Semi-weekly herald., 1908-04-20
Coroner's Jury Decide
Gas Caused Explosion

ABOUT tne cOfOnerB inquest IN tne a.
@. Williams case yesterday, num-
ber OF other witnesses were exam
ined. The testimony OF d. J. Griffith.
deputy state coal mine inspector, was
listened to with special interest. He
testified that he had visited the Cham
pion mine the 31st OF last December
and found 1t In a safe and healthy con-
dition. He had measured the air en-
tering through the lower opening at
that time and found little over 5000
cubic feet per minute. There were
twelve men working in the mine then
and the amount OF air necessary for
the well being Of each man is 100
cubic feet per minute and 500 cubic
feet per minute for each mule. There
were two or three mules. This dem
onstrated that the ventilation was ex-
cellent then.
This time when he visited the mine
he measured and found 4,200 cubic
feet OF air per minute entering. There
were nine mon and two mules, which
would consume air equivalent to 19
men, or 1900 cubic feet per minute,
leaving the difference between that
and 1920 feet to spare.
He expressed the opinion that the
mule. cars and men In the tunnel had
tendency to stop the draught OF air
and force it into the district where
the gas was bad, and the air forced
the gas cut and around into the tun-
mel where the men were. when 1t was
ignited. But he was informed after
stating this theory that Mr.. Erler had
passed out 10 or is minutes before
the explosion with a mule and four
cars and carried two open lamps.
Mr.. Lane put a great many questions
TO Mr.. Griffith and his answers and
theories, summed up, were to the eff
feet that coal mines have gas feeders.
and sometimes gas exudes as from
pores, and sometimes feeders are en-
countered which pour out gas faster
than others, and that new feeders may
have poured out greater volume OF
gas than ordinarily and caused the
gas to accumulate to dangerous ex-
tent. He called the explosion a small
one.
In answer to the question If he had
been able to determine the cause of
the explosion, he said he believed it
was caused because there had not
been a sufficient volume of air.
Henry Monninger. who had re-
signed as foreman few days before
the explosion, said there had been a
number OF little explosions at differ
ent times. and one recently had
burned a man about the face some.
He considered the mine 'just fairly
ventilated" He said the bottom OF
the air shaft was very small when he
had left it-about 3h feet square
because II was continually caving and
the dirt had to be shoveled back right
along.
Mr.. Degenhardt, one of the Jurors,
asked Moninger what made him quit
work, and Mr.. Moninger replied that
he quit because Mr.. Logan. the sup
erintendent, had asked him in rath-
er sharp manner why he had not laid
a man on, when he needed the man
to do the work.
Mr.. Lane asked what was the usual
condition of the air where the ex-
plosion took place, and the answer
was that that 1t was generally good.
Flora Ferrari. the italian who was
injured the least of the two, was
present at the inquest after supper,
and he testified that his lamp lit the
gas, he being on the car and his light
the highest. Ferrari's head was COM
pletely covered with bandages when
he appeared at the inquest. Located
loT the other injured italian. was un-
able to attend.
At the close Of the inquest, about 8
o'clock in the evening. the crowd re-
tired and left the jury in the under
taking rooms, and after celebrating
about three-quarters of an hour they
brought in the following verdict;
1--WE. the jury. render the follow
ing verdict:-The said C. A. Williams
came to his death by gas explosion
at the Champion mine, Durango, La
Plata County. Colorado.
WIN. DBGENHARDT.
d. w. HOOVER,
JOHN HANNON,
w. T. BARTON,