The New York herald., 1869-09-12
Investigation Into the Cause of
the Calamity.
Evidence Given Pointing to
Incendiarism.
RELIEF FOR THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS.
Liberal Contribute in
This City.

lOunu IL suggested tnousht IL so ihcfeuioiy odo-
cious and horrible that could no more than fur
nisn it item, entering into the exciting gossip
speculation engendered by the late disaster, and
at the same time throw doubt upon Its truth. To-
night furnish you with the evidence recorded al the
iuQuest held In this town to-day, and let
1t speak for itself. II, as you viii
perceive, the balance OF testimony Is against the
suppositon that the shaft OF the mine was set on
IRE by the furnace in the NINE then there Is hardly
any other conclusion to accept than that the mine
was deliberately fred. The most intelligent ana ex
perlenced miner among those examined, Mr.. Nor
gam states 1t as his belief that the IRE did not COM
mence at the bottom, but at point near the tunnel
II this could be proved beyond peradventure an
awful load OF guilt rests upon the shoulders OF some
body; for II fired at the tunnel IT was accident,
but deep, uniathomable lendishness.
The inquest was held at eleven O'Clock in Shupp's
Hail. Plymouth Mr.. E. G. Wadhams and Squire Emo.
justices OF the peace, acting Tne fol-
lowing jury was sworn, the same that viewed the
bodies on being taken from the mine:-W, j. Har-
vey foreman; Samuel Van Leon, Martin Mcdonald,
James George, Charles Hutchinson and Thomas
Patton.
Mr. II. W. Evans, from committee Of the Miners
Union, acted sort OF counsel for the miners, Mr..
II. J. Phillips as counsel for the companies.
The attendance numbered over two hundred, and
much interest WAS exhibited in the evidence OF the
witnesses who came up towards the close OF the in
vestlgatlon.
The representatives OF the mine owners studi.
ousy avoided giving the least offence by interroga.
tory or otherwise, to the audience of miners The
examination was conducted with decorum
though a little too much latitude was given
to some miners in putting questions OF
very irrelevant and frivolous character.
DR.. G. Hudson, Of Plymouth, being sworn, testi-
ned that the of the death OF the was from
Inhalation Of carbonic acid gas, producing asphyx.
iation.
Coroner to the Jury-Is there any question to ask!
No response being given the next witness was
called, who gave his name as Christopher Savage,
footman in the Avondale mines. Being sworn he
testified as follows:--I was footman in the
Avondale mine and worked there until last
Saturday; the furnace was first started on
Thursday, September 2; Monday morning last
no woodwork between the furnace and the shaft;
there might have been door there; been down in
the mine only about half dozen times; the furnace
suppose to have been lit about half.pa six; the
IRE burst out between nine ana ten; never heard
the inside foreman. Mr. Hughes, speak OF connecting
the Union with the Avondale, but recolect hearing
him state that he wanted the old tunnel driven n
~ to enable the mules and men to walk into the
mine; Hughes was over q year connected with the
pleted, but am not aware that any effort was
made during the suspension Of work to push the
tunnel through. The witness was asked various
questions as to his opinion on the advantages and
security Of having second shaft to every mine but
declared his inability to speak professionally on the
subject
4 gentleman inquired OF the witness II he knew
Of man coming out OF the mine before the fres
Witness-Yes. sir; his name was Anson Dunn,
and he came up fifteen or twenty minutes before
the fire.
John Roberts, blacksmith, testified that twenty
minutes before the fire he saw Palmer Steele go
down with load Of hay.
DR.. Wilson recalled-Sad to the best OF his judg.
ment the men lived but few minutes after the dis
aster.
Charles Wilson testined-1 was acting as ticket
boss In the Avondale mine the day Of the accident;
rang the bell for Palmer Steele to 60 down with
his load OF hay, and about half an hour afterwards
the nre broke out; l noticed about an
hour previous to this time there was
more smoke than usual coming up the SHAFT, but
1t was lit by wood and the man who attended to II
was new man, who commenced work with the re-
sumption oof operations; IN talking with the men
have heard them say tnat the mine was liable to
take fire, but there was no apprehension shown that
any great danger attended working It; Monday
morning saw Palmer Steele the stable boss, take
down load Of hay to feed the mules,
about quarter Of an hour or twenty minutes before
the 1re broke ont; am unable to tell the name Of
the man who lit the fire in the furnace on Monday
morning; the lower part of the shaft was tolerably
wet where the fire originated; can't say as ab-
sent at a funeral the day 1t happened; /;
Mr.. Hughes, the inside boss. took precautions
against the IRE igning the brattice by substituting
brick and lime for lumber; Mr. Hughes In my opn-
ton, had sole control OF the inside operatons there
was quite draught In the Cue leading from the
1re toward the shaft; have seen sparks dying
toward the SHAFT, but could not tell how far they
went
Conrad Lee or Plymouth, outside boss Of Avon
dale mine, testiHed:-Lyman Mimmick was standing
st the head Of the shaft the day OF the accident;
was attending TO my duties In the engine room;
kimmicK had come on new that day to attend to
the work OF regulating the passage Of cars up aud
down through the shaft; directed j. NJ. Wilcox,
ticket boss, and Philip Alibauph to look after him.
he waa strange to the business am outside fore
man; was absent when the fire was first discoverd |;
I have no direct idea as to the origin OF the fire;
there was are about the top OF the shait never
noticed q man take hay down with a lamp in his
hat; l never gave orders against the practice,
but 1t might have been done; the draught
from the furnace l considered very good
to the best OF my knowledge there was
thought nothing OF 1t, as there was new fireman
at the furnace; the smoke smarted my eyes pretty
badly; was among the rst to discover the fire, but
we had no facilities at hand 10 extingush 1t, and
few buckets Of water would have been OF no use
whatever
Here recess for dinner was taken until two
O'Clock.
On reassembiing, Anson Dunn, Of Hanover, was
sworn and testned:--i went down In the shaft at
nine o'cock, 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 good deal about the mine being
dangerous. but declared m the most comfortable
they ever worked; everything I saw when passing
the furnace was all right; there was live blaze of
coal, and nothing about Il appeared different from
when went down; when came mp to the top OF
the shaft | saw Palmer Steele waiting to 40 down