The Evening critic., 1884-01-31
THE sHaFr-AoolpENr INQUEST.

jury
Tho inquest in the case of Mr.. p. Brown
Tor Miner was resumed at the Fourth Pre-
cinct this morning and more evidence was
taken.
Hugh McQueeney, gouth about IL
years old, employed as fireman to attend
to the pump in the shaft, was the first wit
ness. He went on duty Saturday night
few minutes after the accident. Witness
was asked TO go down the shaft and start
the pump, but declined to do SO, at first,
because he believed there was danger. He
did, however, go down about so or IS feet
shortly thereafter and still later descend.
cd nearly to the bottom and put the pump
in order. He worked the pump aud found
IL in good order. Could hear the mans
cries for help plainly. He worked tho
pump about 80 minutes.
The Timbers Loose.
He found the timbers on the south side
of the shaft very loose. Witness said tho
timbers for 90 or 20 feet had been Tagging
loose for some time before the accident.
Witness had frequently mentioned to his
fellow-workmen that the loose timbcrs
ought to be stiflened. Others beside him
self had commented on the loose timbers.
He told Mr.. Lawrence the engineer, about
the condition of the shaft. 0ftentimes tho
men would come up out of tho shaft to dry
themselves in the boiler-room, and they
would discuss the weak and dangerous con-
dition of the timbers down below.
To juror: "There is not always means
at hand in case of danger for n person to
get out Of the shaft" said tho witness; "but
a good active man ought to DO able to get
out"
Witness resuming, said the distance from
the bottom of the pit to the braclng above
was about six feet.
Several witnesses testified before that the
distance was about nine or ten feet, and
that If the bracing had extended down to
within five or six feet from the bottom the
accident would not have occurred.l
Witness knew of his own knowledge that
there was nothing on the ground at
the time of the accident to do the bracing
with.
The said several miners were dispatched
from the other shaft and went down, as no
thought, to get Brown out, but they soon
came back and refused to enter the shaft
again. OF this crowd there was coored
man, who went off and lay down to sleep.
Some Of the old miners" continued the
witness, came to the shaft and would go
down little ways and would come ont
and light their pipes. The old miners ain e
no good. A colored man who had been
down was asked If he would go again,
and remarked: amt gwine down dore
any mo-. You got to shoot mo to get me in
dat hole agin."
The witness said Noe (the supcrntend-
emit was
Nearly Scared to Death.
When he went down in the bucket he said
to the engineer, "When / holler to you to
hist, you hist d-n quick Witness was
not sure whether II was possible to rescue the
,nN h.,N hi Il
means were used to get him out. Witness
believed that IL the shaft had been properly
braced there would have been no accident.
Edward McQueeney, the father of the
| first witness, was called and testified that
| he did not work at the shaft. His son
| came homo and told him that five men had
been buried alive. He told the boy to go
back and do what he could and leave the
next morning. Witness went to tho shaft
| with his son and found that the day hands
had left and the night hands
would Not Go Down and Do Any
Thing.
Witness said he did what he could to-
ward getting the man out. Witness said
| Mr.. Haley, one of the bosses, worked like
| hero. Witness never heard his son say
| there was danger in working in the shaft,
| Witness sent his son down the shaft to fix
| the pump. ~ stood at the top" continued
Mr.. McQueeney, land watched my sou de-
scend. If he had been covered up would
have gone down after him and tried to flnd
| means to get him out Witness did not
believe it would have been safe for the
miners to have entered the shaft until after
the bracing.
Mr.. Patrick Haley, one of tho foremen
| of the water-works, testified that he AT
rived at the shaft about 10 o'clock Satur-
day night. Went down the shaft. Brown
was covered with debris Found that no
could do nothing for two or three hours,
and proceeded to arrange for bracing. Wit
ness is experienced In such work. having
been engaged in it for twenty-six years.
Witness said he has standing instructions
to inspect his shaft after blast is fired.
He bad worked in that shaft until it was
about 40 feet deep. He would not have
worked there If the timbers were not tight,
and would not have asked men to work
there.
Daniel Mahoney, who attends to sending
the bucket down the shaft testified that the
first gang of men went down about five
minutes past to relieve Brown. Had
never heard before the accident any one say
the timbers were unsafe. Witness said it
4 was difficult matter to get any one to go
down the shaft after the accident. A
number of miners had volunteered" con-
tinued the witness, "to go down and help
rescue Brown, but
Their wives Appeared ON the Scene
and screamed and went on so that they
couldn't CO."
Another instance" remarked the Coro-
ner, of tho bad effects of woman's rights
| AlonZo Lawson, engineer of the might
Shift" testified that he was down in the
shaft before day Saturday morning and did
not hear anyone complain about the tim
bers being loose. Witness was the first
man to descend to the bottom Of the shaft
after the accident, and he found things in
such q condition that it would have been
impossible for man to work there without
losing his life.
Charles Il. Hall, an employee in the shop
AT the shaft, said he thought it indispensa
BILE to inspect shaft after each blast. Had
he seen piece of timber In the shaft
out Of place or loose, should have reported Il
to the proper authorities. Believed Mr.
Noe, the superintendent, to be thoroughly
competent man. From what he knows Of
Mr.. Ireton he believes him competent also
Marion White, colorcd worked in tn,
shaft Friday night. When he left ut
o'clock Saturday, he said the shaft was il
n critical condition. One of the timbers IL
the southwest corner had slipped, and wa
out of place. He said he told some Of thu
morning gang that the timbers were un
safe, and not to 90 down. One Of the latte
remarked "Wo arc going down, and viii
| bus hell out of that d-n thing and give