The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-12-11
MAN LEFT MINE
FOR MATCHES So
He COULD SMOKE
Inquest Clears Up Mystery
Surrounding Cause of
Explosion.
MATCHES ON BODIES
Witnesses Say All the Usu-
al Precautions Were
Taken.
MATCHES ON BODIES

III order that he might satisfy an
appetite for cigarette smoke man
came out of Jamison No at noon on
The fatal nineteenth day Of last Octo.
her to procure matches and a few min.
utes after he returned to the depths
Of the mine the first of the explosions
which cost all told eleven human lives
and property damage TO the amount OF
ut least half million dollars began.
This much developed today when
the inquest into the disaster was re-
sumed at the mine. Undertaken Gun
nIngham and Dudley Miller. an en-
ployee of the Cunningham establish
ment, both testified that they found
matches and cigarettes on the body OF
Frank lligginbotham and Undertaken
Jones. tesllueu to similar condition
oil things with regard to Vance, two OF
the victims.
1t was stated earlier in the day that
testimony regarding the way in which
the men got the matches would be in
troduced before todays session Of the
inquest is adjourned.
The hearing was resumed this morn
ing at the office at the mine at 9
o'clock in accordance with the ar
engagements when 1t was adjourned last
week.
-, Chief Engineer G. T.. Cowan was the
first one called today, it being the
second time he was on the stand dur
ing the inquest lie testified that
upon his entrance into the mine the
day OF the explosion, after the dam.
age had been done, he noticed that
five OF the six motors used in the mine
were on the regular motor track while
the sixth WAS III section South \, hav-
ing evidently been moved there by
Chapman. 1t is, MIR. COwan said, pos.
sible that Chapman left the motor in
south A and then walked TO the shaft
where ha was found after the eXplo-
sion. None of the cars was in any
place where gas ignition was posi-
BILE.
That there would be no occasion for
thinking that the disaster was caused
by electric sparks was proved when
John ii. hughes, engineer in charge OF
the power house. stated that he had
shut the electricity OIL the mine sew.
eral minutes before he heard what
sounded to him like a dynamite OK.
RIOolOu' ILS lllCL luI HSu anu odN a
cloud OF black SCOT coming from the
mouth OF the shalt. and | knew what
it was" He testified there had been
no short circuits during the day nor
no disturbance on his ammetre.
John Moiloy, assistant Superintend.
ent at the mine, was called following
Mr.. COwan. lie stated he went in and
inspected the mine at about Z Il. III.
the day of the explosion and took with
him two men who wished to work that
day. He did not know why nor how
Vincent and Foster went into the mine
and did not give them permission.
G. a. Wctzel, lampman on day turn
at the mine. told the jury that he had
given Vincent and Foster their lamps
because Vincent told me he had seen
Molloy and got permission to enter
the mine" lie said he knew Vincent
as being Il regular worker and did not
figure he was taking any chances and
as far as violating the law was con-
cerned. Vincent offered an Identified
ton check, his regular lamp check
having been either misplaced or lost
the day previous. MollOy denied that
he and Vincent had any conversation
the morning OF the 10Th.
j. J. Mcluerney, night lamp man,
stated that he gave Matt Allison and
John Pagan lamps to enter the mine
the morning of the day of the acct
dent. 1t was one Of the duties of the
lamp men to see that every man who
entered the mine besides having All
electric light should be provided with
a safety lamp. These lamps are 50
constructed that gas in the mine can
be detected without injuring those
carrying them
II. E. Stevens, hosting engineer.
stated that he let down into the mine
10 men on the morning of October 10.
John NJ. Haynes, night foreman. tes-
titled that on the morning Of October
II at two o'clock, he detected gas in
the north section. This he "dangered
off" by putting up brattiCe and put
ting on sign "Danger-Gas."
Robert Russell and W. p. Bridges.
cutter and contractor respectively.
corroborated previous evidence that
the mine was known to libCrate gas
but each stated that in no case where
they had had to use electric cutters
had there ever been any gas ignitiOns.
They informed the jury that they hao
often encountered gas, as witnesses
before them had testified, but that as
soon as condition Of this kind was
discovered 1t was rcmedicd and regu.
lar.reDorts made.