The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-11-24
MINE INSPECTOR HHRR
Furnishes a Statement of the
Blanch Mine Disaster.
ne ORDERED THE DUST DlMPEHED.
And Water Seemed TO have Been
Usedin Two Entries-The Explosion
Seemed TO be the Result of Two Tx.
cessiss Charges of Powder in Ad.
joining Rooms-siovement For the
Relief OF Victims


Yesterday the committee OF miners
from the Blanch mine. whore the dis.
aster occurred on Tuesday, causing
seven deaths. called on the mayor. 10
company with the local committee, to
request him 70 call meeting oil the
chamber Of commerce to take action for
the relief Of the victims. On consulta.
ton. however it was decided to be
wisost to have committee call on citi-
zens and solicit aid. Mayor Caldwell
and President Quarter, Of the chamber
OF commerce, signed q paper recon-.
mendlug the cause TO charitable people,
and The committee will wait on the
public, commencing this morning. In
this case the old adage is peculiarly
true, "He gives twice who gives quickly"
Capt. @. ]. Rawling yesterday lett y
nj the ISTELLioEScER office for the re-
Lief Of the sufferers.
District Mine Inspector D. Nj. Harr
arrived in the city yesterday from the
scene OF the disaster. An lNTELLI-
oESogR reporter called on him at the
Hotel Behier last night and asked him
for statement. In response Mr.. Harr
furnished the following written report:
WHEELING, W. Va, Nov %, 1894.
] desire to make statement to the
public in regard to the explosion, which
occurred OF the Blanch coal mine on
November 20, 1894.
have been partly censured by the
coroner's jury for the accident on the
18th Of November. 1894. | arrived OF
said mine unexpected by the mine otti.
cials TO inspect the mine. About l
o'clock proceeded to make an inspec'
ton OF the mine, in company with the
mine committee, and Mr.. Muter. pit
boss, and I. L. Lewis. On the intake
current there were l4,400 cubic feet OF
air pressure per minute, measured ana
calculated in the presence oil these gem
tlemen. / made several measurements
OF the air in tho mine, one other show.
ing $500 cubic feet at velocity OF 800
feet per minute. This air current is
conducted through the mine in one cir
cult by means OF trap doors, passing
around where the men work, and thence
TO the furnace. found some OF these
doors in bad repair, and called Mr..
Muter's attention to the matter. lie
said it was hard matter to keep them
in good repair, owing TO the conclusion
OF the air caused by heavy shooting by
The miners. A part Of the mine Is dry
and dusty. There are two entries that
have water in them. cautioned them
as TO the danger that existed in the coal
dust with the heavy blasting OF pow
der
l have always protested against their
system of working tho coal, and con-
slider 1t dangerous. and as long rs the
practice OF blasting the coal out Of the
solid is allowed these dreadful caiaml.
ties will happen. have been informed
that sometimes there would be from o0
to 100 pounds OF powder exploded in
less than one hour.
In view of this fact, the ignition OF
the powder, the grinding and crushing
OF the coal and raising the temperature
OF the mine, is almost enough to cause
an explosion, saying nothing about a
blowout shot which might occur with
It's terrific force in the midst OF all this.
II is also an evident fact that the coal is
charged heavily with hydrogen.
On the 10th OF November, 1894, in
soected the Glendale shaft. On the goth
inspected the Boggs run mine, and
left for Fairmont On my arrival, | re-
ceiyed a telegram stating the accident
which had occurred at the Blanch coal
mine. l took the next train golng west
and arrived at the mine at about 8
o'clock a. M, November 90. l there
met james Bick, inspector OF mines OF
the seventh bituminous district of
Pennsylvania, and Daniel Boden, man
ager OF the coal works at Carnegie, Pa.
With these gentlemen and tho, mine
officials, l proceeded to make the ex-
animation.
On entering the mine l found there
were 10000 cubic feet Of air passing.
we proceeded to entry No. 0, where the
explosion Is supposed to have origi-
mated.
In No. 8 room on entry 0 there was
evidence OF terrific explosion. From
s to 10 tons Of coal was blown all over
the room and back u distance OF 30 to 70
feet. The timbers were all blown down,
the track wss lifted from its place to the
upper side Of the room, distance OF
about 10 feet. On the right side OF the
room we found bore hole two feet
and two inches deep, which had been
blown out. Tho indications showed
that the hole was from to feet deep
and running in the rib at an angle oil 20
degrees. Near the center OF the room
there was q, bore hole, the depth being
about 20 inches. These shots were fred
at once. | asked miner who had OK.
amined the shot on tho rib how much
powder he would use in that case, ii he
expected the coal to be blown out. He
said seven pounds.
Mr.. Lewis and Nr. Muter started that
there are from threc TO five pounds OF
powder used at each shot, and each
miner shoots twice II day. There are 30
miners at work. The amount OF powder
exploded in 10 hours is 220 pounds. In
entry s the indications show that tho
explosion might have originated there,
as the tlmbers were all blown down in
some OF the rooms, and tho force seemed
to be greater passing through to the
face OF No. 0, going in tho direction OF
No. 8 room.
saw Tom Morris, tho man that
worked in No. 8 room. Ho says when
he fired his two shots, and as he was
coming out Of his room, he heard n
windy" shot, which is n blowout shot,
some place in No. s entry, and at that
time the shots he had fred went of,
with the result stated above.
Now, in my opinion, the truo cause OF
the explosion was IN overcharRe Of
powder in No. 3 room in entry No. 0,
aided by like results from entry No. s.
The coal, in my opinion, can BIO worked
with safety by mining it, which will