The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-19

NN- Af"'S AaNcN AAoAi manu- w anu
now even that support has been taken
away by their deaths.
BY DEFICIENT VENTILATION.
Verdict on the Rosiyn ExpIosion-Two
Theories as to How It Happened.
RosLYN, May 1s.-[Special. AT 5 o'clock
tins afternoon the coroner's jury retired
with the evidence in the slope disaster.
and at o'clock the following verdict was
returned:
We. the undersigned Jurors, summoned to in
qulre into the cause of the death of the persons
whose bodies were found in coal mine No. I,
kosiyn, having been duly sworn according to
law and having made such inquisitions, after
inspecting the bodies and hearing the testi-
mony adduced. upon our oaths each and all
say that we find the deceased lnaming the deadl
came to their deaths by the explosion of fire.
damp in mine No. l.
We further find that the said explosion was
caused, in our opinion. By deficient ventilation,
all OF which we duly certify, etc.
Among the miners the verdict was re-
celved with general satisfaction. A repre-,
sentative OF the coal company, in speaking
Oh the result OF the investigation, said:
Inc inquest can scarcely be considered fair
and Just. In the first place, the jury was
selected from among citizens and miners whose
interests and sympathtes were with the families
represented by the county attorney and state
mine inspector, who examined and cross exam.
iueu witnesses aud brought out such points
| as 10 show Il one-sided investigation. The com.
| pany had not the privilege of cross examining
these witnesses nor participating in the inyesti-
gation by representatives. reflection on what
has been the verdict of the coroner's INQUEST
thoroughly shows that the object of the investi-
CATION must have been the ascertainment OF
sueh iacts as would show that the company was
liable in an action for damages, and not the as.
certairnent of such information as would show
criminal negligence The cause which produced
the death of the deceased miners having been
ascertained by the jury, the next inquiry
should have been to determine IL these deaths
were to be attributed to the criminal neglgence
OF the management or of any of the employees
engaged III or about the mine. This procedure
has not been followed, and the questions OF
liability or negligence has not been determined,
The verdict is very indefinite.
The crosscut between the fifth and sixth
levels in No. slope was the point of gas
Ignition which resulted in the loss of so
many lives on the afternoon of May 10, il
the theory of Inspector Edmunds is cor.
rect Other mining experts hold the same
opinion, while several equally experienced
men entertain an altogether different
view. The interesting feature at today's
session of the coroner's inquest was the
testimony of Inspector Edmunds,
ex-Superintendent Ronald and Rob-
ert Pettigrew, the last named
being foreman at No. q The miners were
patiently waiting to hear what they had
to say. At the request of the Jury Mr..
Edmunds consented to impart all the in-
formation he could, and his examination
Of the slope and his evidence cut a very
important part IN the findings of that
body. Under oath he stated that he had
been engaged in coal mining for twenty
five years, and thought he was
familiar with the industry in all
its features. He described his entry
INTO the mine on the Wednesday
night succeeding the explosion, and dwelt
upon his efforts, in connection with Mr..
Harrison and Foreman Shaw, to recov
the bodies IN the lower levels. His party
was the first to penetrate the lower levels,
and he remained in the slope until all the
bodies were recovered. A thorough exam-
ination of the slope was made. In reply to
direct question as to his theory OIL the
disaster he said:
believe that there some infammabla
matter in the airway between the fifth and
sixth levels. know that there was a drill hole
through the crossciit between the fifth and
sixth levels. and that inhammable gas was CON-
ing out don't think the hole was fired. II ie
had been there would have been tanping left in
it after the powder had flashed. How much ex-
plosiye matter was in it could not tell believe
that the drilling fha. hole struck a
crack between the top of the coal and the roof
and that when the drill was Withdrawn the sue
tion OF the air caused the gas to follow the drill
out The drill operator was working with q
naked lamp, and when the gas came cut Of the
hole the flame on the lamp was communicated
to the gas, which caused the explosion. I be-
Iiaya ha nj ~ nar ~ f-,
the explosion. but am not able 10 determine a.
to whether the dust is explosive of its own
nature. No witness is living to prove
the amount of gas that was in that
manway, but there has been evidence to tho
effect that Robert Graham, Of the de-
ceased, reported fifty feet OF gas about IL
o'clock on the day of the explosion. At 11:o
of the same day, Foreman Shaw examined the
manway ard reported 1t clear. j can't tell
which was right. am positive however, th a.
gas there when the explosion occurred.
From the sixth malway the flame passed down
To the seventh level, W here II struck solid mat
ter, and the uaexpended force rebounded and
returned up the siope, took the brattiee with it
and, keeping along the east side, created
great destruction to life and wrecked the
slope interior. Al the fifth levci
il split and tho terrible conclusion
which followed caused the deaths on the west
side of the slope. IL had charge OF the work
in the crosscut and had known that gas
there, every man would have been obliged to
work with safety lamps II was the duty OF the
man who had charge of the work 70 compel ths
usa OF safety lamps and to have seen that every
precaution was taken.
Continuing, Mr. Edmunds thought that
the crosscut was not properly ventilated.
He claimed that the passage taking the
fresh air up should be smaller than the
| passage taking the foul air back, the in
take at the slope being 5 feet by 51S feet,
and the out-take feet by 10 inches. On
the 7th of March, when he first inspected
the mine, there were 5000 cubic feet Of
air passing into the slope entrance per
minute. At the fourth level the
| thermometer showed 2f.000 cubic
| feet per minute. and at the face
| Of the seventh :, 600 cubic feet, this being
dropping off of 1900 feet in passing
| from the fourth TO the face of the siopa.
! Mr.. Edmunds thought that proper pre-
| cautions were taken TO conduct the air
| from the fourth down, but the leakage
| was very great. On his first inspection 10
| March he found no gas in the mine. He
| made few suggestions tending to inn
| prove the ventilation, and the evidence Of
| Mr. Harrison showed that his ideas
! we're being followed. IL would have
| been better in the construction a
! the mine Il the manway had been driven
| with the slope In examining the mine
| he had great cause for eompla mt against
| the miners for not taking proper care of
l -. /. f.ctt bo@ habit IN 1nva