The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-01-18
CENSURE
VERDICT !
An Inquest Held on the Maple Hill
COlliery Accident.
MISUNDERSTANDING ON SIGNALS /
The Man at the Bottom Of the Shaft Held
Responsible For Not Signaling the
Engineer when He Wanted TO
Have Men Hoisted
MISUNDERSTANDING ON SIGNALS /

Deputy Coroner Burke and jury com
posed Of Messrs. J. J. Cardin Martin o Ham
Edward Murphy, Thomas S. Roberts, Thoma.
b. Hughes and Thomas Mullahy last night
held an inquest in the case Of George Bubils.
who died at the Miners hospital last Sunday
from the effects Of injuries received at the
Maple Hill colliery the day before, and a
verdict Of censor was rendered Mine In.
spector Stein was in attendance at the inquest
and took an active part in the examination
Of witnesses
The first witness was Edward Coyle, in.
side foreman of the colliery. but he had nc
personal knowledge Of the facts bearing upon
the accident, as he was in the colliery Office
at the time it happened
James B. We'll who has been a hosting en-
gineer for twenty years and at Maple Hill
colliery for over two years, testified that on
the day Of the accident he got orders to hoist
twenty tanks of water for the breaker The
top and bottom men gave the signals TO hoist.
Ten tanks had been hoisted when a request
was made for the tank in which to hoist men
out Of the mine. We'll received the signal TO
hoist men, and then received one for water.
He got second signal for men, and after
wards hOisted water until the accident hap
pened. He finally got signal to stop at the
landing and also one for water. He said the
signal apparatus was in good condition. We'll
said he believed there was a mistake between
the top and bottom man, and that one Of
them made a mistake.
William p. Meyer was the next witness
and testified that he was employed at the
colliery for about three years He has been
at the top OF the shaft since last September
He received orders on the day Of the accident
to hoist water. He said all but three of the
required number of tanks had been hoisted
when he was notified that man had been
killed. The bottom man notified him.
Meyer said he refused to hoist men before
the water was hoisted.
Patrick Leonard, the bottom man, testified
that he had been employed there since the
sinking of the shaft, about seven years.
He said he asked the top man for tank to
hoist men. There were 20 or 80 men at the
bottom. He got reply from the top man to
hoist three more tanks Of water. after which
he could have a tank for men Leonard SAYS
he opened the door of the tank to run the
olan in, but ordered them out when he got
the answer 20 hoist water and the top of the
tank door closed ana caught Bubel's leg a.
the latter was scrambling ouS,
The jury rendered the following y,sslict
lhal the sdlu GeOfge BuDlls came to his
death by misunderstanding by Patrick
Leonard, bottom man, with William P
Meyer, top man, employed at Maple Hill
colliery, and, from the evidence submitted
we place the responsibility for the accident
upon the said Patrick Leonard, bottom man
for erring in counting the number of water
tanks hoisted, and for failure to signal the
engineer that he was about to hoist men,"
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