Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-01-30

Testimony Taken by the Cor onerss
Jury To-day.

Jury To-day.
WORKMAN WHO SAYS THK SHAFT WAS csruBIISc
ALL DAY sATURpAy-rHE NEGLECT TO srInBKR
Up IN TINE
When the inquest IN the case OF Win. Miner, who
was killed last saturday night at the AQueduct
shaft, at the head OF 18th street was resumed at
the fourth precinct station house this morning MI.
John Condin, who had charge Of me pump az the
shaft, testified that IL was his duty, before blast
was cred, TO so down into the shaft and take OF
the suction-pipe ana hose. After the blast Il WAS
his duty 10 return ana readJuSt the suct!on-pipe
ana nose and pun the pump Ia running order. This
ne DID last Saturday evening. The pump was set
running after the blast but lost its water. and
stopped just as the accident happened. He was IN
the SHAFT. twelve or fifteen feet from the bottom
ana got out as quick as he could The timber gave
way where the pump was The pump worked wei
curing the night when the witness visited the
shalI Witness ran the pump from sunday morn
ing az eight O'Clock until Monday morning. The
pump was run about fifteen minutes In every hour,
and never failed The pump was run always until
me water began ito come very light They did
case some one would have had TO go down into The
smart 70 change IL, which would have been very
alilculI de did not think that at any time there
was more thana foot OF water IN the shaft The
witness said he was the first man 10 go down into
the SHAFT after the blast, but signs OF dan
ger Hew down by the ladder and had his back
UoWaru the Side or the Shaft which CayeG IN.
THE ROCK CRUABLrNG SATURDAY MoRSlSa.
Henry King, cocred, one or the workmcn In the
Shaft testified That he had instructions except
being told to so down in the shaft and 60 10 wora
No one ever told him that there was any danger.
lne accident occurred because IL was not tlmberei
suTclently. "When we LEFT the shaft SATURDAY
morning" sale the witness, 1T crumbng then
one OF the men said that shaft IS dangerous
Little pieces were falling down behind the curbing
on the south side" The witness said there was no
timber within eight or nine fetJ NON the bottom
SATURDAY morning. when witness SHIFT lert the poSs
OF mat SHIFT, Mr. lreton, said the other is who
was coming on would "umber up.n Witness sup
. no nlaarS
morning, but II Was not done at ali Ia fact they
had no timber there and did not get any until sat
uroay night after The accident had occurred They
sent after timber Saturday night after the accident
occurred In reply TO juror, the witness said that
when he noticed the crulnOlng Saturday morning
the pieces OF stone fell behind the umbers on the
south side and came out at the bottom where the
men Shoveled IL out. Witness had never known
the stone 10 fall that way before in that shaft
Pieces about the size OF bricks falling. II
Henry Wilson, one OF the Old men, ho had " orNed
In tie, shaft a long tine, WHO said IL was DAN
gerouS.
NOT WARNED OF DANCER
Harrison Jones' colored, one OF the men who was
In the shaft when the accident occurred, said IL
was his second week OF his work there, and he had
never done such work before. lie said he had never
peeA told there was danger and had received no IN
StTuctIonS- The witness said he had been at. work
during the day since seven in the morning. but The
stone had not been falling. The witness thought IL
was nine feet from the bottom or The snaIt to the
Timber witness heard nothing said during saturday
about continuing the timbers down. The Witness ia
from the bottom, said that In order To get tools and
ISh'S lett on The tmberS one man had 10 get on tie
siiouideI5 OF another He stood up and reached rs
high as ne could on the door TO snow how high he
could reach, and said that there were men In the
shaft taller than he Who coulu not reach the tim
Der.
THE CONDITION OF THE SHAFT AFTER THE BLAST.
| Richard GENES, colored, who was at work In the
Shalt when the accident occurred, said he had
worked there about three weeks He had never
been cautioned against danger. When ne went
down after the blast he noticed that the rock had
beeh blown away at the bottom. behind the timber,
SO There was very little TO hold the timber The
timber was so high from the bottom that witness
had TO get upon another mans shoulder ia order 10
| Teach IL. There were three attempts" the Wit
hess said, 10 "caye" before Tie men took
much account OF 1t. Then when they quit
WORK they heard rumoie above Ike thun-
der, and the witness jumped for his HE.
The boss did not go down into the shalt before the
men uil. 4 ne rock began TO faA While they were
AT work and the falling pieces kept increasing ia
size until the whole thing broke loose. The witness
Said saturday morning, when lie went 10 work,
that the shaft was deep enough to timber then.
When the boss came down into the shaft that
morning the witness said In his presence that "lis
thing ought to be timbered up right away" This
boss or foreplan, he said was called Snnon. He did
not know his other Name
Coroner Patterson made Inquiries which elected
the TACT that the foreman in question Is named
! simon Cullen, anu subpoena WAS sent Tor Mr..
Cullen.
Theodore Williams, son-in-law of Miner, was
not sworn, but stated that the pumps worked
hardly any alter 10 O'Clock at night
oNK OF THE BURIED MEN.
Elias Miles, colored. one OF the workmen who
were buried In the shaft, said he had worked about
week there, and had never worked before Ia
shaft. He said when he went down TO work In the
shaft Saturday morning he did not like the looks Of
the timberS, because they high l.p from the
the curb1ng. The witness did not think they ought
TO go more than four or i've feet without braclHg
He thought they had gone nine or ten feet without
putting any braclng ia. He heard Of the boys
Say before they went into the sLIfJhat IL ought 10
be numbered up"
When asked by Juror why he did not come ont
when he thought IL was dangerous, the witness
said they were Sent down IA the bucket and then
the bucket was taken away from them. so they had
nothing 10 get out with. After the accident had
occurred rope Was thrown dCwn to them.
Randolph BI1ce, who was working Ia the same
Shalt as Miner said the shaft was pretty ragged or
loose all day The timberS were loose aud hanging
He was never told by the boss that the work was
dangerous
Joseph Ebert, colored one OF the men on the
"night shaft" said that when left the saft sat
urday morning IL was IN rather bad condition at
John Mcpherson. colored watchman. who
arrived at the Shaft, gave his opinion that some
thing might have been done at once TO relieve The
man. He said he told by one of the bosses that
the pump was out OF order.
James Holman and Edward Barry. foremen OF
the Foundry branch Shaft, who arrived al the
"caved In" shaft about nine O'clock testified 10 the
work done alter that time IL putting umber5 In,
and that 1T was dangerous 10 go into the sharU
witnesses that IL was Impossible to have saved the
mans life.
simon Gully. foreman. and Henry Wilson. a work
man n the shaft, were next examined.
The Inquest was Sun IN progress when our report
closed.
HOW TIE CONTRACTOR ACCOUNTED FOR 1.-THE CAVE"
After HE STARS report or the testimony yesterday
closed, Mr.. Noe was recalled and gave further ac-
count OF the work done to relieve Miner
Mr.. John V. Quackenbush. one OF the contractors
for the work, testified that The shalt was properly
constructed He accounted FOR the cave on the
theory that the tnbers were looSened by the blast
All his foremen Were Instructed. he said, To have
the tllnberS examined after every blast. The bot
tom Of the shaft he said, Is through solid rock
All linen employed are supposed 10 De miners and
/ know the danger In such places. and the men are
so instructed, and II they had been Careful they
would all have gotten out OF the way.
Nr. AsC. Douglass, superintendent or machinery,
testified 70 the efforts made to relieve Mixer.
INDIcTED.-ThiS afternoon the grand Jury re-
turned bill OF Indictment against j. c. McCrealy
for forgery.
The Insanity Plea Humbug.
From the Detroit Times.
The acquittal ofJames Mutt while not une expected
.,