The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-08


clared was the cause of the Van Storch
mine fire. Just what in particular
prompted this declaration is not set
forth in the verdict but ii is supposed
that the vagueness of some of the testi-
mony, the contradictory stories of GER
tain of the witnesses and the fact that
there is no other way to explain the
origin, each shared i'm bringing about
this finding The verdict reads as fol-
lows:
We, the undersigned find that Thomas
mn ana others came to their death by
sufocation due to fire i'm the Won
Stor2h mine, the origin of which is to us
unknown, but after listening to tcsti-
tlony introduced, we believe Il to be of
incendiary origin. We further believe
that the Delaware and Hudson company
did everything in it's power to subduo
the flames after they were discovered and
to save the men. John u. Keator Rob
ert u. Courtright, Edward Barrett Will
liam j. Jones, Joseph +. Bausch, Patrick
Cusick
The verdict was reached Saturday
night, when the hearing begun Friday
night was concluded. About twenty
witnesses We're sworn and closely uues-
toned by Coroner Longstreet and In
WAS
CLEANED from them that would direct
~ throw any light on the main ques-
tion to be solved the origin of the fire.
indirectly, however, some of the evil
dence, coupled with that of the pre-
Vious night, led the jury to the con-
clusion embodied in the verdict
WITNESSES EXAMINED.
David Jeffreys, miner: Matthew
Brown, miner; William Gilhool, wheel
runner; John Martin miner: James
Carroll, miner, testified to having come
out by way of the slope at different
times between 1890 and 1880 on the
fatal night, but none of them detected
any smoke or saw anything unusual
about the light bridge or any other
part of the plane They all were sure
that they could not have accidentally
| caused the fire.
James McHale and James McGan-
| non, driver boys, came out together at
"twenty-eight minutes after twelve
| according to McHale's testimony.
When asked how he could be so exact
| as to the time, he said he had asked
the time of the mine boss, when pass
ing the barn. McGannon, when ques-
| toned, could not remember having
! heard McHale ask the time at the barn
| and the barn boss, George Shaffer de-
| MED emphatically that he had told the
time to McHale or any other of the
driver boys that night.
Owen owens and Miles Boyle, two
other driver boys, testified that they
| came out about 1870. but like the rest
that saw nothing unusual at the
bridge. did not throw any waste there
| and were positive that the fire coulC
not have been caused by a spark from
their lamps. John Mccarthy. Johr
| O'Hara and Thomas Haggerty, tim
bermen, also came out by way of tn,
slope about midnight but. like the rest
they saw no fire or smoke and coulC
not explain the probable cause of tn,
| conflagration.
PLANE FILLED WITH SMOKE.
John Buddah and George Garbor
ough, two laborers. testified that the,
started to come out about 1.30 oclocl
and upon reaching the plane found i
filled with smoke. They retreated t
the shaft and were hoisted to the sur
face.
Inside Foreman Harry Birbeck wa
recalled to explain the manner il
which the steam pipes We're carried
down the slope. His evidence showed
that the heat of the pipes could no
have set fire to the bridge Chic
| Hickey told of the manner in whicl
the fire was fought from the outsid
and gave it as his opinion that if tn,
air current had not been changed tn
fire would have been quickly subdued
They We're within seventy-five feet o
the fire when the smoke drove then
back, he said.
Coroner Longstreet extended a gen
eral invitation to those present to Civ
any testimony that might be of value
but no one responded. The jury thel
retired and found the verdict printed
al