The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-09-17
EGIS 6 INTELLIGENC1R.
BEL AIR, MD, SEPTEMBER IS, 1869.
THE GREAT. INNING CALAMITY.

The GREAT INNING CALAMITY.
Last week we made briefmention of the
terrible disaster which occurred on Sunday
week at Avondale, Pa. We give below
some particulars of the finding of the bod
les of the unfortunate miners, from a
correspondent of the New York Times!
FINDING THE BODIES.
The terrible calamity at Avondale was
proved to the most doubling at the dawn
of morning, when the east gangway was
penetrated 200 feet from the bottom of the
shaft, and the explorers came to a barri-
cade that had been securely placed across
the gangway. Tearing this down, horri.
bic sight was encountered. The lamp shone
upon q heap of dead. A pile of human
beings choked the passage as though they
had fallen together in the last agony
Even Hughes, the inside superintendent
lay but little apart from the mass. He had
been resting on his hands, and there was a
look of placid content upon his rigid fea-
lures. This was true, too, of nearly all in
the great heap. Some few had abrasions
ofthe skin, as though they had been injured
in falling down, and some had an expires
sion Of Mortified supplication, as though
their last of earth had been an agonized
protest against their fate. These were ex-
captions The vast majority looked like
men who were rather sleeping than dead,
or like men who accepted the inevitable
with dignified resignation; but none had
died until they had exhausted all means of
saving life.
WHAT PROBABLY OCCURRED IN THE MINE.
AS had been promised, it was found that
at the first alarm of danger these brave
men had not been appalled,, but taught by
instinct and experience, and knowing the
horrible fact that there was no means OF
egress from the mine except by the shaft,
then choked with fire, they fled to the fur
thest parts of the mine. They had not fled
in panic, but had gone back in order and
with full knowledge that their lives might
depend upon their actions, for they had but
closed all the air-tight doors behind them,
and thus kept the fresh air already in the
mine and the foul air out. When they had
reiterated behind the last door, and found
poisonous vapors still following them they
had then hastily thrown up the barricade
and filled the interstices with clothing,
which they had stripped from their persons.
TIE WORK OF REMOVAL.
When this mass ofdead had been careful
ly examined it was found to contain sixty
three persons, and without exploring the
mine to discover the spots where the Others
met their fate, the work Of removing them
to the surface was begun. The air in the
mine was still very bad, and the horrible
heap was necessarily very slowly diminish
cd.
rrho ,,;, ,,,,or, +,,, b,1 I,o, ,lo,+r,,,
ed by fire and an improyised platform and
rope and tackle was apoor substitute. The
actual raising Of each corpse from the bot
tom Of the shaft to the tunnel consumed
eight minutes and the horse in winding
therope upon the drum travelled something
over a mile. Only one body could be
brought up at once, and with the time oc
cupied in getting it to the bottom Of the
shaft and bringing it out through the tun-
mel, it can be readily understood that the
work is not to be completed in day Or
even two.
AT THE MOUTH OF THE MINE.
The scenes outside the shaft were scarce
ly what were anticipated. The crowd was
as great as on the previous days, and hard
ly more in keeping with the scene. AS
each corpse was brought out upon stretch,
er, and covered with a coarse canvas cloth,
it was placed under tree, and the cloth
removed. Mr.. Phillips, the outside super
intendent of the mine, then stepped up to
identify the dead. The coroner's jury
viewed the body, and it was carried to the
temporary dead-house. The name and
residence of the deceased was then an
nounccd to the surrounding crowd by Jas.
George. Very rarely did an outbreak of
feeling follow. The friends Of the dead
came forward, claimed the body, and it
was removed. In some cases O wall of
woman's anguish was heard, in others q
low cry Of woe rippled through the crowd,
but generally the dead were received with
out audible sorrow and hurried away with
decent ceremony. In every case coffin
was on hand, provided by the Delaware,
was decent, being of polished wood and
mounted in imitation silver.
A sADDER PHASE.
Later explorations of the mine have de-
veloped sadder phase of the tragedy.
Many of the chambers have been entered
and miners found in them dead, the breast
of the mine showing they had been strick-
en- down by poisonous gas in moment,
and without warning, while they were
at work. Roadmen, roofmen, doormen and
Others were found dead in different gang
ways, showing that the destruction had
come swift and sudden.
BITTER FEELING OF THE MINERS.
The spirit evinced by the miners to-day
has been bitter in the extreme, and not
assuaged by the offers of assistance and
sympathy flowing in from every side. Asa
Packer has telegraphed that he offers $4,000
to the bereaved; Governor Geary $500.
The railroad company make all exertions
possible, and the wishes the miners in
every respect are consulted;' but they re-
main obdurate The more reasonable are
ready to listen to reason, but they are in
the minority. Many are refractory and
vicious. Trouble is apprehendcd, and has
been avoided only by consummate tact.
HORRIBLE SCENES.
Another account gives the following de-
scription of the finding Of the bodies:
After exploring along the vault and
chambers nearly 1900 feet, a sickening
Il