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

seen them since 4 rs presn med IthI
ylieee men were Killed hi the explo-
sloa me census showed s4s men In
Ise mfnesat the time Of the explosion.
rHo hupared and dfty-two bodies have
VII recovered
sapsrinte dent GaskiIl Testffies.
j. q Gaslsilt general superintendent
of IT'D comp my, was the next witness.
Wis appointed 70 that position July
1ggT. ne looks after the mining
eparl Hlent Of the company generally.
ne doess his work through the other
estosa Mr.. Victor Inspected these
atties dI November IL and reported
liile conditions good The witness had
ast Visited them Nov. 8 and Nov. %.
ne llad d general talk with superln-
endens Ruckman about these mines;
ne supertnt endeht made report Of any
Irregularities IN the conditions of these
fmlnes Each superintendent of the
& llities q supposed to make a note Of
4 ne MtterfaLand equipment needed for
lbs mfnes Superintendent Ruckman
~ their last talk. made no acquisitions
Tor further material or equipment for
his mines The witness knew of no
need for further safety appliances. He
sjaFFiyed at the mines at 10:45 on the
x day Of the explosion and went to No.
That night he went to No. 8. At
10. q he went down to the bottom Of
4 the slope TO where the trip was wreck
cd. The cars were crossed, piled up
over each other There was a general
DIling mp Of the wreckage, but the
4 heading was not entirely closed. AT
the cabin at the foot of the slope he
szW three dead bodies that looked to
hfmtohaye dofsunRocatjon hrd
linn TO hare died Of suffocation or af-
lerdamp, He did not examine the wires
Ct this point at that time. Three days
later ne examined the wires and found
them 70 be good. He saw no evidence
20 short eircuiting. He looked for
that He has examined No. s partly
stnee the explosion. AS practical
miner the witness has had considera-
BE experience. He examined two
s places, First South looked like as II
the explosion had started there.
There was Q powder explosion here.
g B Jones, Of the department Of
mechanical and electrical engineering
q TIE University of West Virginia,
Ras the next witness. He examined
the coupling pin that was broken in
tie runaway trip. The composition of
the pin Is classed as macn:ne steel.
The pin stood test of 10000 pounds.
+ G. Gaslill was then called. He
stated that the reason why the rooms
I - the mines were not watered was
aeeange Il was not considered neces.
gssary- The accumulation of dust in
no rooms was not SO much as in the
headings. The witness was familiar
with the method Of shooting coal and
hat S55s or pounds of powder was
necessary to shoot, according to the
lind e shot. He said that coal dust
could be fuhamed by a powder ex-
plnsium q blown out shot and by other
4 eansex Much dust accumulates on
the RIBS, on mine props. and is also
carried in the air The witness then
B read reports Of the pit bosses to the
jury. The watering of the rooms, he
said was impracticable because of the
ack Of facilities. A blown out shot
z carries the blaze backward further
thaH other shots, probably distance
y et tlfty or sixty feet. TIE witness has
nad IS years experience. 1t is part
at hik duties to,1ay the plans by which
the mines are developed. He laid
the plans for the development OF No.
and when it would reach it's maxi
snrWnsde development it would cover about
4 G700 acres. He visited No. G on the
& IS Of November. He was at No. S
4 . short time before the explosion. He
laid the plans for the shaft mine, Muir.
ray mine. Montana mine. He also
lays plans for the safety OF the mines.
Yesterday Evenings Evidence.
Tony Pasquale. driver at No. ;
I was called to the witness chair. For
about seven months he sprinkled thl
main track every night The pit
= bos5 John II. McGraw, directed him
% 40 It. He sprinlsled headings the
night before the explosion. Second
right on the second south was sprink.
led both the empty and loaded tracks
were wet. He did not get all the plac-
es that night but he had watered these
places two nights before the explo,
MON;
&c 6, the Headings.
George Bice who resides at the foot
\ o. No. s mine was the next witness.
he was digging coal but had started
20 Fairmont and was near Traction