any
thing out Of the way.
Thomas Roney, Of Plymouth, testifi-
ed.--I know where the furnace in the
mine is located; about ninety feet from
the bottom of the shaft; l have assisted
building fires there; never heard any
iaers expressed about the furnace; knew
OF a brattice being once on fire in the