Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-07

rounds and made his report. Snaltn was
carrying q naked lamp. 1t is not an unusual
thing for butt to give way in the MANI
moth mine. Ny idea of the explosion is
that the gas generated after Mr.. Snaith's in
spection, and that the moving of the carts
or tall of slate had brought the gas down.
On the day before the accident there was a
fall of slate where the explosion occurred,
and Snaith and / climbed over the fall with
omen laups on our heads. Snaith was one
Of the most competent men in the coke re-
Cion. Two fire bosses were sufficient TO in
spect the mine.
Mine Boss Eaton, on cross-examination
by Mr.. Kane, said: II never saw Snaith
the worse for liquor but once, and that was
on a Sunday, long time ago. l saw Snaith
at the store the night before the explosion.
/ was on my way TO a Burns celebration at
Mt. Pleasant Superintendent Keighley
was the only other Mammoth official there.
We came back to Mammoth together.
While we were driving there the blackboard
collided with stump, and l was thrown
out. l did not see any drinking there. l
do not drink. We got home after o'clock
in the morning. The abandoned working
places were examined two or three times a
week. 1t was as necessary to inspect these
places as the working places. Snaith had to
examine IS working places at the time of
places, and had more ground TO 70 over
When the force was reduced Snaith was kept
al 50 IS a day because he was considered
more competent than Lowther, who was
paid s. so day.
A Mystery to the Mine Boss.
81 saw no indications of a squeeze the day
before the explosion. The company's in
structions to me were to do all l could for
the health and benefit of the men. / had
never seen gas In the Mammoth mine before
the explosion. That the vcntilatirg ap-
paratus was perfect is shown by the extra
ordinary fact that all parts of the mine
could be reached within six hours after the
explosion. The cause of the explosion is a
mystery to ME. NV son-in-law and my
nephew were killed in this accident"
Robert Ramsey, Superintendent of Frick's s
Standard Mines: ''I have been a miner 40
years. 1 was through the Mammoth mine
two hours after the explosion. The air was
still bad, the tre-damp not having been car
ried of. At the Standard mine we use none
but safety lamps in the shaft. The Frick
company is the only operator in the Con-
neilsvilie region TO use safety lamps ex-
clusively in any of the mines. The gas was
generated by a squeeze, and possibly fall
took place, which drove the gas down.
When the mine was examined last Monday
Standard we have three fire bosses to ex-
anime about 200 places. l don't think
Snaith had too much to do. Snaith would
have to travel from 3 to 37I miles TO make
his inspection. 1 have had more trouble
with Eaglish-speaking men breaking rules
than with Hungarians. 1 caught a man
once with an open lamp in a dangerous
mine. The penalties for such an offense,
and unfortunately for ali offenses. large and
small, is q fine of from $500 to $500 and i'm
priSonment ior six months.
Wanted the Power to Discharge.
Before you got the upper hand" turn
ing to Mr.. Kane, 1--WE discharged men who
broke the rules
Don't you think it was right to dis
charge this man, Mr.. Kane?" asked Super
lntendent Lynch.
'Most emphatically yes" replied Mr..
Kane.
eve can't discharge men unless we
satisfy the Mine Committee or else there
would be strike" said Nj. Ramsey
August Lunk, interpreted by Peter Wise:
There were Hungarians working in the
mine whose names were not on the pay rolls.
They came from other places and helped
their friends. The fire boss did not object
None of the other officials knew of it,
William jenkins, mine inspector OF the
ClStrICt, s3lu L inspected the Mammotn
mine on the 10th of last month. There was
good ventilation in the mine. l used an
open lamp. l asked the fire boss if he had
seen any gas in the mine, and he said he
had not The cause of the explosion was
the accumulation of gas on top of the fall,
and clip coming down the entry making a
rush Of wind, driving the gas on to an open
lsslp; or a fall of slate might have forced
the gas down TO a light. Fire damp is four
parts of carbon to one part of hydrogen. 1
never knew the Frick Company to break the
law. Before Mr.. Snaith got his certificate
as fire boss, six years ago he presented refer
enCeS setting forth his honesty and sobrietv
! think the abandoned workings should be
examined"
Superintendent F. c. Keighley: "I took
charge Of the Mammoth mine on December
10, and it was then in good condition. /
think Snaith was one OF the best fire bosses
l ever knew. The explosion was caused by
the ignition OF fre-damp.''
None but Competent Men EMPLOYED,
General Manager Thomas Lynch was
called to the stand and said: 81 was in the
Mammoth mine on April OF last year,
Alter nv inspection l sent 4 communica-
lion to the superintendent recommending
that the mine be put in first-cass condition
at once. On June Is, two days alter the
Dunbar disaster, we sent a circular to all
our mine sIperintendents warning them to
be cautious and vigilant in operating the
mines. l believe the Frick Company has
the best mine superintendents and fire bosses
In the State. Superintendent Kelghley re-
signed mine inspectorship made bv me
because L knew he was a very competent
man. We intended him for a more i'm.
DoGtant mine than this, for we had never
heard OF gas in the Mammoth workings, /
did not know Fire Boss Snaith personally"
Mr.. hane-Did you relegate your resron-
sibiiity Tor the men employed to your sui oor-
dinates?
Mr.. Lvnch-No sir; but it would be i'm
possible for nIe to investigate the character
0: all the men in our employ. The mine
boss is expected to see that the fire boss does
his duty.
William Duncan, mine inspector of the
Fifth district, was the last witness exam
lned. He said: 'The explosion was caused
by an accumulation of tire-damp forced into
contact with an open lamp by current of
air made by clip. The fre-damp came
from the roof, and originated in the Red
stone seam, which is 20 to So feet above the
Plttsburg seam. and is the great sasometer
OF this region. The men were suffocated by
carbonic oxide JENKs.
a NEW STORY by Robert Louis Steven
son begins in TO-MORROW'S DISPATCH,
Don't miss the opening chapters.