The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-06


Who Had Charge of Men, Gen.
sured-witnesses Who Were Ex.
amined and Their Testimony.
In the arbitration room of the court
house yesterday afternoon the secon
session was held on the inquiry being
conducted by Coroner J. j. Roberts into
the cause of the accident at the Mt.
Pleasant mine q week ago yesterday. by
which Frank woodward, John Regan,
Thomas Williams and William Gilbert
lost their lives through an accident to
the carriage. The verdict of the jury
places the responsibility for the acci-
dent on the company.
Yesterdays testimony developed the
fact beyond question that the accident
was caused by the safety fans at the
Clark vein sticking out into the shaft,
and It was indicated that the accident
was due to one of two causes. Either
Benjamin Price, of Garfield avenue,
failed to fasten the lever controlling
the fans in the accustomed manner, by
driving a spike into beam below the
down the shaft and striking the con-
trolling rod of the fan bent it and
Jared the spike out of place, allowing
the lever to drop and the fans to do
their fell work. The spike was found
on the ground below the lever after
the accident
A large number OF witnesses We're
examined, but little Of importance was
ELECTED save from Daniel Davis and
Benjamin Price.
DAVIS TESTIMONY.
Davis is the footman at the Rider
vein and went on duty on the morn
Ing Of the accident about o'clock. A
few minutes before o'clock the car
riage that was afterwards wrecked
went down to the Dunmore vein with
load of men, and then was pulled to
the surface. When it came down
again it stopped at the Rider vein and
seven men got off, three remaining on
the carriage. John Regan was stand
ing In the Rider vein but wanted to go
down to the Dunmore vein where he
worked. He stepped on the carriage
and witness signalled the engineer
to drop the carriage to the Dunmore
vein.
A moment or two after 1t started
he heard a crash and knew something
had happened. He reached the Clark
vein by means of a slope. and was the
first at the opening into the shaft
where the wrecked carriage stood. The
chains on the west side of the carriage
were broken, as was one of the chains
on the east side. The bottom of the
carriage was hanging down the shaft
supported only by one of the east side
chains.
He saw that the fans were extending
out into the shaft, the one on the east
side about three inches. and. one on
the west side something less. The car
riage had struck on the one on the east
side, but the one on the west side was
evidently not out far enough to catch
for the west side of the carriage
sagged down past it.
CONNECTING ROD BENT.
He observed that the connecting rod
between the lever and the fans was
bent as If something had fallen down
the shaft and struck it. The lever
was half way down and on the ground
under it he found the pin or spike
which was used to keep the lever in
place. After the accident the connect
ing rod had to be taken out and
Strengthened. He heard nothing fall
down the shaft from the time he came
on duty that morning.
Benjamin Price. of Garfield avenue, is
employed as a company hand, and on
the morning of the accident with
other men, was at work in the Clark
vein unloading rock. He had charge
of the fans. About o'clock all the
rock had been hOisted and he showed
the lever up, bringing the fans against
the side of the shaft. Below the lever
he drove a spike. which was the means
usually employed to hold it in place.
He was sure he drove the spike in good
and firm and could assign no reason
why it was on the ground when Davis
arrived on the scene. after the acci-
dent. He admitted that the beam into
which the spike was driven had been
somewhat battered by the numerous
spike holes driven into it, but was
sure he drove the spike in far enough
to take a firm hold.
Shotz, the headman at the top Of the
shaft; George Richards man in charge
of the day shift: John Smith, COM
pany hand: Samuel Nicholas. COM
pany hand; Jonathan Hughes. the en-
gineer; James Coulter. man in charge
of the night shift; Benjamin Phillips,
company hand.
SMITH FELT A BUMP.
Smith and Richards went down on
the carriage on the trip before it was
wrecked. Smith said he felt a bump
after they left the Rider vein, but
could not tell just where it occurred.
He did not think they struck the fans
at the Clark vein or the bump would
have been more severe.
After all of the testimony was in the
Jurors went to the colliery and viewed
the wreck of the carriage and later
returned the following verdict:
According TO the evidence adduced, we,
the undersigned jurors, do hereby find
that the deceased, namely. John Regan,
Thomas Williams. Frank Woodward and
William Gilbert came to their death on
Monday, February a6, by falling down the
shaft of the Mt. Pleasant mine, and that
their death was due to negligence ON the
part of the said company in not having
the proper appliance for the securing Ct
the lever operating the fans In the said
Mt. Pleasant mine at the Clark vein.
We further find that there was ncgii-
gence on the part OF the night foreman,
James Coulter, In not having seen that
the said fans were properly secured when
he left the Clark vein on the day OF the
accident.
(Signed) c. C. Mason, Thomas v. Da-
Wis, William A. Jones, Charles Parry, T.
B. Powell.
MINIsTERIAL ASSOCIATION.