The New York herald., 1871-08-19
THE PITTSTON DISASTER.
COrOnefs Investigation Into the Causes Of the
Explosion in the Coal Mine.
Experienced Men Unable to Account for the
Disaster-Ths Mines Not Properly ventilat-
ed-Terrible Force of the Explosion
The State Inspector Unable to Per-
form His Duties-The Verdict,
Nobody to Blame"

trance to the Town Hall was crowded and much
speculation mdulged In as TO the character OF the
testimony that would he likely to be elected. IL
was known that the committee appointed by Dis
trlct No OF the mire ers had made report, but 1t
was not known what the tenor OF 1t was. The I'M
preston seemed to be that Mr. Alva Tompkins,
the operator Of the mines. would be severely Gen.
sured as would also the inspector, Patrick Blew
itt When the door was opened the crowd rushed
in and the room was full before the Court was
called 70 order. The HERALD reporter was as
signed seat at the table, and the Court opened
and the testimony began In the following order:-
Present.. +. O'Malley, Coroner; o. f. Games An
drew Dryden, Enoch Cortrght, Thomas Smiles, w.
J. Bruce, John LewellyL, Jurors.
THE TESTIMONY.
Henry Harris was the first witness called and tes-
tilted as follows IN Welsh, Henry Phillips acting
Interpreter
! examined the NINE in the morning and found
amS, Any and then would take the saaas oil my lamp ans
e,amne !. with the naked d, lamp we usea fur furnace
tended & the furnace WAS MAS within twenty feet Of Of the
hs on esanns
was that the lire came from one side and after that
the Other SIDE Of the mine found so@e boxes and powder
Kegs that had been blown from the face Of the for
ton found that the bra,ticng in the main gangway had
@ Ss d ee new e
Ploson the mine was . clear Of Monday morning
proved that the mine clear Of gas did
90
bs s ,onS. the as ten
ali Of the The s ToSsns. On he Right as
nave nav haa OF ae are np ior ap e nS
know whether they free from not the mine
the Pennsylvania Coal Company where we through
M a. e he w T the as %a out
took time to yentiate the old chambers, but after
plant OF in these parts always went around the old
ie s fall was ne f aa, place suraa ss ee
did NO. find y ny oSocs of the s in ,. f
half nine dd no. have any testing .hs air
do not Know whehes any gas beyond the a or
repc to the inspector James wiams was the mnins boss
previous $40 70 my an explosion on the
eighteen months ago drunken man was the cause he in
the nearly
the bracns In The mine there was nobody in the mine
The Court here adjourned until two O'Clock. when,
upon reassembllng,
Henry Harris recalled-I examined the furnace
Monday morning before the explosion and found all
Isaac Williams sworn-was formerly in charge of the
Tonpkns until 2o,h of April considered The ys
se keep n0' the r ou on
these places the mine nearly worked outs believe
s the s
the mine when the fire in the nue changed and
would 80 down; he said II was too aangerous
eve the law required sha. the amount OF air passing
through the mine should be TO the inspector and
understand when there; sometimes in clear days
ssye vsy to s an %9s s a .s1
through into the Pennsylvania companys works
from rom the ives! sids; ihiak ,oeeaIrsd from
sss @ e
eompauys line bad trouble IN other climber but
the gas gather in large quantities in short time when
ss NE a IN @ Te the op
coal think the sufficient for all the that
Ems; !s..ss ron iasEsciSr ss%i sea,ivs
the s Of an Of % re-
and the FIRE boss was 10 look after the gas
to s. no 5s
G % ws @
been miner Tor eighteen years think by due diligence
might have prevented ts yenlaton law had been
observed 10 the letter there would have been no danger
ii was about twenty-five yards from the main
h
he explosion ma. broken down the air 80 as 70 inter
ia the he1 lincs the PROBABILITY that whatever
there always gas enouh in the mine to expo
SION the fgrns. not Sors1s Yesterday he1s was no
asn & ssPSsHab SSsss S
oTs s 5e efnssE hat S he %es o
proper ventilation would have been enormously largemore
MIN m men Soas De the 10 Wa not
have ventilated; always considered Mr. Harris
CAREFUL shrewd and able and attentive to his business
am Of the opinion that the explosion was occasoned by
ngs and that forced gas the gangway
and became gred by the NAKED amps OF the men consider
conducting the out OF the mine in pipes II very difficult
but can be done there was an acciden 1855 when
charge OF the mines there was no aItemp that know OF 10
of Ventilation law; considered the mine
SAFE % % 70 be ae mime ne an ee
properly ventilated would not have happened but do
passing through the minute Yesterday
h he m aaa
has been gas the side for two three years
was Al the foot Of the shaft at the lime Of the eTpo
son hed one car of coal at the face ana then went at h
indications OF fall of coal OF roof before left the face fol
Tne testimony OF ". W. Kendrick, who is a prac
tica man and accompanied the committee, Is as FOL
lows, reF6dttDt:-
W. W Kendrck Mining Superintou dent-Have been con
nected with fifteen years went
the mines Yesterday morning; measured the air il
minute; we then passed down by the side of the fur
T na a n way we the The en
posion then passed up the hill to the place where WI
81 we hen passed the rs the
IN the first chamber & found ~ gas to the eye OF the 9P coal
l. where found again On the top we then went TO No
we went to the next and found air very bad could
enter there he on OF the great a. body Of gas
here found slight portion OF gas from here we eam
o'clock TO hapas four; there must hav
the ives, chamber forced from there to the
way when the driver boy engaged IN turning hs
and consequ received the whole of the exposion IL
had occurred In chambers Nos |, and the mines mus
naturally sudocated by choke the explosion
across the old working have been general the worst
1t must have been along the cangway; the boy wa
found under the car, his head between two wheels
we had 20 lift I. TO Get him out; he must hav
been there with tremendous force think the vent
produced by the furnace II properly conducted owe
mpe, sufficient to venilate The mine from l00O Il
l50O eet of air minute would probably be sufficient
vena,e the fnne unless there more difficulties than
the casual inspection; think the mine might hav
properly ventilated 10 have prevented this evpo
never knew Old mine clear Of gas.
Patrick Bewlt mine inspector for this district was ap
pointed 18th day Of April ls7 the Governor signc
commission; have never visited the mines have beei
much engaged that cannot visit them all have vistc
about fory-one mines of which have been in Their
between seventyive and eighty mines In district
duties such TO prevent getting around. (Th
witness offered his papers and books to jury eyann
and estimate as TO how much labor be has 10 perform
what he has done) Some time since letter to M
WI ns,ructng him to be In charge of Eagle shaft,
| folows-
OrrIoH or THr MINE INSPECTOR THE J
EASTERN DISTRICT OF WYOMING Coat tiFLDe,}
SCRANTON, Pa June TO- 1s1l
DFAR SIRYou are hereby notified and requested to fui
nsb me with map OF your coal mines, and also with
statement OF the amount o air passing through
nd nd ull