Reports of the Inspectors of Mines of the anthracite coal regions of ...

Ex. Doc] Reports of the Inspectors of Mines. 105
in the moniiug. I work in the next chamber to the right of the one where
the men were killed. I heard the fall of roof, and called to the men but
got no answer, and I then went into the chamber where the accident occurred
; met Benjamin Humphries, and when I went forward I saw the
fall, and I could see one of the men under the fall. I heard a shot fired
five or six minutes before I heard the roof fall ; it looked as if some props
had been blown out by the blast ; can't say how many ; there were some
props under the fallen rock ; had not been in the chamber for some time
previous to the accident; I did not help stand any of the props to keep up
the roof; was doing something else ; can't say how many props were
stood ; I did not help to take out either of the men, but saw them after
they were taken out, and am sure they were dead ; I was loading a car
when I heard the fall ; I saw Henry Williams, Samuel Evans, Charles
Gallagher, and several others there helping to take out the bodies ; saw
Benjamin Humphries there.
Michael Larkin.
William D. Morgan, sworn : I reside in Hyde Park; am a miner, and
work in the Diamond shaft, where George Batt and James Johnson were
killed; the accident happened about 10, A. M., Saturday, November 17th,
187Y ;
happened ; Michael Harrison, my laborer, told me of the accident, and I
went immediately to the chamber, and found that the roof had fallen, and
I work in the second chamber, inside of the one where the accident
helped to get the men out ; did not see any props under the fallen rock ;
did not look under it ; 1 helped to stand two props to hold up the roof
while the men were getting out the bodies ; we stood the props to the left
of the road ; the props I helped to set, were found l^'ing alongside the
fallen stone; don't know whether they had been used before or not; I
think the ftiU was caused by some of the props having been knocked out
by a blast ; I helped to block up the rock ; worked at the lower end of it
could not see under it ; did not see any props lying down on the road below
the fall ; I stayed there until they got the men out ; did not notice a prop
lying on top of the fallen rock ;
do not know whether a blast had been fired
just before the fall; did not hear any; do not know the thickness of the
rock : cannot give the area of its surface ; I think it was bad roof; it may
be a foot thick ; don't think it needs a very large prop to hold it ; think
there were good props in there ;
was not in Batt's chamber on the morning
of the accident; don't know the condition of the chamber that morning;
have not been near the face of the chamber lately ; both men were dead
when they were taken out from under the rock.
his
William D. X Morgans.
mark.
John Davies, sworn : I reside in Hyde Park ; am
a driver, and work at
the Diamond shaft, the same place where Johnson and Batt were killed ;
I was on the gangway road when the accident occurred ;
Michael Gallagher
told me of the accident, and I then went up to where the accident happened ;