The New York herald., 1869-09-15
YnE GOAL MIND HORROR.
SECOND DAY OF THE INQUEST.
EVIDENCE OF TEE MINERS
Tho Belief that the Fire Originated
from the Furnace.
Aid for the Sufferers In This City
and Elsewhere.


PLYMOUTH Pa, Sept. IA, 1859.
The adjourned inquest in the case OF the Avondale
disaster was resumed to-day at ten O'Clock, squres
Emo and wadham acting coroners. The attend
ance was not as large as on Saturday, owing the
fact that the miners generally have returned to
work. Mr. McClintock was appointed as principal
counsel for the company and Mr.. Merriman for the
Ni:ois. The latter put In their testimony first.
Dr. q. W. Mckee, OF Plymouth, testified tnat the
men OF the Avondae mine came to their death by the
inhalation OF carbonIc acid gas; was unable to form
o correct opinion 10 how long they hved but
thought they could hardly have survived more than
Jo1r hours after the fire.
ID. w. Evans, miner, examined by Mr.. Merriman,
tesuhed:-I was down in the shaft after the fire;
sm familiar with mining and Its arrangements; in my
opinion the IRE took place from the nue spark
from the furnace took hold on the wood from the
shaft and originated the fire; n there had been
another opening the men would have escaped with
their lives.
Cross examined by Mr.. Davis one OF the coun-
ee for the companies:-I never worked In the Avon
dale mines; my reason for thinking the boards took
ore rom the furnace ia because 1t was not far
enough from the shalt; I measured the distance
from the Outside or the furnace and found it TO be
l2e feet
about nifty Iect from the bottom; the brettice Is
burned all through up the airway; about fifteen
yards from the top the bretice is destroyed stop
ped every rev feet on the carriage going down the
shaft, and found one thickness Of boards burned
clear or all the way down; was down the shaft with
this purpose Saturday last
Charles F. Ingham engineer, testi1ed:-I have
been engaged In tho profession OF engineering thirty
Ave years. and u this section eighteen years. several
Of the shafts and breakers to coal mines In this val
ley have been put up under my direction; know the
brettice work In the Buttonwood mine burning up
from nre In the furnace; it does not neces-
sarily follow that q fire originating from
afurnace should burn the brettice at the bottoms
however, there are many contingencies TO influence
are In mine shatt.the currents of air; the con.
the management Of the furnace; the ei-
s'' shaft "a sUT pan o, smosesea Tsss aSwe Sms
would be to release the fire ana . FUR
nish II with oxygen; cannot help thinking that
tons Of that niue perfectly safe for the men to re.
treat to and await their deliverance.
no ss2 wSsi BY e M 1,oiM can
are ,,,Gs N the he. B1ItOnwood mine built
IN that mine but somebody who came
after me insisted upon putting In wood and
probably from that cause the mine was burned;
ventilated by fans; all saw OF the Avondaie mine
Ied me to think II was first class work. 80 far as
mines that have but one outlet, but | 10 not deem
them especially safe TO work in.
Thomas Frederick testi1ed-Am an operator OF the
Union mine II ad ons the mine OF Avondale the But
tonwo0d mine was burned by the fire from the fur
nace the SHAFT was over 500 feet deep and the fire took
place 200 feet from the botom believe II there had
been second SHAFT to the Avondae mine the men
would have been saved; all the new shas that have
oeen put up within the past five or six years have
been using fans; heretofore the mode OF ventilation
mas been by furnace; In reference the fire at Avon
dale don't think II Is necessary that the lire should
begin at the bottom to prove II come from the fur
mace; II the furnace was t with wood at The time.
about the middle or near the top; T II with with
coal II was more apt 70 b,gin at the bottom; but
any way damp the flames would spring upward and
sns1 iaste1 on no,.a the dry part above The blaze
by reason OF the drausht and the greater ter
abundance OF oxygen; think. though my own
mine has but one that every mine ought to have a
second opening, and In course OF time intend TO
have that; never heard OF any such accident as
ns ct Ayondale before, either IN this the schuyl
D. W. EVANS recalled Examined by the miners,
counseil-I examined the furnace on Saturday, in
looked carefully all it, and In the course OF our
tour Of examination discovered three pieces OF wood
like this exhibiting about eight inches In length
and considerably burnt on the furnace barsl As'''
Tnie seemed conclusive evidence that wood must
have been used in the furnace at the time Of the fire
ana, II piece as large US what was shown by the
witness escaped through the nue lighting IT, Il ap
Reared certainly capable OF igniting the brettce In
John Mitchell testi1ed-I am miner and opera
tor; recollect the fire in the Buttonwood mine and
from the furnace; know that lice can be set on
ere from Q furnace In which wood Is burning
feet ana I also know that il is' Is more n,r
likely to burn at the top than al the bottom, as In
At the top frst; most OF the mines in the WYOMING
valley are ventilated as was the Avondaie, but
there Is one belonging to Mr. Bowkeley, OF Pittston
has TWO shafts, for both ventilation and safety
within twenty feet Of each other
Lewis Aerriman miner-I have been down four
ndQ IN air.
pelleve the 6re originated from the furnace 10 the
prattce and burned out eighteen feet at the
Benjamin Jones, miner, testifed-i nave been
down In the Avondae mine, and believe that the
VINO laid out the mine, and Thought him careful.
expeftenced5 man; think the fire first caught the
Msn aity or sixty feet nom the bottom, and would
ece0unt ior the 100 feet above that point being
destroyed to the strong OF air that took the
sparks up and lodged them near the top OF the shaft
Here Mr. Merrman, Tor the miners, announced
that he had examined all his witnesses and would
oner no more evidence unless Of rebutting cha-
recess until two O'Clock was taken, and on reas-
eembilng one more witness for the miners was
John Albrighton operator Of Union mine. testified:
nad conversation some time since with Mr.
Ss,s, BuSnes, inside boss Of the Avondale mine; Mr..
isoDerts one of our partners, told him the import
tes two mines; myself said to Mr.. Hughes sTss sSat
ne made no reply; had the eanaway been driven
tne conversation occurred during the suspension:
9Gge6 tne distance between the mines 900 feet and
N might nave taken O month to cut ttrrouph. onr
motive In seeking 10 have the mines connecsad "
because Ve ielt conscious that one DAY the men
% %M0ua De losL IN case OF accident; every mine In the
valiey c0nstructed with only opening IL da nQer
0us for men to work In. "s''
The Oriyin Of the Fire.
70 TIE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
oIR-I notice that many Of the persons who are
examined In regard to the origin OF the fire state
their belief that 1t began midway up In the shaft
instead Of at the furnace and ali these give az the