The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-22


that there are STRIFE, printed rules, vio-
lution OF which means discharge, and
thar every %prccaution 10 prevent acct
dent is taken.
wv take these precautions" H.
said, mot only from uinane motives,
but because, as you see. OF the money
we have invested. In The past thirty
months we have invested more than
SA7d,Oo0 in Hcnrico II GoochlanI
counties, and We must tax prccautioi,
to protect life and property
lilo said that he had been looking
for gas for w years. for lie didni
believe that bituminuus coal can lbs
mined without generating II. AS 10
tho safety lamps, lac said that tho
ordinary miner does not use them. as
the theirs are safer. Only the bosses
have safety lamps, and they arc used
to detect gas. y place found with
gas. he declared, Is ~immcdiateiy
marked dangerous, and The gas is re-
moved He said that the mine had
not three places making gas.
First AIM Tx safety.
AS showing how strictly the rules
must ,hc adhered to. he said that four
anthracite men nat been recently dis
charged FOR caryiessnnss. and that
any ono guilty Of creating danger fnr
his fcllow-laborers will he prosecuted.
Then hc told Of how dilicult il is Ia
men from becoming careless
ana from violating the rules. even a;
the risk OF sclf-dcStruction. As an
instance. he said ;hat squibs for the
hrlnE OF black powder. which Is ia
boocd In the mine, were found in tn.
pockets OF one OF the dead men, show.
ing that the man hal gone in with
black powder. lie said he didn't think
the unworkcd places dangerous.
II was his opinion that the body
of gas in crosscut No. ~ was igniteo
by the opcn lamp OF Miner 10. 200.
Then ne told OF his care III s.le ct,nr
his foremen and bosses. say ing that
they are :hc best obtainahic, and that
they receive salaries equal 10 ihose
paid IN IVES, Virginia aud rennsyl-
rania.
He was asked the usual question
as 10 the personal n~ptiiicat!on Of tho
men. and said that Wilson should have
personally notiied The miners before
they went down into the mine.
should Have Required II.
w. T.. Sullivan, a graduate OF Gcor.
gia Tech. manager OF mines and rail.
roads described his duties. Hr said
mat n night foreman makes 4 writ
ten report to him. and declared that II.
should have iNed the brokcn air pipc
no mention of which was on tho re-.
port received by him on Friday. He
SAID that il the pipe had lcen immed-
lately mcnded the explosion would no.,
nave taken place, and that /; was IN.
duty OF the foreman In charg. 10 re.
pair IL. lie said it was not CUSTOMARY
for tho foreman or nro boss 10 notifv
INC men al the foot Of the slope in
Tie mine, hut nc agreed thu. The fore
men should have PERSONALLY notified
the men before they went To The d,n.
ger pocket. lie said that lie. had ,es,cd
most OF the old WORKINGS. finding M
sas' though he had not been able ia
examine all, as he had been there onlv
about Two weeks.
Agrees with Others.
g. y stoves general foreman. whc
WAS not present on the day OF ,ho
accident. testified as To his duties. ana
agreed with the other witnesses thnt
u the air line had been rapaIrcd the
accidcIS would not haze hapucucd IIc
sara ihat he hadn't instructed The nrc
bosses 10 notify tho men Of gas. ms
there had been SO little gas found Ii,
tho mine. But he had instructed Tho
hre boss to fence of all danSnrou,
p'd'es- lie tiuh | think hat the me.
ihod OF ven;ilatins the mine was tho
most practicable. bat said that tho
mine had not occn underway long. and
that there were many t!Ir.gs which
would be remcdled.
Then came ia. Collier ana NJ G a.
len. who went down with Tho d, :
shift the morning Of tho accident. Col.
iicr works as q helper under Alien. tx
pert miner. Tho expert miner Is
known as his helpers buddy and
Collier constantly referred TO Allen rs
his buddy Both told the same story
how they had gotten not quite to ,hcii
shovcis when the explosioa came: nov
the shock blew out their lamps. ano
how dying debris fell about them. ana
how they fought through the midn.gh,
darkness to air and safety.
The smoke and a%fterdamp were NJ
dense that they were unable TO &c,
each othcr. hnd tl,cy- were about 40,
feet away fi"m The scene of the ex.
plosion.
How He Saved Himself.
William Winston, colorcd. saved
himself by blowing out his lnmp ant
throwing himself fnce downwards O,
The ground. winston was the only on.
of the three who saw Foreman Wilson
itrttres from Motor Company.