The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-10-11
TWO MORE ARE DEAD.
Inquest on Victims of the New
castle Explosion.
AN UNAVOIDABLE ACCIDENT.
The Ceronsr's Jury Exonerates the
Company From Blame-Dobson's
Blast Caused the Disaster.

NEWCASTLE, Oct l0-TSpeciai Two
victims OF yesterdays explosion died to-
day and another will probably no. live
until morning. George Dobson. who was
not thought yesterday TO be fatally
burned. vas the first to succumo, and
Charles Giles. the coiored switch boy. fol-
lowed few hours later. David Lloyd, it
is thought, viii not iiyethroughethe night.
as he is fast losing strength and his
breath is coming in short quick gasps.
The balance OF the burned men are doing
well and, with the exception Of Thomas
Pitts. who suffered q broken shoulder Is
well as terrible burns, will be out in few
days Collins have been sent out from Sc
attic and the three dead viii be buried
here tomorrow.
A jury was impaneled by Coroner Hor-
ton and about sixty witnesses subpenaed-
Mine Inspector Edmonds was present At
the inquest aud questioned the witnesses
closely as to previous explosions OF 3 sim
liar nature which occurred hare and 40 TO
whether there was any gas in the mine at
any time. When placed on the stand he
stated that he had inspected the mine on
September 20 and had never found it IN
better condition that today he made an
examination of breasts IS and "a and had
found no evidences of an explosion. He
thought il better that he should examine
breast 50 before testifying further, and the
inquest was adjourned until he returned
from the mine
Most OF the witnesses testified that in
their opinion the explosion occurred IN
breast thirty-tive. but Max King natly
contradicts this. Dobson, who works with
him. told him that he was going 70 fire q
shot in breast thir:y-three and had him so
mp the gangway to warn drivers away.
Before going he saw Dobson in No. 80, and
claims that the explosion took place there.
All the witnesses testified that the mine
was in good condition and there had
never been any gas in il.
Following IL the verdict in full rendered
az Ii p. M:
I'VE, the jury impaneled 10 inquire into
the cause OF the death of George Dobson.
George Ii. Parrish and Charles Giles. who
died from the effects OF injuries received
in an explosion which occurred in the
mine at Coat Greek in breast ;hiriy-shree
east on the afternoon of the 9th inst. do
find the following verdict.
THAT the said George Dobson, George
II. Parrish and Charles Giles came 70 their
death in the aforementioned explosion,
and that said explosion was caused by
charge of giant powder being set of in the
above named breast SO: that said explo-
sion and consequent deaths were purely
accidental and quite beyond the reach of
ordinary human forethought 10 foresee.
We further find the Oregon Improve
msnt Company is entirely exonerated
from any blame on or negligence in the
matter. On the contrary TINS jury on Wis
iting and infinitely inspecting the scene OF
the disaster, VIZ, breast 80. found every
thing in perfect order and the large pre-
ponderance of evidence showed that the
management OF said Newcastle mine were
doing everything IN their power to avert
such disasters.
John Mcknight, foreman; Q. Work, j.
Marcy, James Pagan, T. S. Cowder, F. T.
Kelly.
Newcastle, Oct. 10, 1894"