The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-09-11
The Shaft Said to Have Been
Fired with Kerosene Oil.
Revenge On the Welsh Miners
the Motive.
Aid for the Sufferers from This
City and Elsewhere.
Prompt Action of the New York
City Officials.

More BEING in the Mine-uOrribIe RunOrs
Regarding tho Origin of tho Calamity-The
Shaft Reported Fired by Kerosene Oil-Re-
venge on the Welsh Miners the Motive.
SCRANTON, Sept. TO- 1862
Tonight no more doubts exist as to the probabil.
Ivy Of other bodies being still lying in the mines.
few, however shake their heads and say II the mine
were thoroughly searched at least ten bodies more
might be found lying In the remote portions Of the
mine. Experienced ana careful miners persist in
declaring that this cannot possibly be. as the mine
was new one, with no intricate passages or mac
cessble chambers, and that every corner in it was
as thoroughly known to the engineers as might be
the rooms In a two story house.
Nevertheless, some men are still incredulous. One
person bases his disbelief OF the total clearing of the
mine on the statement of woman living in Pittston
who had two sons lost by the accident She says
her sons, and five men who boarded with her.
started for Avondale on Monday morning, and that
49,, 80 .avar e~,- w No., oooorn+ad for
out o. ~" "' :. vn,y i've have pUsn accounted lot
She feels sure the others still IN the mine, but
there is likelihood that they might have been taken
out and cared for by some one OF their friends OF
whom she knows nothing.
Two gangs went down the shaft this morning to
satisfy themselves that no bodies remained and re-
turned without any. Another gang went down 10
destroy, by application Of sulphuric acid the putrid
remains of some half dozen mules, which were be-
coming particularly offensive.
new theory to account for the disaster at Avon.
dale has been started this evening, and can only
give it for what 1t is worth, merely promising
that 1t ia probably set afoat IN the inter-
est Of the mine owners. AS antagonism has
existed In this section for o year or two past
between the Welsh miners and those Of the other
nations, based upon the Partially shown to the
in tnav of pr0r Otin IN
the superior positions around the mine this an.
tag0nlsm has developed itself In evidences Of ill
feeling. The Welsh have always been slow
to strike ana In the meetings OF the miners
unions they have nearly unanimously voted
against the 'Dasis," which is term ex-
pressing an agreement among the miners to
strike whenever the coal fell and not work until 1t
went above tn at figure again. The other have
mostly favored this mode OF proceeding and the
Welsh alone have been opposed to 1t. Three months
ago meeting was held, at which, after much de-
bate 1T agreed all sides to strike. The strike
was failure and the Welsh were more indignant
slan ever withthose who led them into the rrutess
struggle to uphold the ''basisn
This week with pockets empty and the pinch of
privatlon already felt, the men OF the Avondae
mine went to work. In the meantime, among the
mining circles Of Hyde Park near here threats were
freely uttered against the Welsh their timidty in
striking, and the grumbng they INDUCED in when
called upon to sustain prolonged opposition to the
mine owners
So much by way Of explanation. Now for the
story Of transcendant sensatlonasm tina: has
come to light this evening by way OF
the village OF Hyde Park, ana for
which nobody holds himself responsible,
but which superexcelent food for speculation to
pass from hand to hand. Monday morning funeral
was announced to take place at Plymouth, near
Avondae, and to this funeral oil the miners were
invited except the Welsh. When the latter went
below to their work 1t is supposed the wooden par.
tition in the shaft was fred with kerosene oil by
come person standing in the tunnel forty feet below
top OF the shaft and thus the work OF destruction
begun. To give color to this horrible assumption
OF the mines being fired, one man states that tine
brattlce, meaning the centre partition OF the shaft
was less burned below Than above and that II it
were set on fire from the furnace In the mine, the
lower part would be totally consumed and the upper
would be the least affected That 1t was possible to
fire the brattice in the centre, and. burning 1t up
kinde the woodwork Of the breaker overhead bring
ing all down In blaze Of ruin, and choking
up the air passage entirely, the woodwork
falling from above would still contiue burning down
below and ignite the remainder of the brattice, but
not to that extent that it would be wholly destroyed
before the water from the engines extngulshed the
flames. The furnace, 1t Is held could not have set
the bratce fire, because OF Its long distance from
the mouth Of the shaft.
Another man says he thinks he saw traces OF
Kerosene oil on the edge OF the tunnel but this is
hardly worthy OF mention, as it occurred to him as
an afterthought on hearing the story have re.
lated.
The people over In Hyde Park have a report this
evening that ten more bodies have been found In
the mine, but superintendent Storrs, who returned
from Avondale few hours ago. after accompany
Ing Governor Geary over the ruins says there is no
truth. In the statement.
Mines and NIiners-HOw Long the Imprisonea
Lived-The Labor Of the Rescnc.-Hcroism
&c she Observation-Disclosures at the -.,,.I
Town with Five Men Left.
. PLYMOUTH, Pa, Sept 10, $780,
The excitement of the past three days is gradually
subsiding. The miners have not yet returned to
work. but 1t Is thought that Monday next will find
the mines Of the Delaware ana LacKawanna Com.
pany occupied and busy with the hum OF labor a.
before. Miners are peculiar race OF men. Death
in Its more horrible form and on the most extended
ecale as In the case of the Avondae catastrophe,
has no such terrors as 10 keep them moment from
running the same risk as did their unfortunate
brethren who were buried in Hyde Park Cemetery
yesterday. The very mine that has been the grave
OF SO many could find sufilclcnt men willing to 90
down is shaft to-day and work N its fearful cham
bers as It did on Monday last, when los hurried to
the summons OF the bell and took their last look OF
sun and sky forever.
There was rule Of the Avondale mine that any
man arriving At the mouth Of the shaft for the pur
pose OF descending after the bell tolled should
not DO allowed to work that day. Monday morning
TWO men came late, but only by q few minutes.
The person In charge OF the cage refused to let them
20 down, at which they grumbied and swore, and
threatened to DO even one day with the unaccommo.
datng ohicla How altered their feelings OF resent
ment must be can only be imagined. Monday at
ten O'Clock was appointed for the funeral OF an irish
miner, and all the lrisnmen employed At Avondale
resolved to attend 1t. Over fty worked IN the mine
and over nfty are now living to thank that funera,