The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-01-10

4
witness! ne vas in NO. on Tines.
day before the explosion! he found
gas on 8 face on 4 face on face;
found gas in straight; dip he found
gas. The boss told him to keep the
light low. The dust was loaded before
the miners put OF their shots but the
car was not removed until after the
shot was fred. There was an explo-
sion in mine No. c; this was about
two years ago.
P. H. Flaherty. electrical inspector
Of the Fairmont, Coal Company, and
superintended the insulation of the
wires in the wrecked mines. The d.
rect current is used. He was In No.
on the 25th day OF November. The
witness thought from his observation
that the mines were in a safe condt.
Itfon. The witness was asked II he
! had not expressed himself to his wife
that there might be an explosion in
these mines, the question was answer
ed in the negative. He made care
| FIJI! examination of the wires at the
foot of No. G slope and found no in
dlcations Of a short circuit. He did
not find any marks that indicated that
wires had heen short circuited. The
finding Of no fusings or indication OF
short circuitlng tend to prove that
the current was or that the circuit
breaker was thrown out. The cleo
trical appliances Of these two mines
are indeepndent and short circuit
in No. would not affect No. s.
Homer c. Palmer, electrician, was
called to the chair. He saw no evil
dences of short cIrculting OF the wires
He saw Fred Cooper the morning OF
the explosion and he told the witness
1 that he had sprinkled the headings
that night. He saw Pat Kerns the day
before and he was working.
Victor Recalled.
David Victor was recalled to the wit
ness stand. He arrived at No. mine
about 11:45 the day of the explosion.
The wreck occurred on the switch
/ where there we're three headings. The
witness said that he had not made
minute examination of the mine In
its entirety but the parts that he hal
examined he had performed his work
thoroughly. The witness believed that
there was series of explosions In
No. 8; that explosions were carried
along and supported bv the dust and
saw more than one place that might
have been the initiatory point OF the
general blowing up. One place that
bore evidence as the initial point was
on third left heading on the second
north face in room %. He said the
forces separated and Travelled in op.
posite directions. There were indica-
4 tions that fresh shot had been fred
this however was not blown out shot
but one that was overcharged. This
might have. In the opinion of the wit
ness, set the dust going. Another evil
dence that this was a fresh at this
iplace was that the men working In
/ this room and near 1t were congregat.
ed at another place. There was pow.
der explosion also in room IS on this
heading. but the witness did not think
that it was of sufficient magnitude to
inflame the dust. Another place that
might have been the initiatory point
of the explosion was in the second
y-f0 Ea Cue
seemed to be where the flames rageI
most. From rooms Q to 81 was the
greatest fire experienced in the mine.
In room 90 there was blown out shot
which might have started the explo.
sive elements in motion. Two or three
other places along this heading there
were evidences of powder explosions.
The witness thought that dust was
the most important factor In the ex-
plosion but did not know the elements
that propagated the dust There Is
! positive evidence of conflicting fore.
les from the + face to the foot OF No.
G slope. The explosion seemed to
travel both ways. This the witness
could not explain. Neither could the
witness explain the cause of the dc.
structIon OF flame in mine No. C. In
mine No. s there is abundant evidence
Of flame but these Indications are lack
ing in No. G. The witness could not
tell which force 1t was that killed the
men in No. 6, whether 1t was the in.
going force or the outward force.