The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-11-22
ribie Accident

I'VE, the Jury, hnd that the seven
men there lying dead came to their
death by a blowout caused by an extra
heavy charge Of powder in room No. 8
OF No. 9 entry, which ignited the smoke
aud coal dust, there being an excessive
amount OF dry dust at the time Of, aud
previous to the explosion. which was
not kept properly damponed. and the
pit boss, in failing to keep the dust
dampened, we censure for negligence
and carelessness; and II the mine in
spector, on tho occasion ot his Ri'it TO
the mine on the 10Th instant, failed to
order the operators to properly water
the mine, he is also hereby censured."
Above is the verdict returned late last
evening by the coroner's jury impanel-
cd by Coroner Walkinshaw, Of Brooke
county, to Examine and true present.
ment make in what manner and form
came to their deaths John DoRRelly,
Patrick Roney, Thomas Jordan. Thomas
Tucker, David Rowlands. Antonla Sat-
| tic and Mazzio Glssideo."
These were the seven men killed by
the horrible explosion in the mine Of
the Blanch Coal Company, on the Pam
Handle railroad about Ave miles east Of
the river, shortly after noon on Tues
day. Coroner Walkinshaw at once em.
paneled q jury composed OF Messrs. J.C.
swearingen. George Baggett, James
Morton, Joseph Buchanan, John o.
Marsh and G. W. Freshwater.
Yesterday morning tho coroner. the
jury, number OF Interested persons,
including l. o. Smith, OF New Cumber-
land, and the officials Of the Blanch
| company, and an fNTELLlGENcER report
er, gathered early at the house OF Mr..
Longstreet, not far from the scene OF
the accident. The inquest was not fin
ished until late in the day, when the
verdict given above was quickly arrived
at
Among those who participated in or
watched the proceedings were Sheriff
Cowans aud Prosecuting Attorney Cot
ton, OF Brooke county, District Presi-
dent Jerry Mead, OF miners' union; Mr..
Thomas Sanderson, OF Wellsburg, who
was summoned by the coroner to OK.
anime into the cause OF the accident and
to testify as an expert, and others.
SOME NARROWING SCENES.
While the coroner and other officials
we're arranging to open the inquest. the
INTELLIaESoER reporter and others
made tour OF the scattered village and
looked after the wounded and into the
condition OF the families Of those who
we're killed. The injured are all doing
we'll and considered out Of danger ex-
cept one Italian, Jose Refiel. who, 1t 10
believed, inhaled some Of the flames.
His fellow miners thought he should
be brought TO Wheeling to hospital,
and that the company ought to pay the
expense. Mr.. Smith offered to bear the
railroad fare, but thought that was
enough. As u consequence he lies in
his lodging house above the mine, on
the hiti.top, improperly cared for. Sew.
eral people expressed the belief that II
no died It would be from lack Of proper
nursing and treatment
The case OF John Donnelly was prob
ably the saddest OF all. He leaves 0
wife and eight small childeen. He and
Patrick Rouey were blown 100 feet from
the plymouth, and both were terribly
mangled. Yesterday pools Of their
blood and brains we're stillvisible where
they had been hurled over the ground.
The sight in Donnellys cottage was
enough TO bring tears to the eyes Of q
the Oldest is but ten years Of age, and
all are bright, pretty children. The
elder ones wept when the visitors en-
tered, but the poor, boreaved wife
seemed stupetied by the blow. AS the
undertaken worked at his task OF max
ing the crushed head and face OF the
dead man as presentable as possible
above him hung the significant motto:
"What is Home Without FatherP
This was worked by his oldest little girl
not long ago.
Poor Roney was not we'll known at
the mines. He and man named Nell
son came there together day or two
ago and got work. Nelson did not get
along with his working partner, and on
Tuesday about half past eleven o'clock
he picked up his tools and said to his
companion: "You go 10 h II am
going to Mansfield, Pa, to work" He
left the mine, and in less than an hour
the explosion occurred.
The other five victims were smothered
to DEATH or the fi.y.eight miners em-
ployed in the works only eleven were in
whom the accident happened. Only one
escaped entirely unhurt, and this was
William Davis. an old English miner,
who recognized the danger at tho first
sound aud threw himself face down In
the gutter against the "Rib." colored
man was stunned, but regained con.
sciousness after searching parties had
stepped over him three times. Then
he said: "What was dat, boss?" Yes
terday he was very sore, but able to be
about. Davis was one OF the tlrst to go
into the mine TO rescue his fellows alter
tho explosion.
TUE FACTS sEEM INCREDIBLE.
Tho examination yesterday showed
that IN overcharGe Of powder had boen
put OF in room 8 Of entry 0. William
Morris was working there. The pow.
der only blew the tamping out aud blew
about n foot in thickness Of the coal into
powder. The dust thcn evidently
ignited. Tha. it could explode with
enough force to blow men 800 yards
seems hard to believe. A coal car waa
propelled clear from the room out upon
tho tipplc, n distance OF at least 1000
feet. Fire issued at once from the old
aud now pit mouths and from tho fur
mace chimney, aII far apart, and stones
and coal aud clay rainOd over several
acres OF ground.
Tho fact that State Mine INSPECTOR