The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1846-02-17
Correspondence Of The ". York Com
mercidi Advertiser.
HoNEsDALE, Jan. Is, 1916

HoNEsDALE, Jan. Is, 1916.
On Monday morning last about nine
o'clock, an accident occurred in the coal
mines of the Delaware and Hudson ca
nal company, at Carbondale which has
produced considerable excitement in the
community. A large portion of the hill
or mountain into which the mines extend,
following the law of gravity, suddenly
descended on the honey-com5 cavities
within It's bosom, burying all the unfor-
tunate individuals within its reach. Very
many acres descended in mass; and so
great was the pressure of the atmosphere,
occasioned by this descent, as to shoot
out from the mouth of one of the mines
as from cannon, train of cars with a
horse and boy, throwing them to con-
siderable distance. Think of a bellows
moved by mountain power, and you
will form very correct idea of the blast
Painful to relate, fifteen individuals were
beneath the descending mass, only one of
whom has had the good fortune to escapes:
and his adventures exceed every thing on
record. The remaining fourteen are buried
alive, if not crushed, and may be now
hopelessly wandering in those gloomy
caverns beyond the reach of human aid,
and shut out forever in all probability
from the light Of day.
To present distinct idea of this oc-
currence, must first give brief descrip-
ton of the mines, and the manner of
working them, There are several OPEN
ings to the coal, which are numbered as,
|, 2, 3, 4, &C., two Of them are above the
bed Of the Lackawanna, and the others
below it. These openings are holes in the
side of the hill, about six by eight feet,
and 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
and sometimes descending. The extent
of lhe mining operations will be percei-
we'd from the fact that there are thirty-five
miles of railroad laid under ground. in
the bosom of the mountain, including the
main roads with all their ramifications.
The coal lies in a horizontal stratum of
from four to six or eight feet in thickness,
between strata Of slate. The method of
mining is, to cut out and remove the coal.
leaving only piers Of it to support the
hill above, aided by wooden props made
of sections of trees, cut of suitable
length As fast as the coal is removed,
the lateral branches of the road are aban-
doned, and the main avenues pushed on
to the coal beyond. In this way the coal
has been removed for mile and half
under the mountain, and the roads extend
that distance. About a mile from the
mouth of mine No. an air-hole was cut
to the surface, up an inclined plane, by
which access could be had to the surface
of the earth, and down which props were
taken. Fhe excavation for coal extends
half mile or more beyond this opening.
1t was in this vicinity that the accident
occurred, and by closing the mouth Of
this passage cut off all hope of escape to
those within, in this direction.
As fast as the coal is removed, no par
tlcular care is taken TO support the mass
above, in the chambers which are aban-
doned; the props are left to decay that
the rock and earth may gradually settle