New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-09-15
THE AVONDALE DISASTER.

CONCLUSION OF THE INQUEST-THE lNCENDlARf
THEORY MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE JURY
PLYMOUTH, Sept 14.-The inquest was re-
sumed before Coroner Wadham this morning at O'CLOCK
The evidence taken mostly from professional miners
and civil engineers intimate with the working
and ventilation Of mines, and whose testimony Will
eectuay refute the theory that the fire could not have
caught from the furnace That it did catch from the
furnace certain and person here who is at all
acquainted with relation the catastrophe.
or of the situation Of the tunnel which has formed the
basis Of the nCendiay theories believe that it was the
work OF ncendary. but rather that
this theory is the work OF certain persons
whose obvious interest it is to suppress the truth
The report that the bratce partition, was burned
only at top and at the bottom, where the debris is
said TO have fallen down. disposed Of by the test
mony of Dr. Samuel NJ Evans, who swore that the brat
tice was burned whole distance from the top 10
bottom and this corrobOrated by the statements or
the miners committees who made thorough inspection
OF It, They state that the brattice was built OF two
thcknesses of plank and 2S feet hgh that FOR the
Of 20 S hSR the feet SDe thickness Tns plank
burned of and in places both from there 10
last tH 20 i0f feet are op completely destroyed
Evans also testified that there We're numeI,,
the way up which is corroborated by the Miners Com
mttee. The case of the ButtOnwood Mine, when is
testimony and by the Miners Committee. The furnace
of the ButOnwOod Mine is more than 50 feet from the
80 feet from the bottom is Of brick, and though
the planks for the next 500 feet kept continu'
ally wet, the brattce has caught fire more than
500 feet from the furnace 100 feet higher mp than must
have caught here II il broke out at the tunnel where
some say il did The Avondae upcast IKE all Others
always very dry while the draft conceded to
have been full strong as that IN the ButtWOOu mine
DR. Broderck part owner OF the mine adjoining the Avon
dale and whose testimony be relied upon also test
fed that he thought the fire communicated to the
brattiec some distance up the fues In wood was
used upon the coal IN the furnace there would be no
difncuty in understanding how fire was communicate
70 '1 force era'fs e as SPARKS ap into the ue
Mr. Evans when recalled, showed piece Of wood about
lying there which tends confirm the theory or Messrs
Broderck. Evans. Mitchell; and Merryneld that the
that has been industriou8y circulated that the tunnel
affords the least possible cover Tor HSenGary ans
duced against it. The mouth OF the tunnel is near the SIDE
cottage being within 100 feet OF II. The men at Work III
the breaker and the occupants Of the cottages say
would be impossible for person to enter II any time
during the day without being SEEN ana thal he INTRUDER
would be questioned as TO hs business The evidence
submitted to the Jury about O'CLOCK ana they nave
not agreed upon verdict up to ii p. M
LATER-THE VERDICT.
The Jury has returned the following verdict
That the said Palmer Steele and others 10 their
deaths in the Avondale mines That the of their
death was the exhaustion of atmospheric preva
ence of sulphurc and carbonc acid gases in the said
Avondae Mines caused by the burning of the head house
and breaker at said mine the 9th day OF Sept thereby
DESTROYING the arcOurses leading from the mine through
the shaft that the fire originated from the furnace In
the mines taking effect on the wooden Drattce III
the up-cast air-course leading from the bottom OF
tine shaft TO the lead-hOuse. The jury regard the
present system Of mining in large number OF hlues
miners, aud would strongly recommend in all cases
where practicable two places for ingress ana egfebs anu
more perfect ventilation; thereby rendering greater
security the life of the miners under any similar acct
THE RELIEF FUND.