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

110 Reports of the Inspectors of Mines. [Xo. 10,
mond shaft, caused by a shot, which knocked out the supporting jivops,
and tliat tliQj went back too soon, the roof falling in on them and killing
them ;
said Diamond shaft worked by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
Railroad Company.
In witness whereof, as well the aforesaid alderman, as the jurors afore-
said, have to this inquisition put their hands and seals, this 22d da}' of
November, A. D. 1877.
R. K. Cranfield, {Alderman^)
A Minority Verdict,
Acting Coroner.
Nicholas Washburne,
Foreman.
John Wagner,
esdras howells,
b. f, ackerly,
Thomas Barrow,
Jurors.
I, the undersigned, cannot agree to the above verdict, but find that James
Johnson and George Batt came to their deaths on the morning of Novem-
ber 17, 1877, by a fall of roof in the Diamond vein of the Diamond shaft,
caused by the neglect of the mine boss, David W. Mosier, in not having
and I further
seen that the roof was properly timbered, as by law required ;
say, that his employers, the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
Company, are to blame for imposing on him duties that no man is able to
perform.
James B. Hickey.
As I have before intimated, some of the most damaging evidence against
D. W. Mosier, the mine boss, was not taken down by the acting coroner.
When giving an account of where he was when the accident occurred, he
said he "was on the mountain." I asked him "upon what mountain?"
But he at first objected to answer, saying tliat he did not think he was
obliged to account to me where he was, but he finally answered "that if I
must know, he was on the mountain back of the Briggs shaft." I had
been informed that he was on the mountain hunting, and if it was not so, I
desired to give him an opportunity to account for himself, but he did not
avail himself of it.
I am of the firm opinion that the first clause in Mr. Hickej-'s verdict is
the correct one, but where he got one particle of evidence in any way to
criminate the company, is to me a profound mystery. Mr. Mosier has not
a large territory under his charge, and he can ti'avel over it every day and
have plent}^ of time to examine the working places as he passes through
them. I know of no other duties imposed on him by the company, and
these certainly are not " such as no man can perform."
The truth is that if the proper care had been taken to stand the props