West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-02-05
GUILTY
Of Violation Of the Mining
Law and Disregard
OF the Instructions of the
Mine Inspector,
Is the Verdict of the Coron-
er's Jury
On the Newburg Mine
Horror.

y o
His duty was TO see the works was
carried on to the best advantage.
lie had the entire control of the
mine. The men were all subject to
his orders. His duty was to examine
the mine before the men went to
work TO fix the air doors, prattices
&c. The fire boss had CONTROL of
the ventilation of the mine. Isaiah
Timmons. one of the men killed was
FIRE boss. .Tnere was no other boss
that day. He went down as usual
that morning. The cause of the death
was an explosion of FIRE damp. Was
in mine day ,prexioos TO the explo.
sion and didspot notice, Rtesence of
gas He wqd1d baVssS ttsvel 5000
to 4oO0festto tDe,sdp ctst shaft.
The. explosion oc6ired in tbe main
hsst beading. Bratt was eE boss to
seefla. coal'was ejean Wet timber 3
see that,4se; .fdine sst cars, &e. Tim
mons hal nosiftkoriey only as fire
boSs. Did not consideF.ft nece sssry Just
then to get a man IN -Bratt's place,
The mine inspectoT>%as at the mine
in Nov. He went through the mines.
/ .Ho,said that in the ear future, there
ought'te be smother shaft. We have
fans but in. the.winter they could not
be w6tRsd Successfully owing to ice.
Timmdns made no report on day of
explosion. | instructed McWilliams
to take down no doors. The doors
opened and shut on hinges, and the
ventilation keeps them shut. If the
doors are thrown wide open the air
would not close them. The mine in
spector recommended springs for the
doors, and we intended to put them
on when we got more mules.
The correspondence which passed
between the mine inspector and Lax.
ton, and also between McKall the
Secretary of the Coal Co., was here
introduced. 1t was shown that fan
was directed to be put in the shaft
and the mine inspector urged the
Company to sink another shaft. and
and informed them of tue existence
of FIRE damp, and the danger from the
same. Mr. LaXton resumed his ties.
timony: Mr.. Tucker the mine in
spector wanted US to see that the
doors were keep shut. He said there
was sufficient ventilation for 60 men.
Timmons said the night before the
explosion that all was right. The
mine was not unsafe for men to 30 in
with ordinary mining lamps. If a
door was taken down an explosion
would follow in one hour. Mine in
spectOr Neazy visited mines in
summer of 1885. He said there was
a good amount of air for the number
Of men.
John Miller-He was the last man
who came out alive about q hours
before the explosion. Heard McWil.
lame say tn 1t he was going to knock
out the door. Heard Hornby pound.
ing at it. / did not know the dan.
ger form knocking out the door.
There were others who knew no more
than / did. ] saw Timmons an hour
before / came out.
Chas. Mccartney came out at
g a. m. the morning of the explosion.
Was in with ordinary mining lamp.
There was good air that morning as
FAR as ! went. Was in the mine since
the explosion. The McWIlliams
door was off but was not blown off
by the explosion, l could tell by the
nails not being bent
Pat WEIGH Have worked in the
mines, / saw gas once OF twice. Nv
light went out There was not much
gas. saw it 10 or II feet from the
neck Of John Millers room, This was
last November, also ! saw It i'm the
main heading At this point Super.
intendent LaXton rose and address.
ing the jury,said that the witness
was preiudiced against him. order
wac promptly restored by coroner
Jones, and the next witness vas.
Stenrod Canaway was brother
Of one Of the dead miners Worked
10 the mines The air vas rood
lie struck a feeder once which Unit.
cd, IL was ten minutes before / could
put 10 out bad an ordinary lamp
which sat ON The noor,it was too dan.
gerous To- carry 20 on lhc head. There
was no Ere boss at night Riley
Metz Have weohed in the mine
hot not since February. Have been