The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1846-02-17
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY II, 1896,

down and fill up these cavities, as it has
done in former instances; but care is Ia
ken to guard the main avenues to the coal
from being thus obstructed.
The coal lies beneath mass of slate;
above the slate is the sand stone rock, and
above this are the gravel and soil. have
often noticed, in passing through the
mines, that many of the ends of the props,
which support the slate above, were shi-
vered like broom, from the vast-pressure
on them; and | never saw this indication
without thinking what might happen,
should the mass from above take notion
suddenly to descend, and always breathed
easier when | had passed through the
mines and emerged to the light of day.
Symptoms of the working of the mass
above had been for some time observed;
and these symptoms had greatly increas-
ed for few days previous to the catas-
trophe. Every thing was done which
could be done in these circumstances to
avert danger. No one supposed it possi-
bic that the rock above would prove SO
firm, or that il would settle suddenly or
in a mass.
Only few of the workmen, of whom
there are nearly four hundred employed
in the mines, had gone in on Monday
morning, when Mr.. Clarkson the super
intendent, discovered the ominous appea-
RANGES, and Immediately set some hands
to work in propping up the slate. On
coming out of the mines, about 81 o'clock
he met Mr.. John Hosie, (who is well
known on the Croton water works as one
Of the ablest masons, and who has been
in the Hudson and Delaware Canal Com
pany's employment for about a year,
preparing himself TO take charge of the
new mines to be opened below Carbon
dale, and told him that he had better wait
till he could go with him, and they would
examine the mines together.
Mr.. Hosie went on, however, in No.
2, intending to join Mr.. Clarkson pre-
sently, and had proceeded about a mile,
when instantly the mountain over his
head descended with an awful crush Of
every thing which opposed lis progress,
and shot down over him, filling up the
road with crushed coal and bending him
double, leaving not foot of space be-
tween the solid mass above and the crush
ed coal below. The distance descended
was the height of the mine, or from six
to eight feet. So great was the pressure
of the air that it produced a painful SEN
sation as if some sharp instrument had
been thrust into his ears. All was total
darkness, every light in the mine being
instantly extinguished. Ever and anon
the thunder of the fallen masses roared
through the caverns After waiting a
suitable length of time for the rocks to
cease falling, Mr.. Hoslc began to remove
the loose material around him and to
creep. He tried one way and it was clo-
sed. He then proceeded in the other di-
rection, and after nine hours incessant
toll, creeping, removing loose coal and
slate, and squeezing himself past obsta-
cles, he made his way into the open mine.
Here he tried to strike light, but his
matches had become damp and would not
ignite. He then felt around him and dis
covered by the direction of the railroad
that, instead of making his way out, he
had gone farther into the mine, and was
cut off from return by the mass which
had settled down upon the road. He
then bethought him of the air hole, and
attempted to reach il; but that passage
had been crushed in and closed. Being
in the vicinity of the mining operations
he found some powder and spreading it
on the floor, he endeavored with pick
to ignite it, but could not. He found al
so can of oil, which he reserved in case
of necessity to use for food.
All was total darkness, and the part of
mountain over him was also settling,
throwing off huge pieces of slate and
exposing him to imminent danger at eve
ry step; for but part of the mass above
had come down at once, and the other
seemed likely to follow. Sensible of his
danger, Mr.. Hosie protected himself as
well as he could; he wound up his watch,
and felt the time by the hands. He also,
with piece of chalk, wrote in different
places his name and the hour when he
was at certain points. Being in total
darkness, however, he missed his way,
but was enabled through his acquaintance
with the mines to set himself right. He
first tried to reach No. /, but after toiling
10 that road, found it was also crushed in.
His only chgnce seemed then to proceed
at right angles with the main arteries of
the mines and pass over to No. 8, and this
he labored to do in accordance with his
best judgment.
At one time he passed through mar
row entrance into chamber, and in en-
deaVoring to creep out on the other side,
he was caught in narrow place by the
hill above settling down upon him, and
remained in this position an hour, expec-
ting to die there. But another settling of