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

10 reach ~ pit Nnat passage nau Dccll crushed
in and closed. Being in the vicinity ID the |
mining operations he found some powder and |
spreading il on the floor. he emlcavored with |
a pick to ignite it, but could not. He found
also can al oil. which hc reserved i'm CASE o! /
necessity To use ior food.
All was total darkness and the part If the !
mountain over him WAS also settling, throw
ing OH huge pieces of slate aud exposing him .
to eminent danger at every siep.tor hut a part 1
of the mass had come at once. aud the other |
seemed likely TO follow, Sensible othis dam
ger Mr.. Hosic protected hnseltas wclias he
could; lac wound up his watch. and felt the |
time by his hands. lie also with piece oi
chalk wrote ia different places his name and
the hour when lac was at certain points Be
ing in total darkness, however. he missed his
way, but was enabled Though his acquain-
lance with the mines 10 set himself right
lie first tried To reach No. but after ,oiling
to that road, found ii was also crushed in.
Ills only chance seemed then TO proceed at
right angles with the main arteries OF the
Inlncs aud pass over to No. ). aud this he
laborcd tn do in accordance with his best
Judgment.
At one time he passed through a narrow
entrance into a chamber. and in cndeavoria.
To creep out on the other side, he was caught
in narr, pace by the hill above settlin,
lion an hour, expecting 10 di9 there. But
another settling of the mass crushed out some
OF the materials around him, and h, was en-
abled To fee himself and draw back To the
chamber OF the mine. La returning. however,
to the hole by which he had effected his en-
trance lac found Ia his dis NAV that il WIS
closed, and he was compelled Ia hunt new
passage, and finally to dig his way out with
his hands.
Thus, after working for more. than thirty.
, six hours lac at length reached No. >. where lie
rested, aud then when the bill had partially
ceased It's working, proceeded to the mouth of
the miucs. GA las way he met Mr. Dryden.
ono of the supcrintenlants, who, with his
men, were exploring the cavern with lights.
IN seach OF him; aud at five o'clock in the
morning lac emerged To the light of tlav having
been given up Tor dead, and been incarccrated
III utter darkness bcncatha settling mountain
! Tor forty eight hours Mr.. liosie told me ma
ny of those particulars, and Others cleaned
from the principle officers of the company, 10
who they Were narrated.
At one time Mr.. iiosie saw lights at dis.
lance, but they soon vanished. They were
the lights of men in No. 3 seeking Tor him.
These lights, however. assured him that he
was pursuing the right coursc.-Mr. Hosie's
hands were scratched and cut up by working.
80 as to be completely covered with sores He
never for one moment lost bis self possession
and TO tins Tact added TO his tact and perse.
vcrence. is to be ascrbcd to his delivennc,.
There Were about forty men in the mines
when the catastrophe occurred, and the TWEEN.
ty-siN who escaped owned their preservation,
IN great measure 10 MIR. Dryden. one OF the
>upcrin,endenis, who conducted them out
with great GOODNESS and self possession while
portions OF the hill other than those which
Ind D. I'LL az
them. Learning that one poor Irish iaborer.
who had been siru ckdosen by slate, was lett,
with his leg broken, he went bach alone and
brought bim out. Som. times he was compel
led To creep and draw the man. after him.
through creviccs which wea, soon-s ftsr closed
by the settling az the hill. la two IA ,urs
more the whole Ind shut down. 80 that ii he
had been left his death would have been in
cvitablc. Thanks ia Mr.. Dryden and his cool.
ness, iu,repidity and humanity.
| The greatest possible efforts are now made
! by working night ani day TO reach the place
where the fourteen were at work; but faint
hopes, however are cherished respecting them.
The place canaot probably be reached before
4 ,he middle oi next week, il then. The prob.
ability IL they have been crushed 10 death
1 Most oil them were men with families One
boy only Is known with certainty 10 be- dead
Except the loss of life, this unforeseen occur.
renee j. not much 10 be regretted, nor will i,
greatly impede the company's operations since
II has occurred at about the time when il is
usual to suspend labor for a couple of months,
TO repair for the Spring, and every thing will
be rectiiied before then. The immense
strength OF the rock above prevented the hill
from settling in the usual way; but now il is
down, il is TO b. rejoiccd at, as il frees from
future danger, and the roads, when r. opened
will be perfectly secure. Ii was an innoya.
ton Tor ii To come down suddenly and in a
mass instead oi the quiet decent way il has
adopted iu iormeI Instances, and no human
foresight could have predicted the manner oil
ITS descent nor could human prudence. in the
present state OF knowledge, have provided
against it.
The quantity OF the mountain fallen is va.
riousiy estimated Mr.. Dryden said that il
was about three quarters of a mile long. by a
hall mile IN width. MIR. GARRISON said That
u was about halt mile long and an eighth
wide. In NE former case il would be about
2i0 acres, and in the latter 40 acres. Nc.
Archibald the chief superinten deutzs8 the
mines and rail road, whose science and prac-
teal skill are not exceeded, estims<<s the
, amount fallen al lar less than eitfsr of his
asSisianis.-SlnCe the first avalanche, il mus,
be borne in mind however, m14tBoiher por.
lions have gone down. What the extent OF
the whole Is no one can conjecture with any
approximation 20 certainty: and il is exceed
ingy difficult at the present TO get any accu.
rate iniormgion respecting IL.
do not Know that the company have any
interest either TO magnify or conceal the mat.
ter, inasmuch as 1t is more likely To prove a
benefit than damage 20 their future opera.
tons The only expense attending il will be
~ repair the roads and remove the distractions.
but these will then b. the safer; and the know.
igdge acquired by THIS experience may prove
oi The greatest utility hereafter.
This occurrence seemed To INC so unlike
anything ever heard III. that commenced
writing the account OF II 20 my friends: but il
has proved 50 long. that. 90 save the multipli.
cation OF Letters, have concluded To send il ia
your paper which most of them are accuston.
Ell 70 read; and they may, il they choose. con.
slider 10 A. personally addressed IN c,cl, ~ ,t.,