The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1910-05-19

from below, were not in good repair and
h'td not been for some time and that
about ten days or two weeks before
the explosion, one of the guides was torn
out, or part of one, and that the superiu
tehdeht or the company had taken two of
the miners and gone down and by his di-
rection and with his assistance, they un-
dertook to repair the injured guide, and
that at the time it was done. one of the
miners, who was experienced in that sort
or work, told the supernt endent that
that was unsafe and he replied that he
knew it was, but that they had to pet
later. 1t was shown that three or four
days after that, by reason of the manner
III which the superintendent had repaired
the guide, that the cage was wrecked at
that point, which was just one week be-
tore the explosion occurred, and that by
reason OF this wreck they We're unable to
operate the mine for six days, and that
during that time the fan was not oper.
ated at all while the men were repairing
the in jury in the shaft, which counsel
contended gave the mine, which was a
gaseous mine, opportunities to accumu-
late large and dangerous quantities of
gas. and that the explosion occurred on
the following Tuesday and that the fan
which had been idle for six davs, COM
menced running some time on Sunday
night before the explosion that the fan
was not running very fast on Monday
They also proved that one of the cages
Jnt ont ,t'
p'oSIon and only one of the two cages
was running at the time the accident
occurred and that the superintendent
slowed down the fan at about 10 o clock
ON the morning of the explosion about
three hours before the explosion, and
that the fan, under the instructions of
III" fire boss to the fan runner, which
should have been running at the rate of
- 70 so revolutions per minute, was
running less than % for about three
hours before the explosion They also
proved that this was Il dusty mine and
it had not been watered down for thrcr
or four weeks at least before the explo-
SION and tn law requires it shall be
wntcrcd regularly.
1t was also shown that % to 10 men
was at the bottom of the shaft for some
80 or 40 minutes, or more before the
explosion, and from circumstances thev
were evidently trying to get out of the
mine, and rs it not the hour of the
day for the men to quit it was not prov
en- why they were coming out ut that
time. 1t was also shown that the super
lntendcnt was at the top of the shaft
some 40 minutes before the explosion
the bank boss why the men were coming
out OF the mine. and the bank boss re-
piled that he did not know, and there
upon the mine boss went down on the
next cage and remarked that he would
stop that, and it was shown that signals
were given from below that men were in
the cage, but when the cage came up it
was loaded with coal. This was repeated
three times, but after the mine boss went
down not n single human being came out.
1t was proved by the man in charge of
the cage that he could have brought out
at least six trips of men, 10 men Mt each
trip. after the mine boss went down 1t
was also proved that after the mine boss
went down, that two miners, one by the
name OF johnson, appeared at the top of
the shaft to go into the mine to work on
the afternoon shift. and one of them in
quired of the superintendent whether or
not the mine safe and he was as
surcd that it was and both of these men
went into the mine and were killed in
the explosion.