The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-09-29

trlk0. ID0y Wer0 IOlsOWCuS 0UVW0 y nc
o'clock, by one Of the mule-tenders, {
With hay for bis beasts. As he reached ,
he bottom no was heard to cry, FIRE
,ut what he saw we never shall know,
Oh in an Instant fierce col9mn OF F.
1ame rusheA up the shaft, caught the
,reaker az II that had been HOuse OF l
,sper, aud wrapped The whole struc- &
InreiS skoots q 7firS. The nsputh of
he nit beleaed forth destruction. Hun
1re6a q tons Of coal in the shutes and
bins wsre soon IL . white glow, and
with the falling beams into
me SHAFT. It was seven or eight beurs
before the engines which were hn!ried
to the scene Of disaster from
all the. -neighboring towns sue
ceeded I'D distinguishing the burn.
ing mass. WOrssmen had fiOcked to
the spot from the entire mining region,
for It was known that two hundred of
their brethren were imprisoned among
the deadly vapors OF that awful PIT.
The rubbish was cleared away from the
mouth, and fifty experienced miners
to tempt the descent. AZ
was now abont 6 in the evening. 10
test the purity Of the air, dog and .
lighted lamp were first lowered into |
the shaft a. far as they would 60. At
the end of FIVE minutes they were
drawn up; the dog WAS still alive, the
lamp still burning. A miner named
Charles Vartue then. went down to re-
connoitrc, but about half way from the
bottom lie found the shaft blocked with
fallen tiMbers. Two fresh volunteers
were then lowered with hatchets. At
ter 90 minutes they were drawn. MP
again faint and breathless.- They had
pepetrated 20 or S0yarils into the gang
way, finding three dead mules, and
coming at last to u closed door. They
hammered at it and waited for, an an
lowering sound, but no answer came,
and through the creviees poured clouds
| of sulphurOus vapOr-tlle1 fatal ftblack
DAMP Several other parties, IN the
course of the evening and night, made
ATTEMPTS to penetrate into the gang
ways, hut with little more success.
Few could remain more than five or SIX
minutes, and when drawn mp they were
all speechless and exhausted. Sever
al were brought back by their cOmpan-
ions entirely insensible.i Two brave
follows, Daniel Jones and Thomas
williams, were brought back dead.
There was no hope now that any of the
miners remained alive, unless, possibly
they had succeeded IN walling them
! selves In at some remote part Of the
J, mime 60 elfectually as to prevent the
entrance of the foul gass from the
lshaft. 1t was only the shadow ~ Z
;. hope; still the work went on, while
, women sat wringing their hands and
, weeping for their husbands and chill
, dren, and miners from distant region
came in hundreds to offer their assis
= tance. BY 9o'clOck ON Tuesday morn
: ing an engine and fan had been places
lin position to force fresh sir infU III
/, mine.l.,All day long parties went dow
! at intervals, but the black damp droy
0 them back, and the fans did not secn
< Ito gain upon it, About 4 in the ate
Il noon it WAS discovered that the IRE
q the foot Of the shaft, which was SUP
IF posed to be entirely extinguished, ha
y been revived by the fresh current, an
! communicated with . mass Of coal ly
d ing near. Thus the workmen had act
I ually been ,acceleratipg the generati0
l. Of gass and destroy ing what little yes
le eye Of hope might remain Tor their in
Is prisoned comrades. . A stream Ofwat'
,e was with some difficulty brought
ID Inlay upon the IfaineS, n and the great
u part OF the night was devoted 20 u
! suppression OF the IRE, the CLOUDS
9. gss that came up the SHAFT being mea :,
q while 90 Awful tna5 WoIkns s1. - . 3
TO mouth were removed lnsens1oie. =
y. tween OF 9 O'CLOCK on MeIpef sn
r. morning Two podies we,o .oulu, -
q feaffnlly distignred ana unecoe nl.
ng Ole. ABOUT S:oV : 10y oA l Ios;..s =.
10, coeded IN penetraune soMS 9.s.s.
. q into one OF the prlneiPle gsle..e =
ne came upon tne oo9ies " eyIs s.4 !.
IN. more where tney ma mes tnslI isse
r. gether. Hhey sRaq icOns.IucseI =
be barriers e CATS ahqI .eIuse . cO o.~ :.
.. stripped on taelr CLOTHES fe''n % h Sum :,
~ .ses.ces' . v h 49, 49, ,el J" b.. the |,