The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-09-10
gANSAY'S VIEW OF IT..
Former superintendent on the
Franklin Mine Case.
ue DID NOT ORDER FAN STOPPED
e..~.dicf@ Nrz. Reese's Seory-firo
Ross Morgan Explains About
the Tunnel Door.

- A. Thursday morning. Through the
xs,.sgsson % the ex-asslsta1t superinteud-
80. the statement OF Mrs. William Reese.
80 size heard MIN give orders 10 shut
-, ira fan. was controverted. Mr.
p.vsav also sad that while the mine was
- shat 4 would require caution on the
-. az those working 81. yet IL was ordi-
rsrslv safe and well ventilated. Jack Sny-
a. the giant. who WAS rescued from ira
sr-osts b. Joan Morgan, the FIRE bose. !"
asxo told his story. and Morgan was on the
e,ana the greater part Of the day. Both
.-assertson ard defense have used Nor
a. a. witness repeatedly.
1ta frxf witness called was Victor Hahn.
-.ho aren the plans - the tunnel door that
~ nIaiutIn thinks opened and LEI the gas
80 suoke into the tunnel. He swore that
ali hts work was done from official meas
,reusents. after which he was released.
superintendent Ramsay's story
The deposition Of ~. T Ramsay. assist
a.. superintendsnt OF the mine al the tins
- he disaster but who returned East 10
whatnhser. IA owing 70 nervous prostra-
,ion following the accident, was read He
stated that be was familiar with the mine.
having contracted the opening OF tina
syo. e mine IN June 1888. He worked at
me contract fve months and then superin-
tsnse1 the Franklin mine until the latter
mart Of August, 1ssl
ventilated and suitable for the employment
~ The number OF men that cBstonarily
worked in it, was one OF the first i'm
portant questions.
.sTne mine was safe, and kept as safe "a
sueh a mine could be kept. regardless OF
cost Whenever difficulty presented it.
ssif Il Was Immediately attended TO by me
or others By my orders. This mine was OF
such a nature that IL required all inside
smrloves 10 act with caution"
where were YOU when you first heard
Of TIE fire.
Some over one-fourth OF a mile away.
and was sitting down 70 dinner when Jim
Carr came 10 my house and said the mine
was on ire and that they had stopped the
fan"
After Mr. Ramsay told how he went 10
The mouth Of the mine and questioned
Scott. who had just come out, he was
asked.
did you give orders TO shut down the
fan or 10 have any one else shut down ths
fan and what orders were given regarding
she fan after sou heard az the fire and 10
whom II did not order the fan shut
down nor give orders to any other party
10 shut the fan down. AS soon as knew
where the fire was located / ordered the
fan started. Jesse r. Storey and James
Carr were ordered TO start the fan. told
Storey TO run as fast as he could"
swh. was gas tester in the mine the
DAY OF the accident?'' There were three
Of them-L Clements. John Johns and John
Morgan. They went in about 4 o'clock
a. m. Clements was appointed by Park
Robinson. with my consent. for the sixth
level the day previous to the accident The
others were testers for months"
What, II anything. was said To you by
Scott about your management being the
cause OF tho smothering OF the miners or
hat he
eeath Of the miners?' There was never
anything said 10 me by Mr.. Scott or any
o;her person as above inumated. that I
know or"
What conversation did you have In the
presence OF Mrs. William NJ. Reese near
Der house about shutting down the FAM
4 told her as I came back from the slope.
after had learned who had been killed.
ma her boy was safe She was I'm trouble
about her own. I did not have any talk
N her presence about the fan"
Is II not fact that John I. pugh and
e'aer miners were smothered and killed
on account OF the stopping OF the FAM
Yes, and because they did not come out
ttns"
III the fan had been kept running. could
'Yes."
Under whose authority was the fan
s'opped9' II DO not know"
How soon after you gave orders TO start
sas ian was II started?' Maybe ten or
fifteen minutes"
In closing, he stated that he was the only
ohe VINO had authority {, order the fan
order.
Enect OF stopping the Tan.
John Morgan. the FIRE boss" and one Of
"a Nit 80 s-F,
Vas then called. He produced a satchel
rom which he took a lot Of pieces of wood
winch he placed IN Stenographer Bolster's
sahie and then commenced putting them
teEether. When tho fob was finished the
court had bsfore IL On almost perfect model
: we tunnel door IN the sixth level OF the
f.aakiin mine on tho dav Of the disaster
Nhat effect on tho tunnel door would
,ae Stopping Of the fan produce2'' asked
MT hurleigh, after many less material
questions had hcen asked 'rrhe stoppase
ne Tan would have no effect on the
Have Won had auv occasion - find out
saat would b. the effect on this door IL the
IN was reversed"
Hold or" said Mr.. THOMPSON. there
reversed"
That 5 trtie. hat there was conten-
uoa a. the last trisl that the natural re-
sA OF the air current forced the door
80. intend 70 show now that thore
leigh. '' 81 i0''
ar Thompson finally concluded he did
~, ~ care. anyway. about the point and so
~. Morgan told the jury how thu ma
.sli,efy had been started after the last
Ia and On reversing the ian 10 WAS
soor
Simultaneous Com. Inns