Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-02-01
THE VERDICT
The Coronsr's Jury Decide the
0rrsl Horror
Was the Result Of Neglect OF
Orders and
DisObsdIsncs of the Law---Ths Jury
Takes the Law to Task
And Dsscants at Length Upon Much
Needed Legislation.
The Testimony State
Inspector Of Mines Tucker
Before the Iury---A Complete Dis
criptiOn OF
The OrrsI Mine Illustrated by a
Diagram.
A List of Donations to the RELIEF
Fund Received Yesterday.
The OrreI Mine illustrated by a
Diagram.
A List of Donations to the Relle'
Fund Received Yesterday.
Spseial % he Sunday RsqiSta.

SpeeiG! 10 he SaRday Register.
NEwBURG, January 30.-There was some
unavoidable delay this morning before the
hearing of the testimony could be resumed.
II was nearly two o'clock in the afternoon
before any important evidence was pro-
duced. There was q great desire on the
part Of the Jury and all concerned to COM
plete the investigation to day, and when
work was commenced it was prosecuted
with the greatest possible speed. The
hearing OF testimony was completed about
4 o'clock and the case given over to the
jury. The first witness placed on the
stand was Mr.. Metz, who stated that he
considered it would not be safe to leave the
doors while blasting was going on. de
never saw any beer in the shaft or any one
under the influence Of i~ntoxicsnts, at least
not enough to render them incompetent 10
perform their duty.
SUPERINTENDENT LAYTON
Was recalled 10 the stand and madea brief
res,a,ement of the duties Of the hre BOSS
also those of the mine-boss. In answer 10
questions be told the jury OF the properties
of gases common to coal mines, and the
source of the accumulation which causes
the trouble in the mine which he manages.
Mr.. Evans was recalled to the stand and
a.La5 10 otate what he had discovered in
the mine in the visit he made to 1t tins
morning, BE said that he was convinced
that the explosion had started farther back
in the mine than where the door was iocs'
ted near which MeWillisms was thought to
be working al the time Of the explosion.
He also observed that the ditch which
McWiliams and Horribly were making was
not finished to the door by nine inches
he said that the accident was
CAUSED BY SOME DooR BEING oPhN
and stopping the current. If the doc re-
Gsrred TO was knocked down 1t would not
have made a change 10 the current that
would. have been psrceptible by the men,
and thus have given them warming OF their
danger. He thought that McWilhams
would have known better than to have
knocked down the door under which the
ditch that he was making would have to
PASS. lie considered the mine safe, when
all the doors were kept shut. -,
Mr.. W. P. Brooks, Superintendent OF
the Mouudsville shaft, next occupied the
stand. Hesaid: The explosion psssedth
door that McWilliams was working near,
IN the direction OF the shaft. Have only a
practical knowledge Of the gases that ire
ousnt mines. Black damp comes mainly
from timbsrs in mines. Think the explo-
sion started in No. 2 butt-heading. A
lack of ventilation caused the gas to &C.
emulate. Think the door near which
MeWillisms was working was down before
the explosion. This door or any other
door being open would have caused the
explosion"
STATE INSPECTOR OF MINES,
Mr.. II. J Tucker, was next called to the
stand. He said: The explosion came
down the room at the mouth of which was
the door that McWillIams was working
near. Fire-damp ia synonymous with a
burstted.hydrogeu. 1t is commonly called
gas by miners. 1t would require more
air to exclude FIRE damp than any Other
gas that ~frequents mines. Inc amount
of air required for one man is one hundred
cubic feet. But this amount varies with
the gas that is in the mine"
WAS here to inspect this mine in Octo-
her and November last. / found indics'
lions Of gas in one or two Of the rooms.
Some of the doors and stoppings leaked
a little. The amount Of air that passed
through the mine at that time
vas enough for the twenty five men that
were then working. There was not enough
air 70, sixty-6Ve miners, neither did | tell
Mr.. Laxton so. BE must have misunder'
stood me. l spoke to him about safety
catches on the cage. Ispoket to him about
another outlet of air. | thought it was
necessary for him TO have q fan, which
recommended"
Mr.. Tucker then read a copy Of q letter
be had sometime ago written Mr.. Laxton
from Wheeling which
URGED SEVERAL IMPROVEMENTS
to be made in the mine in order to secure
safety In it be again suggested that
second outlet be made.
he further stated that he con
sidered the mine a dangerous one
unless they were very careful
There should be a mine boss" he said
The duties Of fre,Ooss and miDe-boss ar'
TOO much fer enc man. | think the ex
plosiou was caused by The absence OF som'
door, or by come passage being open
When | inspected the mines some OF tn
, doors xere not "a close as they should bav
been Some one should have seen tha
MeWilisms did not knock that door down
if be did do il"
, Nh. LITTLE
vas next called. he said: Think th
{ exclusion occurred in No. 2 butt hesdioG
! Some interruption with the air caused III
explosion. The driver may have lett
: door open or The hacking down OF tn
, door near where McWiliams was at wor
: would have csused the explosion. Acciden
would more kelly be prevented If There wi
q regular miEiDg boss The air ventla'io
y Wills | wss helping 10 rescue the men WI
- tolsrably good
This competed the evidence p'esent'
:. 10 the jury,
The following iss
LIST OF THP DONATIONS
o,aS IN ,bs Rsl:ef Gomn i,tes trds