Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1846-01-28
LIVING BURIAL AND ESCAPE.

INT BJklAL AND ESCAPE.
For the subjoncd graphic account OF the re-
markable disaster at Carbomdale. Ia. and the
almost Diacu!ous escape ol a man who was
buried in the Cu,sh mines, the editors of the
\. Y. Commercial Advertiser are Indebted to
the Rev. Mr. Rowland. pastor a. the Pres
bytcrlan Church at lloneslalc. bat formerly
OF the Pearl street Church, New York. The
narrative is equally interesting and cXtraor.
binary:
Correspondence offhe ". J.. sisrciai
iducsiiSo.
HoNESDALl, Jan. 10, Isle.
On Monday morning last about nine a. clock
an accident occurred IA the coal mines of the
Delaware aud Hudson cana, company. al Car
bondalc which has produced considerable cx-
citemcnt ln the community. \ large portion
oi the till oT Iuountaln into which The mines
extend, following the law OF gravity, sudden
~ descended on the honey comb cavities
within its bosom, buryiug ol the unfortunate
individuals within It's reach. Yer, many a.
crcs descended ina mass; and 50 great was
the pressure oi the atmosp hcrc oCcasioncd hv
tins decent. a. to shoot out from the mouth
OF one OF the mines, "a irou cannon. train
ui cars with a hoSse and boy, throwing
them Ia considerable distance. Think OF
a bellows moved 10y mountain power, aud
youwill form very correct iica Ot the blast.
Painful To relate, fifteen individuals Were be
meath the descending mass only one of whom
llas had the good fortune To escape; and his
adventures exceed every thing on record -
The remaining fourteen are buried alive, il
not crushed, and may be now hopclessly wan
dering in those gloomy Caverns. beyond the
reach oi human aid, aud shut zap forever, mall
probability. from the light of day.
10 PRESENT distinct idea OF tins occurrence,
must first give brief description OF the
nincs, AMI the manner OF work u uhem.-
There are several openings To the coal which
are numbered a.. !. ?, 3, 1. &c, two oi them
are above the bed OF l.ackawsna, and the 9th
ers are below il. These openings are holes in
the side OF the hill, about six feet by eight,
aud are the main entrances TO The mines
From these mouths are roads leading into the
interior OF the mountain, following the dip OF
the coal. sometimes ascending aud sometimes
descending. The extent of the mining oper-
atoms will b. perceived from the fact that
there are ihirty-iivc miles OF rail road laid an.
der ground, la thc bosoms oi the mo lntain.
including the main roads with all their rami.
icalinns.
The coal lies in horizontal stratum OF
from -four To siN or eight feet in thickness be-
tween strata al slate. The method OF mining
Is, To cut out aud Icmoye the coal, leaving
only piers oi IL TO support tie hill above, aid.
ed by wooden props made OF sections of trees.
cut ont OF suitable length. As fast a. the
coal Is removed, the lateral branches of the
road are abandoned, and the main avenues
pushed on Ia the coal beyond In this way
the coal has been removed Tor mile aud a
half under the mountain, aud the roads extend
hat III l.. a. A.
OF mine No. ] an air-holc was cut tn the sur
face, upsn inclined plane, by which acctss
could bc had to the surface of the earth and
down which propssWcie taken. The excava-
ton Tor coal extends halfa mile or rnore be-
yond tliis opening Ii was la this yin,ity
that the accident occurred, aud by' cl,siug the
mouth ci this passage GU, oil sll hoixot escape
10 those within, in this direction. So
As last a. the coal l. removed, no particu-
lar care Is taken TO support he mass above in
the chambers which are abandoned; the props
are lett 10 decay thatthe rock and earth may
gradually settle down and ill up these ca,i.
ties, as II has done in former instances: bui
care Is taken 10 guard the i6ain avenues to
the coal ifom being thus distracted.
The coal lies beneath a mass oi slate; above
the slate u the sand stone rock, and above
this are the gravel and soil. have often
noticed m passing through the mines, that
many OF the ends of the props, which sup
port the slate above, were shlvered like a
broom, from the pressure ON them; and ] new.
CT saw this indication without thinking what
might happen, should the mass from abov,
take notion suddcnly 20 descend, and always
breathed easier when had passed through ia,
mines and emerged fo the light oil day.
symptoms OF The working Oi ihc mass abov,
had been for some time observed; and thcss
symptoms had greatly increase for a fcwdayi
pre-, ious TO the catastrophe. Everything wa,
done which coiSd lie done in these circum
stances To avert danger. No one supposed j
possible that the rock above would prove 81
firm, or tina, IL would settle suddenly or in
mass.
Only few Of the workmcn, OF whom Their,
are nearly iour hundred employed in th'
mines. bad gone in on Monday morning ,wher
Mo. Cldrksou, the Superintendent, discoverc,
the omInOus Appearances, aud immediately
set some hands to work in propping up th,
I slate. On coming out OF the mines, about 81
o'clock, lac met Ms John Hose (who is wei
/ known on Crot0n water works as one OF th,
/ oblest masous and who has been in the Hui
son end Delaware Canal Cos. employment lol
about year, preparing himself Ia take charge
7 OF The new mines to Ia opened bclow Carbon.
dale and told him that h- had better wall
I till he could 60 With him. and they woult
examine The mines together
Mt li0sie went on, however, into No Z
intending to join Mr. Clark presently aud la,
! proceeded about mile when instantly a
mountain over his head descended with an
awful crush ct every thing " hich opposed il,
/ progress. aud shot down over him. filling uf
the road with crushed coal aid bending hin
double leaving not foot OF space between
. the solid mass shove aud thc crushed
coal below Tie distance descended was the
height OF the mine or from six 20 eight feet
~ great was tIe pressure 81 the ar thst IL
produced painful sensation as II some shart
instrument bad t-rtithuIst into his cars All
was total dafkucss. Every tight in ihc mine
bcing cxtinguie,tj Ever aud anon the ihun.
der OF the ialbng passes roared through tie
csfcm' Aiip whiting a suitable lcnAi III
ume ior ne roths t1cesse falling. Mr.. Hosie
n.aHI Ga. "a 4.