The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-09-17
TERRIBLE CATASTROPHE.

Fire In n Coal SHAFT One Hundred and
Fifty Miners suffocated-Henrt Rem
ding Scenes-Grcat Loss OF Property
aud Immense Excitement.
SCRANTON, Pa, Sept 6LThoro is great
excitomont here in consequence of the
BURNING Of n ooal-breaker at Avohdalo mino,
Plymouth, about 20 miles south of This
city. There are 20t mon and boys in the
mine, and the shaft, which il tho only
means. of escape, is choked by forty feet of
burning coal and rubbish. Ventilation is
totally stopped, and there are great fears
that some, IL not all, will be suflocated. b
SCRANTON, Pa, Sept. G-G10 p. m.-Tho
latest information from the Avondale mine
states that tho shaft was cleared and two
mon wont down and penetrated sixty or
seventy Yards to n closed gang-way door,
which they could not force open. They
found three dead mules outside the door,
and sulphurous fumes were pouring out
through the door. No signs of life were
discovered, and IL IN feared that all are dead.
SCRANTON, Sept. 1.-The fire began nt ten
o'clock this Forenoon. All experts agree
TINT 10 must have communicated from the
vontilating furnace to tho Woodwork at tho
bottom of tho shaft, which is J97 feet be-
low tho surface. The flames then rushed
with great violence up the shat, and broke
out in the ongine-room at the top. The
engineer barely escaped with his life. The
buildings covering the mouth of the shaft
were 100 feet high and 200 feet long, nll Of
wood and drya rs finder. They were almost
instantly onveloped in flames, and il was
\ impossible 10 reach the mouth Of tho shaft
to help the men below.
Dispatches Just received from Avondnle
say that Thomas w. Williams, ofPlymouth,
and David Jones, of Grand Tunnel, who
went down TO make further Investigations,
were suffocated to death. On a second at
tempt Williams deadbody was brought out
by David II. Davis and benjamin Jones.
Thomas Williams went down and dragged
David Jones som6 distance TO tho foot Of
tho shaft, whom he was compelled to com
up. John W. and Isaac Thomas then went
down and brought up the body. All who
attempted to go down are now out alive,
except Williams and Jones. No further ut.
tempt will be made togodown until a small
engine is rugged.
The loss by tho burning of the AvondalC
mine works il from eighty thousand to onC
hundred thousand dollars, not counting
the loss by tho stoppage of mining opera
tons.
l. SCRANTON, Pa, Sept. 8. -Four men who
went down the shaft yesterday afternoon
and explored q gangc-way, opened n dooi
leading TO the furnace, and found il full o
burning conl, and n heap of coal near by
blazing. One became %overpowered ant
they returned TO tho mouth the shaft, wher,
they were with difficulty restored from Tn,
effects OF the gas and bluc.damp which wa
following them.
II had been determined to pour water in
10 the mino to c%xtinguish tho hro, and afte
some four hours another party went dow
aud carried hose 10 the furnace. They re
ported the fire dying ont in the furnace
Otler parties wont down aud placed tn,
hose in position to throw water on tho fur
mco. Afor tho water had been turned OF
two hours, two parties went down, the las
one returning in bad condition from Tn
effects Of tho blue-damp, which nroso vcr
freely. r
About 2 O'Clock this a. M, another gan
went down aud brought M the bodies q
two miners, which were in n bad and IN
recognizable condition, being badly bloaI
ed about their mouths. One is n yOun
man, tho other middle aged. Tho cNcitt
mont was intense. The air in the mine
improving.
p~mL,nELrmA, Sept. S-5 4. N. A RpC
cial dispatch from Scranton dated 1 o'cloc
! to-day, report tho finding of nearly 20
dead bodies of minors piled mp together i
X Ayondalo Mine.
LATER "A private dispatch says that on
hundred aud three dead bodies have bee
p brought mp from tho mine.