The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-01-29

o represents the air shalt, and the
1ther thait. The air passes down at x,
around through the headings and work
lngs and up at o. lI-F Is u cut Off II
tho two ends OF this channel are left open,
The air will find q passsso through this
aud back to o, leaving the entire space 10
IN without ventilation. The brattis which
tits imagined MCAndrews Knocked down
closed such a passage as this, and the
;hcory 10 that tho end Of the mine being
deprived Of a current, the gas quickly aC-
inundated there till a lamp came in con.
tact with It.
euCn u4ru is tx .rcised TO keep tho air
rom seeking short cut.olls, that whero o
Itch pass6s uudor q door board Is placed
in II down as far az tho surface Of the
water, and where door closes over q
track heavy rsCking Is tackled on the bot.
tom Of tho door to drag and shut of the
Iir like a weather strip. Laxton said he
told McWilliamS the day be 10 be care.
fnl not to move the door In digging the
ditch.
sLlaHTED INSTRUCTIONS.
Fire damp, I.axton said, aCOumulates
above, and despeHS down until it extends
80 low as to come in contact with the
lamps. The witness was one Of those who
found MCWilliams' body. II had been
blown 10 osoms distance from where he had
been working.
Ho had been Superintendent for two
years. held the position before coal was
reached, The state Mine Inspector, when
no visited the mine, recommended that
another shaft be sunk for safety and eKteas
In case Of accident He did not order an.
other shaft TO be sunk. He did instruct
f.axton TO place pulleys aud weights on
the doors throughout the mine 10 prevent
the possibility II their being left open by
careLesaness. This was not done. The
miners and dryers had the .striCtest In.
struCtlons never to leave any door open.
The admission that the order Of the In.
speclor was dlsregsrded caused some com.
nenk Il "a said that dalHage suits against
the company will be begun by many Of
the victims families on this ground.
OTHER TESTIMONY,
John Miller, miner, was the next wit.
ness. He came out OF the mine about two
hours and a hall before the explosion. As
hs passed the brattis where MuWilliams
was digging a ditch he saw AtcWilliams,
and john HornAby was oil the other side
OF the boards pounding on them. Nc.
Williams said lie was going 10 knock the
door down. Miller felt uneasy that day,
though be could not say why. He wore
q naked lamp on hls hesd. The witness
did not know II would make any difference
II that door were down.
Charles MOCaftney, night driver and
water baller, said that between I and 7 A,
N. on the day Of the explosion be had
been In all the headings but one al tho
head Of the mine, where danger board
was displayed. There was no ventilation
there, aud the gas had accumulated. He
considered The aif In the mine good. lie
never saw any gas Il can be seen when Il
ignites, not before.
Patrick WelCh, who helped 10 sink the
shalt and worked at driving AilefwAfd,
said once or TWICE gas had caught from
his lamp and exploded, but in such small
quantities az 10 make but q bliRht puff,
never enough 10 hurt Once ln Q depresi
sion In the roof ID the main entrance, he
ignltsd some gAA This was In last No.
vembOf, XII.
PRoSouScRD rREJUDicRb.
MI, f.a1ton advanced at thls point in the
testimony, aud after several questions
directed 10 shaking the wlLneas's state.
nents which did mot have the desired Of.
feet, he addressed the Jury, eaylngi
"qenllemat, ! desire 70 be herd In re.
gard to this witness. This man Ia pre-.