New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-11
THE TWIN MINE INVESTIGATION.
SHAFTS OF OTHER COMPANIES ARE WORKED IN
SIMILAR wAY-A MINER TESrIFIES THAT
THE NINE WAS UNSAFE

THE NINE WAS UNSAFE.
Wkesbarre. Penn. July 10 (SpecaD.-The second
day of the investigation into the causes Of the Twin
| Shaft disaster evidence produced in
reference the unsafe condition Of the mine and
the general belief is now that the company Will be
| censured severely and that the inquiry will result
in stricter mine laws.
Attorney General Mccormack was called to Har-
risburg and in his stead Assistant Attorney General
John p. Elkin presided. David Davis, the mine
engineer OF the company the first witness
sworn. He has been engineer six years He
made surveys in the mine every week. A general
survey OF the mine is made every six months He
measured the pillars in the mine and they are cor
rectly represented the map. On Thursday be-
fore the accident he was In the mine and noticed
working" Of the roof point 300 feet from the
foot Of the slope. This was caused by the dropping
of an overhang.ng pillar from the fifth TO the sixth
vein.
After technical and minute description OF the
mine Mr. Davis was asked # he considered IL good
mining to mine the fifth ard sixth veins, as they
were mined in the Twin Shaft the intervening
stratum being thick layer of soapstone. on top
of which is a stratum OF rock. He replied: Il
know tina, 1t is done all through this region
Mr. Davis said he did not know what caused the
accident, and refused TO say what the disaster
demonstrated 10 him as the Mr.. Davis was
An unwilling witness. and he said with much
hesitancy that the gangways and chambers were
so wide that the roof was weakened 1t was the
duty OF Superintendent Langan and Inside Fore
man Lynott 10 regulate the size OF gangways and
the pillars.
Mr. McGovern said he had no desire to call wit
nesses until the Commission had exhausted It's list
Mr. Stein replied that the committee or miners mao
agreed 10 furnish list OF witnesses. but had not
done So Mr.. McGovern Ihen called General Man
ager Law. -, -.
He had not been in the Twin Nine since Feb
r,iary He knew nothing abou. the mine except
what he learned from the maps but he considered II
h1NE m ET
Vein than In the vein above. II Is recognized as
correct mining have pillars on top OF each other
throuPhout the various veins. and he saw no oDlec-
lion 10 holdings and gangways tweniy-four ieet
uld. II all depends upon the roof. The object
was Mr. Law said. get out all the coal possible
NJ Wheaton cross-exam!ned Mr.. Law. and
brought out the fact that In Mr.. Laws opinion inc
remalnine coal under lease cannot De mined Inert
Vas strenuous objection 10 this. and the Assistant
material MI Wheaton said the motive OF the
Company had been attacked: II was endeaYored 10
he shown that they were after cheap coal
chairman Stein said II was the duty OF me
oneraor 10 so mine 10 take the most coal pos
sile in given area. and he sustained the ques-
ion Mr. law then answered that all the remain
nc coal is lost 10 the Newton Company
,-nss1ire on the pillars The witness put up three
ILL.," nillars on ore heading. He had worked In
,he Twin Mine up 20 within two weeks OF the acct
dent The rim between the nth and sixth VEINS
JARED from eight thirty feet in thickness The
witness said ne considered the mine unsaley
Worked. After this the hearing was adjourned
until Monday next