The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-09-16
TIE AYoNDALE DISASTER.
Origin or the Firc--Thc Suspicion OF in
cendinrism.

The Scranton Republican, Of Monday, pub
lskes the following editorial article in oonncc-
tion With several columns of evidence taken at
tho inquest which began ct Plymouth on Sat-
ur lay, and WAS adjourned 10 nine o'clock
on Tuesday morning, ths 14th i;slan:
The intersc interest felt in the Avondale dis
aster will not be lesscned by readiBg the re-
ports Ct tho evidence elected before Coroner
Wadham's jury at Plymouth ON Saturday. Tie
theory OF the fire. which hns gradually been re-
ceived-nameIy, that the work of the shaft was
ignitcd by tho heat from the vcntllatipg fur
nace-is secuted BY every experienced miner
who was examined. There was no difference
of.opinion on the point, while the working Of a
mino with but ono opening and tho building
OF the breaker over tho mouth of the shalt
were generally condemned.
All the witnesses whose opinion on the
point were of any value were unanimous in
considering tho furnace entirely safe. Tie
opinion that The fro WIS not caused by the
furnace in the mine is supported not only by
the experience and judgment OF experts, but
by positive evidence OF well nigh conclusive
character This ls found In tho present coll
dliion OF tho hrctticc. or wooden partition
which divided the shaft to O hoistlngway aud
mn airway, or an upcast and downcast. This
brettice is discolored NJ the top, and not ut the
bottom, except n few feet which was ignited
By the burning debris aud ashes which fell to
tho bottom of tho Shaft whom The breaker
building was consumed.
The brettico was the only material wbicl,
ccnid have carried The fire from tho bottom 10
the top Of the shaft, if The fire had bacn CON-
municGted TO the brcttice at tho bottom, ns it
would have been had the furnace commun!c,t-
cd it. II is impossible 10 believe that II po,-
ton CT tle brcttice beginning at point only
twenty feet from the bottom, und extending
thence upward fjr one hundred and thirty feet,
cou:d have remained unburned az it now re-
mains. What could have Cxiineuished the
flames twenty feet from tho bottom and re-
kind!ed them one hundred and thirty or one
Il fact iub e.;
is inccnceivabie. Not one OF the witnessCs 8
could assign as reason for the origin OF the fire
any caus. connected with tho working of the
minc. Most of them thought it txpcdient not
to attempt any explanation at ALL aud only one
oil the hundreds to give positive expression to
The horrible suspicion that evldcptly lulked in
the minds Of ell. One witness Oh his oath SAID
he believed the mine was Intentionally fired.
Let US not attem Dt further 10 excite the hor.
ror which the mere susp, zion of such an onor-
nifty at once arouscs, but examine for q mo.
ment the facilities for incendiarism afforded
BY the peculiar situaiou. Geo. Morgan sworc
that he believed the fire began at this mouth of
tho tunnel, or little below it. Tho tunnel re-
ferred to affords the best possible cover for n-
cendiary operations. Beginning under the
saS ID hs sS i sH naer Al h
about forty feet below the surface. Tho parts
Of the shaft into which it opened was not the
hoisting way which was continually traversed
by the carriage, frequently with men aboard.
and in which any suspicious appearance would
almost certainly have been noticed. The tuu-
mel opened into the dir shaft, or uI cast. by A
wooden door. This point in the air shaft, forty
feet beneath the surface was perfectly SCREEN
ed from observation. 1t was MP the Dir shaft
that tho fire came, and it came with the speed
and 1orce OF an explosion. bursting into the en-
g'ne house, as the engineer swOre, with tho
Puff of an eXplosion of loose powder.
This explosive character of the fame e
partly accounted for by the strength Of the
draft IN the air shalt; but tho use OF the guam
tity of highly ina9mmable material Mt tic
mouth of the tunnel would have tended to pro-
ducc prccisely the sane effect. What is more
easy than to entor the tunnel. say at day
break. charge it's mouth and tho brettIce oppo-
site with quantity OF kerosene or other in
hemmabe material, lay slow fuse connecting
with it. light the fuse, escape unnotced, and
be miles away before the catastrophe came2
The fuse and magi zinc would be most effec.
tualiy concealed while the former was burn
ins. II is dreadful thing TO feel compelled
10 advocate such theory; bnt is any other
possible? eau it DO conceived that such
conhagration, II occurring from any nc.
cidensal cause, or at tho bottom OF the shalt,
passing up and down the shaft only fifteen min
4os bnfore the flames burst from its month";
Vas not The mouth of the tunnel the only point
Opposite the burned part OF the bretLicc at
which fire could have been communicated
Was 1t moi impossible for any fire to accident
theory OF incendlerism possible, and all Others
impossible?
In reaching this conclusion ". need not
taae INTO account the reports about traces of
keroscne ct the mouth Of the tunnel 1t will
be time enough to consider those when they
have been ccitcd OH oath in open court. The
cViGelces of tho most heart t-sickening crime on
record are far stronger than we could desire
them 10 be already.