The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-06-10
DEATH IN THE MINE.
wv ual - tl i4
THE WEST pfrrsroN MASSACRE.
H0RRTFYING PARTICULARS.


We are indebted to the Anthracits Mon-
itor for the following particulars Of the West
Pittston horror, which occurred On Saturday,
May 9th: IVY, r.... ....
A loud wall of anguish goes out to the
world from the little town Of West Pitts
ton, in Luzerne county; great crv Of re-
proach TO those who have wilfulIy failed to
conform to the requirements Of the most be-
netcent act on the statute books Of this
State, and whose negligence is responsible
for the lives lost, the widows and orphans
made at West Pitts6eld on Saturday last.
1t was Avondale and the untiring exertions
of our Association that gave us the Venti-
lation Law. Will West Pittston be the
means of insuring in the future decent,
human respect for its provisions? Iss re-
quirements are set forth in plain English
phrase. That ordinary humanity demands
that they should at ell times and uader all
circumstances be rigidly lived up 70, could
not be made more obvious to any one tam
iiiar with the multifold dangers attendant
upon the mining Of coal, and yet it is safe to
assume that dozens Of operators, in as many
different localities, have not only failed to
make second openings, or provide other
safeguards commanded in the Ventilation
Law, against dangers ever probable in an
anthracite toal mine, but have apparently
no intention Of doing so. Notwithstanding
the widespread sympathy elected By the
awful occurrence at Avondale, We can all
remember how stubborn was the opposition
made to the passage Of the Ventilation
Law, and how very unlikely il is that we
would have ever been granted such law
under any other circumstances. For at
Harrisburg, at every other State Capital,
and at the National Capital, money ia in
supreme control, and against its dictum, ex-
cept under the most extraordinary circum-
stances, IT is almost useless for labor to ap-
peal. But We have the Law. It is there On
the statute book, rs palpable fact as the
nose on your face or the hands on your
arms, brown and horny with working for
others and starving yourselves. Then let us
by all means demand that in future no one
ration shall continue, the owner or lessee Of
which has not in every regard faithfully
done what the law demands of him.
AT the West Pittston shaft there was
but one opening, and when, on Saturday
last, at 2 > o'clock, the breaker ut that shaft
took fire, as is generally supposed, from
friction of the journals about the fan or
rollers, an impossible barrier of fame was
between the men then in the mine and es-
cape into the outside world. Work bad
Just been commenced in that locality, after
six months hard struggle for right, which
makes the calamity all the more to be re-
gretted. Immediately after it was discov-
cred that the breaker was on fire, dispatches
we're sent for fire apparatus, which we're
promptly on the ground; and great credit
il due those who were instrumental in see
ing this duty fulfilled with such a com
mendable promptitude. The Scranton
steamer, which went in response to des-
patch sent at 2 10, started at 339, and,
making no stops, arrived on the ground at
4.lO. In consequence of there being No
water nearer than the river, fully three
quarters Of mile distant, the water tanks
Of locomotives were filled, and speedily re-
paired to the scene. When the awful It'd
ings spread large numbers Of persons hast
ened to the vicinity, and the agonizng cries
and prayerful entreaties of women and
children, whose husbands, sons or fathers
we're in the mine, were simply heart-har-
rowing. But the imagination of the read
er can furnish a more faithful picture cf the
scene than our Inadequate language is cvm-
petent to delineate, and the report Of the
coroner's inquest, here following, will tell
the sad story better than we can do it.
THE INQUEST
Y A jury being summoned, a coroner in
quest was held at the town hall of Pttston,
DIR. O'Malley acting as coroner. The fol-
lowing testimony was elected:
Jurors-James Walsh, NJ. Boln, S. T..
Barrett, Morgan Jones, Jas. Fitzpatrick, J..
w. Freeman.
James Nc McDermoh, ScOrn-I was sngin-
eer in charge Of the machinery on Saturday.
at w est PIttston shaft. The first | knew
Of the fire was when Superintendent Ken
drick came into the engine house; when
the large doors we're opened | saw the FIRE
and gave the alarm at the bottom Of the
shaft also gave the alarm through the
speaking pipe; was in the fan house at 1 .05
O'Clock, with the superintendent, and all
was in good order; don't know the exact
time the fire broke out; the engine could
be easily disconnected the superintendent
and myself measured the air and found
"A, 900 cubic feet of air passing through the
air course; the cracker box was so or GO
feet higher than the floor Of the engine
house; there was no communication Of
alarm between me and the cracker box !;
Roland German oiled the machinery FIRE
might occur by hot journal; don't know
what the condition Of the air was in the
mine; no place to get out but the one In
spector Williams was in the mine last
Thursday; be made no complaint to me !;
the slope was begun about eight months
ago
Ddvid Harris, SwOrr-I am a miner !;
have worked there sixteen months; stopped
work about the 10th Of January was out
about three month";; was not in the mine
at the time Of the accident; ventilation is
very poor; the slope is 1,152 feet from the
bottom Of the shaft the weighmaster at the
bottom Of the shaft gives signals from the
engineer to the men in the mines; Thomas
Phillips is weighmaster, who came up in the
first carriage after getting the signal of dan
ger without passing the signal to the men
inside ; Richard Clark, foOtman, came up
with Phillips; suppose fifty men in the
mine seven came up with him; there are
fourteen chambers, two men in each,
and two with four men each; also four
drivers and footman, two runners, two boys
tending doors, one truckman, one man at
the fan, and some others don't know; four
mules and two horses. In bis opinion there
was opportunity to sink another shaft $50