The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-09-30
CORONER WILL
HOLD AN INQUEST
Requested TO Do So by Mine Inspector
Henry Owen Prytherch.
JURY TO MEET NEXT MONDAY NIGHT
win Listen to tho Testimon of Mine
Workers Concerning the Manner in
Which the Men Came TO Their Death
in Jermyn No. 1 Tuesday--Body OF
Fire Boss Watkins Found Late
Tuesday Night.

erch, of the Second Lackawanna dis
trict, went to Jermyn, No. 1, colliery
yesterday and began the investigation
of the causes leading to the deaths of
Isaac Watkins, William Tompkns,
John Gallagher, William Franklin and
Joseph Smith, the men who were suf-
focated by black damp in the mine
Tuesday afternoon. After securing
maps Of the mine workings and famil-
iarizing himself with the circumstances
Of the catastrophe, Inspector Prytherch
requested Coroner s. p. Longstreet to
conduct an inquest. Last evening
jury was empanneled and a meeting
will be held to take testimony next
Monday night at Dougherty's hall,
Rendham.
At late hour Tuesday night the
| body Of Isaac Watkins, the fire boss,
was found by a gang of men, includ-
| ing Mine Foreman Stephen Johns,
| Superintendent Baker and Benjamin
| Reese, fire boss at Jermyn mine, No. 2.
| The body was discovered on the other
side of the place of the fire and about
| one hundred feet from where Gala
| ghers body was found Tuesday even
! ing. He lay upon his back in the en-
trance to a chamber.
| ADDS TO THE MYSTERY.
The discovery of Watkins body in
the part of the mine opposite to the
| place where the four other men were
| found adds to the mystery of the catas-
| trophe. 1t was given out by Superin-
tendent Baker. after he came out of
the mine Tuesday night, that the dead
| fireboss was to blame for the accident.
| 1t was said that he led the men astray
and thus brought on his and their
| deaths.
| To substantiate this 1t was pointed
out that the air currents in the mine
had been changed at 2 o'clock Tues
day afternoon and that by the change
the channels which were formerly out
flows" We're made "infows" and vice.
versa. Watkins, it was said, led the
men into one of the outflow" chan
nels, causing their death from the i'm
pure air. When Tribune reporter at
tempted to get an opinion on the prob
able cause of death from the mine
officials they would say nothing. Mine
Foreman Johns was seen. He was
asked:
"You have heard that Watkins is
charged with the accident; that he led
the men through an impure air cur
rent?"
IT will say nothing; the coroner's
jury will meet, then l will talk
What kind of gas, in your opinion,
was 1t that caused death, black
Damp"
To this, question Mr.. Johns would
not answer.
FIREBOSS REESE SEEN.
The reporter saw Benjamin Reese,
flreboss at Jermyn mine, No. 2, one OF
the men who found Watkins body.
Reese was at the house on Main Ave-
nue. Rendham where the bodies OF
Watkins ana young Tompliins, who
boarded there, lay in their collins.
Reese had heen crying and sat upon
q lounge with his face between his
hands. He himself, seven months ago,
narrowly escaped death by an explo-
sion. Reese would say nothing forth
er than the odd remark, dead men
tell no tales"
When questioned further, Reese's
answers were about as follows:
Where was Watkins body?"
"About 80 feet on the other side OF
the fire"
"Ihen it was some distance from the
other bodies and the Gre between
them?"
Yes"
Showing that they had rur iu op-
posite directions?"
Yes"
"Then Watkins could not have been
leading the men?" To this Reese, as
if bewildered said, II don't know"
WAS Watkins body found in the
pure or IMPURE air course?"
'In the pure
"The other bodies then were in the
impure air channel?"
YES they ran with the out fiow."
, In answer to other questions he said
that black damp Is the after accumu-
lation of fire and that it passes out
with the rest of the impure air. This
explains why Curley and the other res
II cuers did not feel the effects of the
! gas, although, according to the changed
air courses, they were riding along on
i the truck in the very gangway where
} Tompkins and the rest were found
: dead and Fireboss Reese stated that
, this was an impure air course.
SELECTING A JURY.
The coroner's jury, which meets next
!. Monday night in Dougherty's hall, will
take the testimony of Reese, Johns,
and other officials. Coroner Longstreet
arrived at Rendham at o'clock and
spent three hours in selecting a jury
consisting chiefly of experienced mine
. workmen, some of whom are employed
under other companies than the Jer-
myn. The jury took the oath over the
: bodies of Watkins and Tompkins. The
Jurors are: William Monroe, Thomas
Faucet, Francis Cosgrove. r. Willis
Reese, Thomas p. Cosgrove, mine work.
: men, and Emerson ID. owen.
Mine Foreman Johns stated last
J evening that no attempt had been
made yesterday to subdue the flames
Today, however, the three shifts" will
t be resumed. THE fire." said Mr..