Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-05-16
THE NINE HORROR.
The Mine Still Burning-Flanles
Thirty Feet Above the Sur
face-EffOrts to Extin-
guish the Fire.
Loss of Life and Property I'M
mense-Cause Of the Disaster
Facts ELECTED before a
Jury of Inquest.
Reckless Carelessness and DISC
bedience Result ia the
Most Heart-Rending
Catastrophe.

Most Heart-Rending
Catastrophe.
HALIFAX, May ia gentleman re-
turned from the burning cOlliery says
that relays of men had been at work
since yesterday, filling up slopes and
air-shafts with clay. The fire still burns
as fiereely as ever. He went
within few feet OF the mouth
of the shaft, from which blue
twenty or thirty feet The roar from
the burning mine was something terri
| ie. Dense volumes of smoke continue
to ascend from several air-shafts. No
adequate idea can be formed of the
terrible disaster. The computed loss of
property is enormous, but is nothing in
comparison with the loss of life. All
the wood work in the mine is burned,
and experienced miners say it is one
mass of burning ruins below.
The causes that led to the disaster are
not as stated, owing to the strike among
| the miners, but to powder beiDg
used in one of the beds worked by
miner named Robert Mcleod, who in
sisted in using it, unless he received
| higher rates for cutting without 1t.
AT the inquest yesterday several in-
portant facts came out in evidence
which show recklessness and careless
ness in the work of supervision in dam
! gerous parts of the mine. The first wit
ness, Thomas LOwther, testified that
the mine was carefully attended during
| the time the miners were out on the
strike, and that there could have been
no accumulation of gas when the min-
ers returned to the works Tuesday. The
second witness, James Dunstan, who was
in the mine when the fire occurred tes-
titled that he found nothing unusual in
the mine when he descended. When
word was passed that the mine was on
fire, all hands were requested to 60 and
put it out. Those who refused to assist
were ordered to leave, as by remaining
they would only impede the progress
ofothers. Had the men obeyed the order
when it was found possible to stop the
| fire, there would have been plenty time
| to get il out. The same level had been
on fire before. A man was always sta
| toned in the cabin to give the miners
| information as to the condition of their
places and to warn them of dangers.
| These regulations. were attended to, as
were also the furnaces for ventilating
| the same levels.
Alexander LOrimer was next called.
| The gist OF his evidence was in the state
ment that if powder had not been used
| by Mcleod the pit would have been all
right to-day; and that when he heard
the alarm he went to pumping the pit,
| having heard cries for help, and assisted
John Bennett to the surface.
Andrew Mcleod, brother of Robert
Mcleod, testified that he was inside
cutting coal when the fire took place
They always worked their place with
sulphur; can't say he found much gas
in the ford; always used powder after
the third shot; had fired two shots and
was preparing to fire the third when he
discovered the ford was on fire; endeav-
ored to put it out by ordinary means
with wet bags, but after work
| ing thus over fifteen minutes
and fire gaining upon him, he then
called for assistance, and two men came
where he was, shouted and then made
] for the slope. All of them went out to
the landing, shutting the door behind
| them. Joe Richardson then came down
and directed the men to get at the fire,
| but he soon returned and gave directions
| for all the men and horses to come out.
! Witness then started for the opening,
and had nearly reached the mouth of
| the slope, when the mine exploded,
throwing him out on the bank. There
were three more men behind him and
two before him. The inspector of mines,
| Mr.. Pool, said the witneSs's testimony
relating to the firing of shots had most
| important bearing on the cause of the
disaster. 1t was evident that the first
| and second shots had decided the effect,
and blew down the coal there. The
third shot, however, was only a blown
out shot, and it opened crack in the
bench, which then became a reservoir of
accumulated gas. The latter immedi-
ately ignited and set fire to the coal,
which burned with great rapidity, ere
ating intense heat and smoke, making
| it impossible for the men to work in
putting out the flames.
At eight o'clock the inquest was ad-
jOurned to meet to-day at eleven O'clock.
Robert Mcleod, who fired the first shot,
escaped, but is too i'll to attend the in
quest. @
The miners appear to attribute the di-
rect cause Of the calamitystO the refusal
of the manager to give an extra price to
| Mcleod for getting out the coal in his
ward, thereby enabling him to dispense
with the use of powder. If, as stated, it
was prohibited in that ward, then it was
the duty of some one tosee the rules were
strictly enforced. To give some idea of
the extent of the explosion from several
air shafts, it may be stated of an old one
close to the miners residence, and dis
tant from the mines some six hundred
or seven hundred yards, that huge pieces
of timber were driven through it up
into the air, some falling on the roofs
of houses, and crashing through
them. 1t was truly heartrand-
ing to pass through the square
of buildings where the families of the
lost miners reside the window blinds
are drawn, and the poor widows of the
men whose charry remains are far down
in the burning sepulchre mourn inces-
sanity and piteOusly the loss of
those who have been so suddenly
taken from them. As you pass close to
the saddened homes of these families,
you can hear them sobbing and crying
Two or three witnesses We're eX-
amined at the inquest this after
noon, whose evidence went to show
that most of the men were in the
slope endeavoring to get out when the
explosion took place. This was further
corroborated by number of powder
cans which miners carry coming out of
the mouth of the slope with the second
explosion. John Loriner, who formerly
worked in the mine in the level
below the one worked by Nc
Leod, testifies as to the dangerous
characteE of the room from constant
accumulation of gas, and was obliged to
quit work because the powder could not
be used. This ended the testimony.
LATER.-Ihe jury returned the fol-
lowing verdict; We find that the mi
ners came to their death on the thir-
teenth instant by an explosion OF
gas in the Drummond colliery, caused
by disarrangement in the ventilation
of the mine, arising from a fire in Rob-
ert McLeod's ward.
i A good-loOking young woman, who
called herself Mrs. Howe, was arrested
q fnxp NUaakaH aon in q or,,aori