The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1914-05-22
MINER CAUSE
OF EXPLOSION
Coroner's Jury Com
pletes Labors in
Eccles Mines
Company Exhonorated From All
Blame--Short Circuit of Air
Cause Gas Pocket,

ECClE~. W. Va. May ls.-That the
explosion i'm number five mine Of the New
River Coller'rs Compsny. April 2s. which
resulted in the death Il one nundred AMI
eighty men in that mine and IN number
SIN adjoining. was caused 10y an accumu-
lati"n oi gas in numler fiV,. following a
short circuiting of the AIR. was the verdict
"f coroner's jury. which early today
concluded the work of inquring into the
cass, of the deaths. The verdict exhon-
GRATIS the company fr Dn all blame. and
j. as follows
I'VE. the iuny. find that John Adams
AMI Ill other men who were killed in
shalt mine No. > at Eccls-. Raleiyn coun-
ty' West Virginia. on TUESDAY. April -,
1914, came Ia their death 10y an x,.l,1-lon
"i gas in the said mine and W. DO further
lind that the eight men " lpo came To their
death in shaft mine Ne. q at Eeclss. W.
Va. on the evening oi TUESDAY. April
9TH. l"l ., came to th,ir death A. "A rr-
suit "i AN explosion of ga- and dust IN
shalt nilne No. . at Ecc.-, " Va. they
t~ring mlne No. q after the cNl.,-ion in
mime No. >, the t~" nine~ l-ing con-
nevts$i
The accumulation oi .'s,- ia mime No.
%, ~h'rh wAs the primary can-s. of the
"NI'l''-i'n wa- due to a short circuit oi ths
H'r ~ tl'e southern -s~tion oi the mine.
Ih's ga- Was ignitssi 10y an open lamp
and the explosion followed.
COMPANY NOT REsPONsIBLE
We, the jury. furthermore fnd that
tins short circnit Of sir was eHn<ed with
out the knowledge or consent Of the conn
pany or any of it, operating staff. and
That tie COMPANY H. in no way 10 blame
for the disaster
Signed M. THOMAS,
"iiUGH DANIEL.
WARD COOK.
IN. :. ALLEN.
20. II. FINK.
- q. HUTCHINSON.
JESSE TIIcMA~. Jn-ti,c of the Peure
an. A-ting Coroner 80
li' ,np'H'-t ~a- c0nductssl by Ju-tics
Js--"' ll''''nn-. aeting n cor"ner, and ths
State va ''.I'r-~.ntrd by Attorney Cen
eral A. l'lly. Assistant Attorney Gen.
eral John a. Morri-gn md Prosecuting
Attorney John q IIutchin4,n. while
Chiei MIN" ln-ls~ t"r Earl 4 Henry rep-
rt7-'nts~i ti'e State department Of Mine..
Coun-s.l iOr the coal company sI.i for th.,
miners ~a- PRESENT
Ma D ~itness>s We're. eV aInin,-i aud the
'nqw't war Mt canplets,I until thi.
morning. the jury having worked ali
night Many mining experts wl,o ex-
I'.or'~i IL mine miners and ronpaDv
Officials ~rf~ r>an'in'~i in an effort u
Ind the e. 1T ean-,. oi tli,. ~ Nt,lo-ion
fr"n the testimony ~ wa found that
ii'e . l'l'-l"n undoubtedly originat.-i ia
Ihe "itllern anil EASTERN se~tion- Of tne
mine small l.nrrisr Of r,.sl h,f l.,-n
eit 'vt~esn tlie entfis- D. pr,t.,.t the AR
'nffrnt "ntd an ~verra-t e,nld H.. con-
'rh't'7i o. make -plit Il va found
hat some miner bal placed -hot in the
DAfr'er' blow 'ng q open and causing the
short circuit 81 AR.
NoMB> PROBABLY GUILTY
9Th t,'inis-. one II the victims of th..
Nl'''-i"ii a c"ntrarting miner. probably
A''-'-i t''" explosion. accOrling to the
t7-tinvny. liz contract wa IA the ---
I'"' ~l"''e tie ~ id'-ion originated and
|" la arranging D. take additional contr.ct-
% -'-ci'pn near tliere. With an oren-
ny u1r"'gi' the l'arri.r he could have
ca Dol hi- nr~ work in lew let bnt
i'e distance around ~as hall a mill.
'o'n'- l''~iy vs. f'und on the other side
y il'' ''afr'''r and ~ j. -uppo--I that 10
ave Tune Do made the fatal mistake