The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-22
FIRE AT THE HOOSAC TUNNEL.
Thirteen Men KIlLed-Great Destruction
OF PrOPerty-HerOIam OF q Sailor,


OF PrOPerty-HerOism OF a Sailor,
From The Troy Times, October 81.
A terrible accident, resulting in the loss of
thirteen lives, took place at the Central Shaft
last at A o'clock. The Central Shaft is located
at point equi- distant from the two portals of
Mountain and is in the s6ape OF sn on HGsse enss
designed primarily to enable the work to be
carried on from additional faces in the centre
OF the tunnel, and secondarily, when the great
bore Is completed, to admit fresh air and light
into the work.
The distance from the opening of the shaft to
the bed of the tunnel below is l,040 feet, about
700 feet of which have already been sunk. Ar
ranged around the mouth of the shaft were O
series of buildings, consisting of an office,
machine and blacksmith shop, saw-mill, &C.,
and also tanks wherein naptha was confined
and man nufactured into gas for the purpose OF
illuminating the work below. Tlmbers, with
platforms sixty feet apart, were placed in up
right positions around the shaft from top to
bottom, and with these bucket, supported by
wire rope assembled and descended the shaft as
occasion required, bringing up the debris from
below and carrying the operatives up or down
as each relief went on or came off of duty.
The naptha gas was introduced on Friday
last the day before the accident-for the first
time. The contractors bad made, as they sup
posed, every preparation to guard against any
disaster from the ignition OF the dangerous ma.
terial; but Saturday at the hour named,
instantly and without the slightest appearance
OF OF danger, q lighted candle, standing about
hame to the gaseous substance, and in mo-
ment almost, the tanks, the buildings, and the
at work in the surrounding shafts barely had
time to escape with their lives. The engineer,
James Randall made his way out only after
his shirt had been burned off his back and his
person considerably scorched.
"A. Az Ihe Ilme OF Ihe accideng tnere were seven
teen men at work in the shaft-four OF them
near the mouth and the remainder in the bot
tom OF the pit. The four escaped-the others
ance could be rendered them. The men above
had to hee for their lives, and the only means
OF escape for those below, the bucket, was soon
down A
penetraDle sea OF hre rose up between them and
the earth above; Every one of them must have
uleu horrible death from suttOcatiOn, or If any
long survived the calamity they must have
been drowned by the vast volume of water
which poul ed down upon them upon the sus-
pension OF the pump and machinery used in
keeping the shaft dry.
Yesterday a sailor named Marshall, at the
peril OF his life, was let down the shaft by means
OF rope fastened to his body, in the hope that
possibly some of the men below might yet be
the perilous character of his expedition and the
dangers to be encountered from foul air in the
cally descended He went down six hundred
feet, from which point he was able 20 see that
to the depth OF twenty or more feet, and that
there was not the slightest possible nope Ior
SIGNAL to be hauled up and some feet above en-
countered current of foul air, Whlch renoereu
Upop Being Drought to the mouth OF the shaft
he was still senseless and scarcely awe, ana ~
restoration had been applied 20 ms person tnat
the heroic man was resloreu 70 conbciousness,
The tale ne then told dispelled the last hope for
the men below.
or the thirteen killed, only three were mar
ried. one of them leaves wife and seven
children, the eldest only eleven years OF age
The families Of the unfortunate men-none of
whose u James have transpired-resided in cabins
in the vicinity OF the accident, and the scenes
OF mourning which succeeded the catastrophe
were OF the most agonizing description
Yesterday great crowds OF people, from all por-
tiOns OF country In the Vicinity, visited the
shaft, and the greatest excitement as we'll as
sorrow was manifested over the event.
The loss OF property and the detention to the
Work are considerations only second to the loss
OF life. The machinery aE the mouth OF the
shaft was very valuable, costing thousands Of