Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-15
LIQUOR In THE MINE.
The Finding of the Coroner's Jury 10
the Mammoth Disaster.
NO ONE In PARTICULAR BLAMED
But a Protest Against the Employment Of
Drinking Men Put In.
SAFETY LAMPS DEMANDED By LAW
rsrro1A1

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DTsPArcH.i
GREENsBURG, Feb. 14-The Coroner's
jury in the Mammoth mine explosion this
morning heard the arguments of the h. @.
Frick Company and the miners. The
arguments were opened by John
Kane, a member of the National Execu-
tive Board, who insisted that the H. G.
Friek Company were responsible for the dis
aster. He insisted that Mr.. Snaith, the fire
boss, was doing the work Of two men. He
also said that Snaith's habits were such as to
have caused the company to discharge him,
butinstead Of that they were Indifferent.
MI. Moorhead, the attorney for the COM
pany, was the nex speaker. He showed
conclusively that the company had used
every precaution to prevent accidents, and
that they were exceedingly careful about
the ventilation. Each man, he said. as
was testified, had double the amount of
cubic feet Of fresh air required by the act of
Assembly. He showed that Mr., Suaith
was not oVerburdened with work, but, in
faet, had less to do than the other boss in
the slope.
employment of Bosses Purely Optional
Nj. Moornead claimed that the Law did
not require the company to provide fire
bosses in mines that were believed to be free
from gas, and the Mammoth mine. as was
proven by most all the witnesses, was one
OF the safest in the Connellsville region.
In the evening the jury rendered the fol-
lowing verdict:
1t is our opinion that the eause of the Man.
moth mine explosion. occurring on the 9Th
day OF January. 1891. at or about 9 o'clock A.
M, whereby 1O7 persons lost their lives. whose
o op1iss we Examined on the 18th day Of Janu-
6Tyy was caused 1V an afpnnnla.
ton Of carburetted hydrogen gas in
the lower levels or dip Of the said Mammoth
mine. whether said gas accumulated prior to
OF aIler the examination Of Fire Boss William
Snaith, we are unable to say, the only evidsnce
Delng the certificate which was signed by the
said william Snaith on the morning of the ex-
Pioslon. stating the condition of the mine to be
ialr. NO other evidence exists toshow the con-
dlron at the time, or that any gas had existed
IN the mine at any time to any considerable
amount prior to the explosion. although there
mad Deen one explosion several years before
That mad slightly injured one man.
Protest and Recommendation
We found all machinery about said mine 70
be in good condition and in working order.
The fan and the power to propel It were amply
sumclent to FORGET air to any part Of the mine.
Whlle we hnd that the He. Frick Coke COM
pany has not been guilty of any neglect in pro-
Viding Tor the comfort and care Of their UNDER
ground employees and miners, we do protest
against the employment of fire bosses and Dit
bosses who are addicted to the use Of malt and
duty.
We also believe that there should be an
amendment TO the mining laws against the
working OF mines under water level with any
name or open light, and to compel the Lighting
Oh the same by electricity or SAFETY lamps. We
recommend that no person be permitted to en-
yer any mine now operated In this State, or
hereafter opened, except those whose names or
number shall be kept in a book or registry az
the entrance of the mines.