The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-05-16
Denied.
THE COAL MINE HORROR.
The Mine Still Burning


The Explosion Caused by the Use ofPow-
der-The Men Victims to their own
Stubbcrness-An Investigation Going
on.
AALrAx, N S.. May ia gentleman who
returned from the burning colliery says that re-
lays of men have been to work since yesterday
filling up the slopes and air shafts with clay.
The fire is still burning as fercely as ever. He
went within few feet of the mouth of the
shaft. from which blue sulphurous flames were
ascending twenty or thirty feet. The roar
from the burning mine was something terrific.
Dense volumes of smoke continue to ascend
from several air shafts. No adequate idea can
be formed of the terrible disaster The COM
puted loss OF property is enormous, but is moth
ing in comparison with the loss of life All
the wood work in the mine is burned, and ex-
perienced miners say it is one mass of burning
ruins
The causes that led to the disaster is not, as
stated, to be occasioned by the strike of the
miners, but to powder having been permitted to
be used in one Of the beds worked by miner
named Robert Mcleod, who insisted on using
it unless he received higher rates for cutting
without it.
At the inquest yesterday, several important
facts came out in the evidence, which show
recklessness or careesSnesS in the work of the
supervisor of the mines in the dangerous parts
of the mine
The inquest yesterday afternoon was on the
body of John Dunn, one of the pit miners res
cued from the pit, who died shortly after being
brought to the surface.
The first witness was Thomas Lowther, the
foreman, who testified that the mine was care
fully attended during the time the miners were
out on the strike, SO that there could not have
bsen an accumulation OF gas when the miners
returned to work on Tuesday.
The second witness was James Duuston, who
was in the mine when the fire occurred, testi
fled that he found nothing unusual in the mine
when he descended. When the word was pass
ed that the mine was ON fire all hands were re-
quested to go put it out. Those who refused to
assist were ordered to leave, by remaining they
would impede the progress OF the others Had
the men obeyed the order when it was found
possible to stop the fire there would have been
plenty of time to put it out. The same level
had been on fire before. A man was always sta
toned in the cabin to give miners information
as to the condition of their places and to warn
them of dangers. These regulations were at
tended to as well as the furnaces for ventilating
the same level. There was more gas in some
levels than others. In these the use of powder
was prohibited. The bed where the fire occur
red was aired by lattice work. When giving
the warning the witness went as far as the face
of the bed but could do nothing in consequence
of the smoke and fire.
The miners attribute the calamity to the re-
fusal of the manager to give an entra price to
Mcleod for getting out the coal In his ward
thereby enabling him to dispense with the use
of powder. The names of the men who volun-
teered to go down the air shaft and explore the
mine after the first explosion were Abraham
Guy, Edward Burns, Thos. Glenwright and
Guy was above the surface when the first ex-
ploson occurred, and when his terrible fate was
made known to his wife the unfortunate wo-
man rent the air with screams.
- I. ia ts..ls hAast-rAndino TO pass through tnc
square of buildings where the families of the
lost miners reside. The window blinds are
drawn and the stiffness is over the place, and
there is nothing but weeping and wailing.
Verdict of the Jury.
The jury have returned the following verdict:
"We find that the said John Dunn came to his
death on the 18th inst, by an explosion of gas
in the Drummond collery, caused by derange-
ment of the ventilatoro of the mine, arising from
fire in Robert McLeods Ward"