Evening star., 1869-09-10
THE GREAT DISASTER.

Later ParticuIars-An Appalling Spectacle.
The story OF the Avondale disaster is made a
httie less hideous than was a. mrs. , supposed; P
and three men but one hundred and eight were
imprisoned and suffered horrible death in the
burning colliery. The CLOSING agony OF the
death of these men never will be known, as
the mine has been thoroughly explored, and
of all those who were below the ground when
the awful catastrophe occurred, not one has
house. The researches through the galleries
Of the mine have shown that W nen the last hope
OF communication with the smart was cut of
lhe men endeavored to save tneir lives By
erecting bar riers to shut out the smoke and
gas, but the effort failed. The use Of the steam
fan To drive fresh air down the shaft after the
explosion, has been found to have been fatal
into all the passages Of the mine and away
from the shaft its only method OF escape. In
New York and elsewhere liberal subscriptions
are being made for the relief Oh the widows
will undoubtedly be raised. The miuers are
reported as firm in their determination TO re-
fuse again to enter mine with but one shaft
and NO other means OF escape, and their reso-
luton ought to have the effect OF compelling
the necessary improvements in all the mines
Thomas Carson, Of the Hampton nine, and
George Morgan, of the Nauticoke. experienced
miners, with twenty men. have explored every
part Of the workings, and are satIs fed that all
the bodies have been recovered. Outside par
ties say two are still missing One hundred
and eight is the number Of bodies taken ont
At meeting OF the Relief Committee at Avon.
dale George Coray, Of Scranton, was appoint
ed to proceed to New York TO solicit subscrip.
tons. On recommendation Of Mayor Hall, of
New York. the Board Of Assistant Aldermen
yesterday adopted res buttons Of sympathy for
the Avondale sufferers, and appointed a con-
mittee to receive subscriptions. The Gold
Board and National Stock Exchange have ap-
propriated $4,000. and Mayor Hall and Dst.
mold Il Cox are receiving liberal subscriptions
for the widows and orphans. The coal opera
snNc A>sD NJ @rkx
fund for the same purpose, and a subscription
has been started by the Commissioners Of the
Fire Department The Philadelphia Stock
Board has voted $1,000 for the relief OF the
Avondale sufferers, and the Commercial Elk.
change will give as m uch more.
A correspondent of the N. Y. Herald says:
"Cofins have been sent from Scranton, Pitts.
ton, WIlkesbarre and other places to meet the
demand which Avondale makes upon her sister
towns and cities in the valley. Such utter
wretchedness was never witnessed anywhere
as that which is manifested by wives and
daughters and sisters as they recognize in the
liteless forms before them the loved ones who
would never smile upon them again this side
of eternity. The ffty-third and fifty fourth
bodies unearthed Were q father and his son.
their names John Burch, Sr., and John Burch,
Jr. So tightly were they locked in each others
arms, it was found to be a difficult task to
separate them, and it did seem to be at last
cruel to sunite their arms. when they had
embraced each other in death. and Law down
upon the bottom of the poisoned pit. kissed
each other for the last time and perished.''
An inquest is to be held, which will occupy
several days, and the testimony will touch the
whole question of mining. Late explorations
OF the mine have developed a sad phase of the
tragedy. Many Of the chambers have been en-.
tered, and miners found in them dead, the
breast of the mine showing they had been
stricken down by poisonous gas IN a moment
and without warning while they were a.
work. Roadmen, roofmen, doormen and others
Were found dead in different gangways, show.
ing that the destruction had come swift and
sudden.
The spirit ev,nced by miners has been bitter
OF assistance and sympathy flowing in from
every side. Asa Packer has telegraphed that
he offers S2,5OO; Governor Geary $1,000. The
railroad company make all exerions possible,
and the wishes OF the miners in every respect
are consulted; but they remain Obdurate
Trouble is apprehended, and has been avoided
only by consummate tact.
Livery available space in the neighborhood
OF the tunnel entrance was hlonged by men
and women, the latter sitting like daughters Of
Jeptha, with features expressive of deep and
abiding sorrow. The miners who went down
the pit in pairs were all volunteers-strong,
resolute men. with frames OF great endurance
and, though well used to the atmosphere of
mines and accustomed for years to work below
the surface Of the earth, bra wing and bearing
well the noxtcus gases generated in coal mines,
each one, nevertheless, on reappearing at the
surface after an absence Of twenty or twenty.
five minutes, showed all the symptoms of
the utmost physical prostratIon. In almost
every instance 1t was necessary TO apply
restoratives, so great was the exhalation,
Ihe bodies all. as general thing, present a
coal dust, with which every face was thickIy
smeared; yet they did not seem to give much
expressian Of pain in the faces of some but
rather look of resignation to an inevitable
fate, which gives TO some features = calm and
undisturbed appearance. Most Of the bodies
were clothed IL heavy wooden shirts and from
sers. Some were naked from the waist nm.
wards. The exhumation went on as rapidly
as could be managed, eonsdering the Heces.
sary imperfectien of the temporary apparatus
used, but still the delay was weariseme, even
TO mere spectators, and must have been doubIy
so 10 the watchers on the outside, who were so
Ne xt dlsinterment might be OF that one OF the
dead tor whom they were especially and i'm.
mediately interested.
A dispatch from Ply mouth, Pa, says: 1t has
from the first been hoped that Mr. Evan
Hughes, inside foreman, would have made
some memoranda, which, being found, would
give Information as to the time life was pro.
brought up his coat was of, and his TOOLS
tme.book, and compass were missing. After
1t was deemed certain that more bodies re-.
NAMED in the mine, Mr. Evan Hughes, general
inside foreman OF all the Delaware Lacka.
wanna, and Western Railroad Companies
mines, and q brother to Mr.. Evan Hughes.
taking four men with him, went down to search
memoranda so much desired. He found the
coat nfty or sixty yards from where Mr..
Hughes body had been found, and outside of
both barricades. 1t contained his COMPASS
and other tools and two time BOOKS, but no
whatever. So all trace of having
record OF the last hours Of the dead is lost.
~Jud1e Mcnonald nf Indianono,;s -h.