Year: 1869

be OF very Wrohg cunfhctfr "a -"


demnailon of the present n~s VI


constructing mines.


The intense intcrcst felt In the


Avondale disaster will not be lessencd


by reading the reports Of the evidence


elected before Coroner Wadham's u-


ry at Plymouth, on Saturday The


theory OF the FIRE, which has gradually


been received, viz; that tho work OF


tho shaft was ignitcd by the heat OF


the venlilating furnace is secuted by


every experienced miner who was ex-


amined- There was no difference Of


opinion on that point, while the work
ing OF a mine with but one opening


and the building Of the breaker over


the mouth Of tho shaft wcro generally


condemned All the witnesses whose


opinions on the point were Of any


value wero unanimous in considering


the furnace entirely safe. The opin.


ion that the fire was not caused by
the furnace in the mine is supported,
not only by the experience and judg-
ment of experts, but by positive evil
dence Of o well-nigh conclusive char
ncter. This is found in the present
condition Of the brettice or wooden
partition which divided the shaft into.
a hostingway, and an airwny ran
upcast and downcast. This brettice
is discovered at the top, not at the
bottom, except few which we're igni-
ted by the burning debris and ashes
which fell TO the bottom of the shaft
when the breaker building was con-
sumcd. The bretlice was the only
material which could have csrried the.
fire from the bottom TO the top OF the
shaft, if the fire had been communica-
ted TO the brettice ut the bottom, as
it would have been had the furnace
communicated il. 1t is impossible ~
believe that portion of the brettice
beginning at point only twenty feet
from the bottom and extended thence
upward for l30 feet could have re.
maincd unburncd as il now remains.
What could have cxtinguished the
flames twenty feet from the bottom
and rekindle them $50 or 140 feet
higher upy The thing is inconcciv-
able. Not one of the witnesses could
assign for the origin Of the fire any
cause connected with the working OF
the mine. Most of them thought it
expedient not to attempt any cxpla-
nation AZ all, and only one of the hun
drcds to give positive expression to
the horrible suspicion that evidently
lurked in the minds Of all One Wit
nAffc oWR N a. bis oath said be believed the
not attempt further 10 excite the hor-
ror which the mere suspicion of such
an enormity at once arouses, but
examine for q moment the facilities
for incendiarism afforded by the
peculiar situation.


George Morgan swore that hc be-
lieved the fire began at the mouth OF
the tunnel or little below it. The
tunnel referred 70 affords tho best
possible cover for ircendiary opera
lions. Beginning under tie lower
side OF the breaker il ran under that
building aud opened into the shat at
a point about forty feet below the sur
face. Tho parts of tho shaft into
which II opened was not the hoisting
way which was continually traversed
by the carriage, frequently with men
aboard, and in which any suspicious
appearance would almost certainly
have been noticed. The tunnel open
ed into the air shaft, or upcast, by q
wooden door. This point in the air
SHAFT, forty feet beneath the surface,
was perfectly screened from observa-
ton. 1t was up the air shaft that the
fire came, and It came with the speed
into lie engine house, as Tue shgihegff
swore, with the puff of an explosion
of loose powder. This explosive char,
acter of the flame is partly accounted
for by the strength of the draft in the
air shaf. but the use of the quantity
of highly inaammable materials at tho
mouth Of the tunnel would have tend
ed to produce precisely the same effect,
What is more easy than TO enter tho
tunnel, say at daybreak, charge its
mouth and the brettice opposite with
aquantity of kerosene or other inham=
mable material, by slow fuse con-
Meeting with it, light the fuse, escape
unnoticed, and be miles away before
tho catastrophe came 2 The fuse and
magazine would be most effectually
concealed while the former was burn
ing. 1t is dreadful thing 10 feel
compelled to advocate such a theory
but is any other possibley Can it be
conceived that such conhagration, it
occurring from any accidental cause
or at the bottom Of the SHAFT, could
have escaped the notice of men pas
sing mp and down the shaft only fifteen
minutes before the flames burst from
its mouth Was not the mouth of
the tunnel the only point opposite the
burned part Of the brettice. at which
fire could have been communicated
Was it not impossible for any fire to
accidentally come from the tunneli
In brief, is not the theory of incendis-
rism possible, and all others impossi,
BILE In reaching this conclusion We
do not take into account the reports
about traces OF kerosene at the mouth
OF tue luhntls ~ via uV lihio OhVNBH
to consider those when they have been
ELECTED on oath in open court. Tho
evidences of the most heart-sickening
crime on record are far stronger than
we could desire them to be already.
TUE MINERS UNION DENY THAT IScEN-


DIARIsN FIRED THE SHAFT.


WILKEsBARRE, Sept. l3. 1869,


The Miners Union desire that tho
following statement on their part be
given to the public -


The dispatches which are being
constantly transmitted from Scranton
in relation TO the Avondalc disaster
are in many instances entirely un,
founded in fact. That the fire which
occurred ut the mine was the work Of
an inccndiary no one believes. II is
ono of tho subterfhges resorted to by
the Delaware, Lackawana and Wes-
49,. Dntlrnod Enmnony IN fnrn thu