Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-01-31
DEATH IN THE SHAFT.
The Inquest Over Miners Body.
TESTIMONY IN TBR CASH TO-DAY.


The coroner's Jury. investigating the death OF
WIN. Miner al the new Aqueiuct shaft las satur-
day night. decided when they met this morning. TO
resume the taking OF testimony
Hugh McQueeny. youth about l. wears Old. en-
ployed as a fireman 10 attend the pump In the
Shaft. testified that he went on duty Saturday
night few minutes after the accident; was asked
70 GO down the shaft 10 start the pump. hut de-
ctined 10 do 50 al first, because ne believed there
was danger. Shortly Afterwards h went
descended nearly 10 the bottom. and put the pump
IN order. The pump worked well. The witness
said that some time before the accident he noticed
Ihat the Tagging OF Crihbng was loose about
twenty or twenty 1--WE feet from the bottom. lie
nad heard men speak about the timhers being loose
ne dlont know Who was foreman, there were ~
many or them. witness had mentioned the fact
tnat the cribttng WAS getting loose a week before
the accident 10 the foreman OF his shaft. MI IretOr
ahI also, ne thought, 10 Mr. Lawrence, The eng
neer. "Of course" said the witness mo attention
Is ever paid 10 such things until some one Is Killed"
careleSsly about
THE SHAFT CKUMBLISd on FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
before the accident He did not think the work
dangerous when properly conducted II Healey
the FORMER foreman had been left there he dii not
mink the accident would have occurred. There was
not rope or bucket always ready for the men In
tle BOTTOM 10 get out, but active man might
climb up the bracing To the point where the ladder
was itwas only lately that they had sunk the
did not think he could have gotten out OF th MT as
II was before the accident without help The tim
ners, ne repeated were loose day or two before
the accident. and the blast shook them out OF
the place. None OF the timbers We're broken After
the ecci lent occurred there timber there 10
brace the SHAFT with and no men 10 90 down into
the pit They send 10 Foundry branch shaft for
miners All the workingIaen OF the night SHIFT ran
away except one one OF the men said
Hs WOULDN'T GO DOWN IF he WAS SHOT FOR IT.
When the miners came With their lights on their
V-ay int fhn chs
going TO do something After sending I'D two
bucketfuls OF stun they came ont and went into the
ensine-room, where one or them went "a sleep
" These Old miners observed the witness are not
very good They creep about so, and come up all
the time TO light their pipes" ETe said that Noe
WAS nearly scared 10 death When he went down
gineer, When 1 haloo 10 you 10 hist. You hist
Id quick" Noe went down in the bucket, but dill
h NOT &c. out OF the bucket The witness said he
night. He was not discharged, but resigned 10 Mr.
Noe. Witness thought II the braCine had been
avoided. V VIC
HEROIC CONDUCT OF Mr.. HEArEy.
MI. EDWARD McQueeny, father OF the preceding
witness, testified that he never worked at the
shaft, but helped there saturday night. His son
came home and told him 5 men had been buried in
the shaft, and he did not " AT 10 work rhcre longer
Witness told hin 10 DO what he could 10 helm tba.
night and leave IN The morning. Witness went to
the smart with his son They found that the day
10 work In the Shaft. There was 10 one there but
me engineer, man named Maloney, the witness
son, ana one or two others. There WAS no one
there TO fire the boiler, and witness volunteered
anu worked TIL half-past ten O'Clock They had
pIehly OF steam up when the miners came. The
pump worked well and soon exhausted the wafer
The witness described in a goSSiny way what he
considered as the heroic conduct ~ Mr. Heal.y In
placing timoers In the shaft. He said he had ex-
peFlence IN Such things. FOR he had worked ia a
lager beer brewery, where the rocks used to fan
sometimes.
TESTIMONY OF FOREMAN HEALFY
Patrick Healey, foreman OF the Howard Untver-
sity shaft, testified that when he arrived at the
scene OF the acciden about ten O'Clock, he went
down into the shaft, and saw he could do nothing
Tor three or four hours He got some timbers and
braced some or the loose ground over the nIaca
where the men had to dig After he haYdone that
Mt ireton went down with some lahorers ana
began the work OF excavation. Witness had work ed
IN that SHAFT Till IL was forty-tw0 feet deep The
bracing had been continued after that In the same
manner as he had begun IT. As foreman he WAS
instructed, and IL Was his CUSTOM 10 INSPECT shaft
AFTER blast was fired As a general thing In such
work the cTibbng was extended every four or five
feet The bottom Of the pit. where IL had not been
rounded out, might be eight feet below The last
timbers. He did not think such denth would he
dangerous. except in the case OF a heavy blast
which looSened the timbers. He would not have
worked there IL the timucrs were rot tight and
would not have asked iuen to YORK there.
woMASS RIGHTS.
Daniel Mahoney, who attends 70 the bucket at
the shaft, was examined, but nothing new was
ELECTED from him. He had heard nothing said
about the shaft being in an unsafe condition The
witness said there were u number OF the workmen
who seemed willing to Assist after the accident
ana did work until their wives and made them
leave
"Another instance, remarked Coroner Pattar-
son, "of the bad effect or wOman's rights
Alonzo Lawson, engineer at the SHAFT, testified
tnat ne was In the shaft early SATURDAY morning
but heard no complaints about the timber, being
loose. He was he said. the first man that went 10
the bottom m the shalt AFTER the accident aud he
found the condition OF things such then tuat II WAS
impossible for man to work there without losinc,
his life e
Chas. r. Hall, who works IN the shops at the
Shaft and who has worked III the shaft as foreman,
was next eXaEnined said he did hot think there Was
any rule about inspecting the shaft after blast IN
he should see any rtnbers ooos.a IN SHAFT he would
nave them adjusted before proceeding
"MUCK."
Marion White, colOred, one OF the workrnen in the
Shaft, quit work saturday morning at O'Clock.
He said the shaft was In critical condition when
he left Saturday morning for the stone was falling
one OF the tmberS about two-thiTiS down rh..
Smart, In the southwest corner, had slipped down
A large stone Was hanging 80 that II IL WAS moved
there would be a tumble. When the witness cap.e
out OF the shaft he toli the day gang rot 10 90
down until the Shaft was "tiInhered up.n one OF
the men also told the boss One OF the day gang
said: ave are gen[ down TO bust HI out of IL
today. SO as TO give you muck for tonight"
The coroner was inquiSttve as 10 the meaning OF
muck and the witness said that the man meant
That they would shoot out lot OF stun during the
day and make the night gang shovel IL out. Wit
there without further bracing. but Mr. irton said
nothing ia reply. The testimony closed at lao
pm.
CONSIDERING THE CASE.
The jury began immediately 10 consider their
verdict with closed doors, ard had not reached a
conclusion at a late hour
The Other Side Heard from.